Below is a full list of examinations and qualifications provided by the Guild of Cleaners & Launderers. Click on the title for full details, download a pdf for your reference and submit your enquiry via our convenient ‘Qualifications & Examinations enquiry form’. We will then assess your request and contact you with details of the appropriate training required prior to the examination, the examination itself and the qualification process and certification.
Covering the knowledge and theoretical skills required by the dry cleaner proprietor/manager, or aspiring manager, to meet the needs of a dry cleaning operation. This syllabus has also been designed to meet the needs of the trainer, or installation engineer, of a new installation, or turnkey operation. It has also been developed to meet the needs of the aspiring dry cleaning operative who needs independent certification of having acquired the necessary level of skill and knowledge for career progression, or ultimate promotion.
The ability of a candidate to satisfy the requirement is assessed by a Guild examination involving one written paper of approximately two and half hours duration.
The syllabus is divided into six main areas:
- Health and safety including legislation applicable to solvents and loss control
- Dry Cleaning Machine and Solvents
- Water, detergents and auxiliary chemicals in dry cleaning
- Fabrics and fibres in dry cleaning
- Product Quality
- Operating Cost Control
This examination covers the knowledge and theoretical skills required by the dry cleaner proprietor/manager, or aspiring manager, to meet the needs of a dry cleaning operation. This syllabus has also been designed to meet the needs of the trainer, or installation engineer of a new installation, or turnkey operation. It has also been developed to meet the needs of the aspiring dry cleaning operative who needs independent certification of having acquired the necessary level of skill and knowledge for career progression, or ultimate promotion, or proving technical competence.
The ability of a candidate to satisfy the requirement is assessed by a Guild examination involving one written paper of approximately 2½ hours duration, which includes more than one multiple-choice selection of questions to cover most disciplines.
The exam is divided into six main areas:
- Health and safety including legislation applicable to solvents and loss control
- Dry Cleaning Machine and Solvents
- Water, detergents and auxiliary chemicals in dry cleaning
- Fabrics and fibres in dry cleaning
- Product Quality
- Operating Cost Control
(this takes the form of a ‘tick-box’ exam)
With 60 exam type questions and a multiple choice of answers are given that the candidate must place a tick against the most appropriate answer.
To pass this exam the candidate must get 70% correct (42 out of 60).
(this takes the form of a ‘tick-box’ exam)
With 60 exam type questions and a multiple choice of answers are given that the candidate must place a tick against the most appropriate answer.
To pass this exam the candidate must get 70% correct (42 out of 60).
(this takes the form of a ‘tick-box’ exam)
With 60 exam type questions and a multiple choice of answers are given that the candidate must place a tick against the most appropriate answer.
To pass this exam, with questions of a higher level than our other “Handling Solvents Safely Examination” the candidate must get 70% correct (42 out of 60).
For the practical examination/assessment of a candidate the following is required:
For Practical Dry Cleaning certification
- A working commercial dry cleaning machine
- Typical modern spotting table together with a typical propriety manufactured pre-potting kit, or alternative, containing stain remover/lubricants for Tannin, Blood and Paint type staining
- A flat work surface for garment inspection and pre-treatments
For Pressing
- A press or ironing table, in good working condition garments containing woven & knitted wool, light & heavy weight cotton, silk and/or satin, raincoat or other similar outer rain protective wear, reinforced fibre garments, Viscose or Acetate Rayon
Q Star Suite of practical assessments:
(Q Star can only be held by a member of the Guild of Cleaners and Launderers)
Q Star – Dry Cleaning Practice exam by practical assessment, covers Health & Safety, Dry cleaning practice and the machine, Fabric and soiling.
Q Star – Wet Cleaning exam covers Health & Safety, Work Station and Fabric and soiling.
Stain Removal exam is by practical assessment and covers Health & Safety, Work Station, Equipment, Chemicals and Spotting, Knowledge of textiles.
Q Star – Garment Finishing exam is by practical assessment and is divided into either Scissor Press (Hoffman Type), or Ironing Table, covering, Health & Safety, Work Station operation and dexterity and Knowledge of textiles.
Q Star – Retail Sales exam is by practical assessment, covering, Health & Safety, Work Station, Examination of incoming work, Examination Finished Work, Fabrics (in made up garments, curtains etc), Dry cleaning technical knowledge.
Dry Cleaning/Wet Cleaning Suite of practical assessments:
Dry Cleaning Practice exam by practical assessment, covers Health & Safety, Dry cleaning practice and the machine, Fabric and soiling.
Wet Cleaning exam covers Health & Safety, Work Station and Fabric and soiling.
Stain Removal exam is by practical assessment and covers Health & Safety, Work Station, Equipment, Chemicals and Spotting, Knowledge of textiles.
Garment Finishing exam is by practical assessment and is divided into either Scissor Press (Hoffman Type), or Ironing Table, covering, Health & Safety, Work Station operation and dexterity and Knowledge of textiles.
Retail Sales exam is by practical assessment, covering, Health & Safety, Work Station, Examination of incoming work, Examination Finished Work, Fabrics (in made up garments, curtains etc), Dry cleaning technical knowledge.
This covers the knowledge and theoretical skills which a manager must have in order to direct operations in a modern retail laundry (domestic type work), a medium sized rental and contract laundry, a hotel, healthcare or prison laundry or a large textile rental operation.
The syllabus meets the needs of the aspiring laundry supervisor preparing for the next step in promotion to laundry manager, who requires independent certification of having acquired the necessary level of skill and knowledge.
The emphasis throughout the examination is on laundering-specific knowledge, concentrating on those particular features of laundering which make it different from other management disciplines.
The ability of the candidate to satisfy the requirement is assessed by one written examination paper of approximately 2.5 hours duration, with multiple-choice options. This is to enable candidates from small or specialised laundries to address questions appropriate to their establishment.
The written examination is divided into the following areas:
- Health and safety management
- Staff selection and training
- Self management and human relations
- Washing and finishing technology
- Budgetary planning and control
- Quality management
- Machinery requirement and maintenance planning
- Managing customer care
This mirrors the Laundry Manager’s Qualification and covers the knowledge and theoretical skills which a production manager, or technical manager must have in order to direct operations in a modern retail laundry (domestic type work), a medium sized rental and contract laundry, a hotel, healthcare or prison laundry or a large textile rental operation.
The qualification meets the needs of the aspiring laundry supervisor, or recent university graduate, preparing for promotion within laundry operations, who requires independent certification of having acquired the necessary level of skill and knowledge.
The emphasis throughout the examination is on technical laundering-specific knowledge, concentrating on those particular features of laundering which make it different from other management disciplines.
The ability of the candidate to satisfy the requirement is assessed by one written examination paper of approximately 2.5 hours duration, with multiple-choice options. This is to enable candidates from small or specialised laundries to address questions appropriate to their establishment.
The examination is divided into the following areas:
- Health and safety management
- Staff selection and training
- Self management and human relations
- Washing and finishing technology
- Budgetary planning and control
- Quality management
- Machinery requirement and maintenance planning
- Managing customer care
This covers the knowledge and theoretical skills required by the laundry supervisor or aspiring supervisor to meet the needs of a small retail laundry, a medium sized rental and contract laundry, hospital laundry, or a large rental operation. It has also been designed to meet the needs of the aspiring laundry supervisor who needs independent certification of having acquired the necessary level of skill and knowledge for ultimate promotion.
The ability of a candidate to satisfy the requirement is assessed by a Guild examination involving one written paper of approximately 2.5 hours duration, which includes multiple-choice selection of questions to cover most disciplines, and enabling the candidate to specialise. (for example calender room supervisor or wash house foreman)The syllabus is divided into seven main areas:
- Health and safety
- People and supervisory skills
- Washing and finishing technology
- Operating cost control
- Product quality
- Machine productivity
- Customer care
Laundry Practical Examinations are conducted by assessment in the actual work area.
Check-In, Sort & Classify – In this practical assessment the candidate will need to show that they can:
- Unit 1 Support and contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure working environment
- Unit 2 Prepare the work area and equipment for operations
- Unit 3 Organise and control resources for operation
- Unit 4 Check In items and count identify them if required using the available facilities
- Unit 5 Sort, Classify and Make-up loads
Washing is divided into three separate certificates one each for:
Washer Extractor/CBW Washing/Continuous Towel (Cabinet) Washing – all separate practical assessment units each divided into assessment of units showing the candidate can:
- Unit 1 Support and contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure working environment
- Unit 2 Prepare the work area and equipment for operations
- Unit 3 Organise and control resources for operation
- Unit 4 Organise and control washing process
- Unit 5 Clean items by washing process
Tumble Drying is divided into separate practical unit assessments in which the candidate will be expected to show they can:
- Unit 1 Support and contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure working environment
- Unit 2 Prepare the work area and equipment for operations
- Unit 3 Organise and control resources for operation
- Unit 4 Organise and control the tumble drying process
- Unit 5 Dry items using tumble drying process
Finishing is a choice of three practical examination by assessment.
Calender Finishing – Flat Work in which the candidate will need to show that they can:
- Unit 1 Support and contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure working environment
- Unit 2 Prepare the work area and equipment for operations
- Unit 3 Organise and control resources for operation
- Unit 4 Organise and control the processing of flat work through calenders
- Unit 5 Process flat work through calenders
Tunnel Finishing – Shaped items in which the candidate will need to show that they can:
- Unit 1 Support and contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure working environment
- Unit 2 Prepare the work area and equipment for operations
- Unit 3 Organise and control resources for operation
- Unit 4 Organise and control tunnel finishing process
- Unit 5 Dry, finish and inspect garments using a tunnel finisher
Polished Head Pressing – Scissor Press or Rotary Press in which the candidate will need to show that they can:
- Unit 1 Support and contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure working environment
- Unit 2 Prepare the work area and equipment for operations
- Unit 3 Organise and control resources for operation
- Unit 4 Press and finish simple garments and items
- Unit 5 Press and finish garments of complex construction
Rack and Pack – in this practical assessment the candidate will need to show that they can:
- Unit 1 Support and contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure working environment
- Unit 2 Prepare the work area and equipment for operations
- Unit 3 Organise and control resources for operation
- Unit 4 Inspect and despatch items
- Unit 5 Select stock items and assemble orders to individual customer
Laundry Supervisor Certificate is achieved by a combination of achieving 4 practical certificates plus a theoretical examination at Intermediate Level.
Laundry Technician – is achieved by a combination of achieving 5 practical certificates and is applied for on completion.