Drying, ironing and commercial laundries

Driers blow air through the clothes in one of two ways: low-temperature air at high speed (the room stays at normal humidity), or high-temperature air slowly (the air coming out is very humid).

Ironing smooths out wrinkles; pressing sets creases. Electric irons have thermostats and often steam. Lighter irons are used at home; heavier ones for curtains and bedcovers. Charcoal irons are still seen.

Fabric care happens at different levels: the household; professionals such as dhobis, who wash at dhobighats; and laundries and dry-cleaning shops, which may run several branches and offer transport for hostels, small hotels and nursing homes.

A commercial laundry has sections for washing, extraction, drying, pressing and ironing. It keeps separate sections for institutional and personal work, dry-cleaning, woollens, silks and synthetics, and blankets and carpets. Some also dye clothes or polish zari. It has units for inspection, sorting, mending and stain removal.

Equipment: very large washers (far bigger than home machines), dry-cleaning machines, hydro-extractors, driers, flat-bed and roller ironers, calendaring machines, folding tables and trolleys.

Records matter: check and note any damage when clothes arrive, give an invoice, and use code tags so each item goes back to its owner. Bigger machines, special sections, careful records.