The term laundress or washerwoman are old-fashioned terms from the 19th-century. In the dictionary, it is a woman who washes and iron clothes and linens. In luxury household hiring, a laundress is widely popular and the duties and responsibilities have been modernised.
Clients could request for a housekeeper/laundress or laundress/wardrobe manager to manage their clothing, garments, and linens. The background of a laundress can vary, several are seamstresses, tailors, have worked for luxury dry-cleaners, luxury and 5-star hotels, or private families.
A good laundress must have a number of skills:
- Excellent organisational skills – Organising clothing by colors, season, favorite clothing pieces
- Attention to detail
- Extensive knowledge of types of fabrics and the knowledge of washing and ironing procedures
- Adaptable and good listener – Every family is different and have different preferences when it comes to washing products and procedures
- Sewing skills – Know-how of sewing machines, hemming, etc.
Everyday duties of a laundress may vary but the general responsibilities are washing and drying clothing, expensive garments, and linens, hand-washing delicates, ironing, folding clothing, and linens, managing the clients and the clients’ families wardrobe also known as wardrobe management, minor repairs on clothing and linens, managing the stock supplies for laundry products, for instance, laundry powder/liquids, fabric conditioner, etc.
A laundress would liaise with suppliers, dry cleaners and tailors, taking clothing to dry-cleaners if requested by the client. They could be responsible for packing luggage/suitcases if the client is travelling and reporting to the client, PA or stylist.
If you are a laundress and have all the skills mentioned above please send us your most updated CV, our consultants at Morgan and Mallet would like to meet you. And if your family is looking for someone to assist with laundry duties please contact us and we can assist you and your family.
