2.5 Laundry work

• Laundry detergents: soaps and soapless detergents
• Laundry agents: water (soft and hard), fabric conditioners, bleaches, stain removers, stiffeners, laundry blue, organic solvents
• Laundry tools and equipment: classification, choice, use, care and safety precautions
• Laundry processes: sorting, mending, steeping, washing, rinsing, drying, finishing
• Laundering personal items

• classify detergents and agents used in laundry work
• describe the use of tools and equipment in laundry work
• explain the processes used in laundry work
• launder personal items following correct procedures
• embrace the importance of laundry work in day-to-day life

“How does the quality of a laundry detergent and agent affect laundry work?”

“Why is laundry work important?”

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1. Why laundry work matters
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Five reasons for laundering clothes, and why underclothing is washed after every wearing however clean it looks.
2. Soaps and soapless detergents
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The two classes of detergent, what each is made from, and why one fails in hard water.
3. How a detergent lifts dirt
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The two ends of a detergent molecule, why agitation and soaking help, and why rinsing is part of the cleaning.
4. Laundry agents and what each does
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Six agents beyond the detergent, the one job each does, and why laundry blue does not clean anything.
5. Hard and soft water in laundry
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   What makes water hard, what it does to soap, and four ways of dealing with it.
6. Laundry tools and equipment
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Equipment grouped by stage, the care each needs, and the safety precautions for irons.
7. The seven laundry processes
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The seven stages in order, what each achieves, and what goes wrong when one is skipped.
8. Sorting before washing
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Three ways of sorting, the damage each prevents, and why pockets must be emptied every time.
9. Treating stains
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Treatments for seven common stains, the four rules of stain removal, and why heat is the enemy.
10. Washing methods for different fabrics
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Four washing methods matched to fabrics, and why wool must never be rubbed.
11. Rinsing and drying
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Rinsing until the water runs clear, and drying methods matched to fabric and colour.
12. Finishing: airing, ironing and storing
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Ironing temperatures for different fibres, iron safety, and why clothes must be fully aired before storing.