SH_CH_2
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Rev. FEB 2011 2-1 CHAPTER 2 SHIP'S LAUNDRY Learning Objective: Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to do the following: — Recognize the safety requirements associated with ship’s laundry operations and the use of ha- zardous material. — Recall the security classification and requirements for the ship’s laundry. — Select job assignments for laundry personnel. — Determine a training program for the ship’s laundry personnel. — Determine the use and maintenance of laundry logs. — Determine the safety precautions that apply in the stowage and handling of laundry supplies. — Recall the proper procedures to follow in the operation of the laundry receiving area. — Recognize the importance of washing clothes properly. — Recognize the different types of soil and know how they affect the various fabrics when laundered. — Recall the proper procedures used to operate the washer extractor. — Identify the different formulas used during the wash phase of the laundry operation. — Recall the parts and the proper operation of a tumbler dryer. — Recognize the various types of laundry presses, along with the various parts and the proper opera- tion of the presses. — Recognize the components and recall the steps to operate the flatwork ironer properly. — Determine the proper operation of the laundry issue room. — Identify the elements needed to improve customer satisfaction. — Determine the importance of the 3-M system and how the system relates to the ship’s laundry. INTRODUCTION One of the Supply Officer's responsibilities is to provide laundry service to the ship's crew. This service takes place in the ship's laundry, which is operated by the Ship's Serviceman (SH). The lau n- dry service provided is directly in line with the overall mission of the Navy. This service provides s hip- board personnel with clean clothing, which promotes morale and enhances general health and co m- fort conditions. The ship's laundry works on the assembly line principle. Dirty laundry is routed from one workstation to another until it is clean, dry and ready for pickup. The assembly line principle is used
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-2 mainly because it results in efficient production. As an SH working in the laundry, you must be familiar with the different tasks performed at each workstation. This chapter provides ship's laundry personnel with information about how a shipboard lau n- dry operates. It explains the tasks performed in the laundry process. The process begins with the r e- ceipt of personal or bulk bundles and proceeds through the assembly line. It ends with the return of f i- nished laundry to the individual or division. Safety is the most important aspect of the everyday operation of the laundry; therefore, var i- ous safety measures are discussed throughout this chapter. Before we discuss the laundry oper a- tions, we will discuss some specific areas of safety with which you will be involved. These are h a- zardous materials and environmental protection, heat stress and sanitation. OPNAVINST 5100.19 (Series) contains the safety precautions for shipboard laundries. The technical manual for each piece of equipment lists the safety precautions as well as the safety fe a- tures for that equipment. The safety precautions for each piece of equipment should be posted near the equipment for the operators to read, remember and follow. The laundry supervisor is responsible for making sure all laundry personnel are aware of and follow established safe working precautions. You are responsible for making sure you observe all safety requirements. HAZARDOUS MATERIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION The Environmental and Natural Resources Program Manual , OPNAVINST 5090.1, contains Navy policy and assigns responsibility for actions necessary to ensure protection of the environment. Commanding officers should coordinate and cooperate with federal, state and local pollution control agencies and follow all standards and regulations to control environmental pollution. As a SH, you should be aware of how laundry practices and detergents may affect the env i- ronment. The water that drains from the laundry is considered wastewater and is transported to the collection, holding and transfer (CHT) tanks. CHT tanks are installed aboard ship for handling wast e- water from showers, heads, laundries, galleys, sculleries and sinks. It is transported by the ship's waste drain system. In port, the wastewater is transferred ashore for disposal. Underway, the ship should be more than 50 miles from any shoreline when discharging wastewater. Before you dispose of any laundry detergent in port or at sea, you should first determine if it is a hazardous substance. Hazard classifications and storage requirements for shipboard consumables are contained in the Hazardous Material User's Guide (HMUG), OPNAV P- 45-110-91, or in the M a- terial Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) available from your supervisor. If it is a new hazardous material, you may also request a M SDS from the manufacturer. Information on the disposal of a hazardous su b- stance can be found in this publication or from your supervisor. All of the laundry detergent, bleaches and spot removers are hazardous materials. All of these materials are toxic and are health hazards. Bleaches are oxidizers that can give off toxic gases if mixed with greases, oils, or ammonia products. M SDSs provide detailed information on the preca u- tions, hazards and emergency responses if hazardous materials are spilled. Laundry bins of hazar d- ous materials must be labeled with the name of the product, the hazard and the name/address of the manufacturer. The corresponding MSDS must be maintained within the space for which it is kept. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to train all personnel about hazardous materials. All personnel must heed all required precautions.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-3 HEAT STRESS Heat stress is a dangerous condition that may affect personnel as they work in the laundry. A combination of airflow, humidity, work activity, air temperature and heat from the equipment can cause the laundry area to reach high temperatures. Exposure to this heat can cause your body temperature to increase. Heat stress can lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke and occurs as your body tries to regulate its temperature. Heat exhaustion can cause fatigue, severe headache, nausea and poor physical and mental performance. Heat stroke can lead to life threatening injuries. You can reduce the chances of heat injuries from high temperatures in the laundry by taking the following actions: Taking and recording temperatures in the heat stress log as required Eliminating conditions in the laundry that would increase the normal heat load (i.e., changing primary and secondary lint traps) Reporting temperatures of 85degrees or higher as required to medical Following the do's and don'ts list included in the following section PREVENTION To obtain accurate and reliable data on heat stress conditions, you must obtain temperature readings. Dry-bulb thermometers should be permanently mounted in the wash and press deck areas. They should be mounted so that the bulb of the thermometer is not affected by nearby heat sources. For specific mounting locations, laundry supervisors should check with a medical representative. You should record the temperature readings of the thermometer in the heat stress log once every 4 hours. When temperatures are 85 degrees or higher, circle the temperature, preferably with red ink, recorded in the heat stress log. Once recorded, notify the ship's store officer and medical officer. If the temperature remains high, the medical officer will provide a restricted work schedule for the laundry personnel. The amount of time you may work under a restricted schedule is referred to as your stay time. Each period of work under heat stress conditions is followed by a recovery period. During the recovery period, laundry personnel should go to a cool, dry place to allow their body temperature to return to normal. The recovery time is always twice the stay time or as recommended by the Senior Medical Officer. Personnel working in a heat-stress environment should follow these specific rules: DO: Eat three adequate meals a day Drink plenty of cool wat er Get at least 6 hours of continuous sleep during every 24-hour period Wear clean clothing composed of at least 35 percent cotton. DO NOT: Take salt tablets Wear starched clothing Drink commercially prepared liquid electrolyte supplements.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-4 CONDITIONS Inspections conducted aboard various ships over a period of years have identified many of the conditions that may cause a heat stress environment. Some of the conditions found were so severe that personnel exposure had to be limited to avoid harm. These heat stress conditions may be caused by any of the following conditions: Steam and hot water leaks Missing, deteriorated, or damaged insulation on steam piping, valves and machinery Ventilation system with missing or mutilated ductwork, misdirected terminals, clogged exhaust screens, closed or partially closed Circle William dampers, dirty ducts and inoperable fan mo- tors and controllers Ventilation design deficiencies, resulting in an inadequate air supply or a decreased exhaust capacity. Even though these conditions are identified and corrected, heat-stress conditions may still oc- cur. Some examples include times when personnel must work in hot, humid climates and when they must do hard, physical work. While working in the laundry, you should be aware of conditions that may cause heat stress conditions. Report all problems to the laundry supervisor so that the problems can be corrected. You can find the specific requirements of the Navy's Heat Stress Program in OPN A- VINST 5100.19 (Series). SANITATION The job of the ship's laundry operation is to produce clean clothing using sanitary methods. Sanitary or industrial hazards may occur at any point in the process from delivery of contaminated clothing to the finished product. The laundry supervisor must stress the importance of personal hygiene. It is mandatory that laundry personnel wear clean uniforms, frequently wash their hands, particularly after visiting the toilet or handling soiled linen. REQUIREMENTS Sanitary requirements are outlined in NAVMED P-5010. The senior medical officer or Hospital Corpsman (HM) aboard prepares the regulations for your ship. These sanitation regulations should be posted in the laundry for all personnel to read and follow. Some common sanitary requirements are as follows: The laundry must be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, free from infestation by r o- dents and insects Floors must be cleaned at least once daily by dustless methods. Paper and trash must be placed in covered containers; lint must be removed from bulkheads, overheads and structural supports Plumbing fixtures and appliances must be installed according to established standards, mai n- tained in good repair and kept in sanitary condition. These fixture and appliances must be connected to prevent backflow or cross-connection with the potable water supply. Most ship- board washing machines have the ability to use both freshwater and seawater connections. These connections must be used according to Naval Ships' Technical Manual, chapter 655. Seawater may be used when the ship is 25 miles from shore but never when it is in polluted water
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-5 Sanitary angle jet-type fountains must be provided to supply drinking water Eating, cooking and storage of food, drinks, or smoking material are prohibited in rooms where clothing is handled, sorted, marked, or washed Laundries must have separate areas designated for receiving and issue. Unwashed clothes must never be received, marked, sorted, or handled in close proximity to washed clothes Rooms or spaces must be designed and machines and equipment arranged so that a sep a- rate flow of clean and soiled garments is maintained throughout the laundry process. This flow requires separate contact surfaces, such as tables, carts, shelves and so forth. Ventila- tion must move air from clean to soiled areas to prevent cross contamination Laundry bins used to transport and stow laundry must be kept clean and in a sanitary cond i- tion. INSPECTION The Sales Officer should inspect the laundry each workday to make sure operators are follo w- ing sanitation regulations. In addition, the ship’s Preventive Medicine Technician (PMT), an HM a s- signed to the medical department, will inspect the laundry once a quarter. The inspection should be unscheduled and the findings are reported up the chain of command to the commanding officer. LAUNDRY SECURITY Security of the laundry is the responsibility of all laundry personnel. You must do everything you can to protect the laundry from loss of personal clothing and supplies, damage to equipment and unauthorized use. SPACE DESIGNATION The ship's laundry is designated as a Group IV space. The original key will be in the posses- sion of the laundry supervisor during working hours. After working hours, the key should be turned over to the duty supply officer to be placed in a general key locker in the supply office. Duplicate keys should be kept in a special duplicate key locker in the supply office or in the supply officer's safe. If a lockset is used, the original master key (which accesses all Group IV spaces) should be retained by the sale’s officer. The duplicate master key should be kept in a special duplicate key locker in the supply office or in the supply officer's safe. The ship's laundry should not be used after working hours unless approved by the sale’s offic- er. Untrained personnel should not use laundry equipment because a variety of problems could occur, including the following: Fires Injury Damage to equipment Loss of personal clothing and laundry supplies. A laundry fire can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Damage to equipment causes loss of production and longer working hours for laundry personnel. Injury to personnel could range from a burned hand from a hot laundry press to severe heat stress injuries. Before operating laundry equip- ment, your supervisor must help you complete the current Personnel Qualification Standard (PQS).
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-6 WHEN DESIGNATED AS A GROUP III SPACE Anytime retail items intended for cash sale are stored in a service activity, it is considered a Group III space and proper security measures should apply as per NAVSUP P-487. This will normally occur when you need extra storage space for pre-deployment load outs. ASSIGNMENT OF DUTIES Personnel are assigned to the laundry from the SH complement. The allowance of rated pe r- sonnel is based on the assumption that a number of non-designated Seamen will be required to ope r- ate the laundry efficiently. LAUNDRY MANAGEMENT The leading chief or leading petty officer usually manages the ship's laundry and is responsible to the sale’s officer for its proper operation. The organization of ship's laundry varies with the size of a ship. On a large ship with more than one chief, the sale’s officer assigns a chief petty officer as the service activities manager. The chief petty officer will ensure the laundry supervisor manages the laundry operations comparable to those of a civilian manager of a shore laundry. LAUNDRY SUPERVISOR The SH in charge of the laundry is generally responsible to the leading chief or leading petty officer for the entire operation. The laundry supervisor supervises the daily operations of the entire laundry process. The SH supervising the laundry orders supplies; sees that the laundry is kept clean; sees that the equipment is maintained properly; assigns and trains laundry personnel; maintains flow of work through the laundry; investigates laundry claims; and does whatever is necessary to ensure the laundry operation is efficient. The laundry supervisor has diverse responsibilities that are comp a- rable to running a civilian laundry. The many responsibilities involved vary with the size of the laundry supervised. LAUNDRY OPERATORS Laundry personnel are responsible to the supervisor for completing their assigned tasks. They should be trained in all areas of the laundry and ready to pick up any slack that may occur from a temporary shortage in personnel. They should also follow safety procedures and use all equipment according to the manufacturer's instructions. In this chapter, the importance of proper equipment o p- eration is stressed along with the consequences of not operating equipment properly. Laundry pe r- sonnel should remember the following points about laundry operations: Laundry equipment will not perform efficiently unless operated correctly. It is easily damaged if operated incorrectly Equipment replacements are expensive and not always available An efficient laundry operation is vital to the health, welfare and morale of the ship's company The articles being laundered are valuable and will not be easily replaced if damaged or d e- stroyed Faulty or careless equipment operation can injure operating personnel. The organization of a ship's laundry varies with the size of a ship. A small ship, for example, may have an SH2 in charge of the laundry and two SH3s assigned as laundry personnel. These three persons receive, wash and issue finished laundry and do everything necessary to operate the laundry. A large ship, on the other hand, would have a much larger laundry operation.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-7 Figure 2-1 shows a basic laundry organization with sections common to all shipboard lau n- dries. This chart gives you a basic idea of how a laundry is organized. On a large ship, you will find more sections and personnel, each section with their own pe r- sonnel assignments. To accommodate the workload or to provide training and experience, rotate pe r- sonnel in the laundry from one job to another. A small laundry performs the same tasks and processes with fewer personnel and less working space. The result is likely to be a simpler organization chart with each person performing many differ- ent tasks. Regardless of where you work within the laundry, you must complete the job qualification r e- quirement (PQS) for that particular workstation.
Figure 2-1, Basic laundry organization. TEMPORARY DUTY PERSONNEL During deployments, temporary duty (TDY) personnel may be assigned. On am phibious plat- forms, these personnel may be sent from the embarked Marines. On an aircraft carrier, they may come from embarked squadrons. Regardless of where they originate, they will need proper training at different workstations. Before assigning TDY personnel to a workstation, they should complete the PQS. TRAINING LAUNDRY PERSONNEL A trainee who is only mildly interested often comes to take a real interest in learning about his or her job and doing things the right way because of the example and instruction of his or her superv i- sor. On the other hand, even the best potential laundry operator can be discouraged from using his or her ability by careless training. ON-THE-JOB TRAINING The importance of correctly operating laundry equipment is stressed throughout this chapter along with the consequences of faulty operations. In the face of these facts, training assumes a major importance among the duties of a laundry supervisor. Nothing that he or she does is more important than making sure that his or her personnel know how to operate their laundry equipment correctly and form habits of doing work to protect the machines, protect the articles laundered and protect their own safety.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-8 The more time you spend on training, the less you will have to spend on troubleshooting and the fewer mistakes for which you will have to correct. If you expect to meet your schedule and turn out quality-finished work, it is to your advantage to have your laundry personnel as well trained as poss i- ble. Training assumes an especially important place among your administrative duties when many of your laundry operators are TDY personnel, as discussed earlier in the chapter. Take the time to train your people right. ROTATION OF DUTIES To keep your laundry running at its full potential, you will need a versatile laundry crew. As per- sonnel transfer and take leave, you will need to replace them with new ones. One certain way to ac- complish this without interrupting service to the ship is to ensure personnel are cross-trained within the laundry. As personnel become proficient at certain jobs, you should use their expertise to help you train other laundry operators in that area of the laundry operation. Before long, everyone will be cap a- ble of performing every operation within the laundry with confidence and proficiency. Another advantage that will result from the rotation of duties is motivation. Some jobs are simp- ly monotonous and fatiguing. Sometimes, a change of pace will stimulate interest in your subordinates who have been assigned boring jobs. However, you should avoid the mistake of rotating your perso n- nel too frequently. Each individual should be assigned specific tasks for a period of time that is long enough for that person to become a proficient and productive worker who contributes to the overall ef- ficiency of the operation. If you move your people around too much, they could end up lacking a clear understanding of what is being done and failing to develop a sense of responsibility. LAUNDRY SCHEDULE The laundry supervisor prepares the laundry schedule for the sales officer approval. As a Ship’s Serviceman, you must be familiar with factors that affect the laundry schedule and the opera t- ing hours of the laundry. These factors include the following: Amount of laundry that must be processed weekly Capacity of laundry equipment Number and performance level of the laundry crew. To eliminate problems and establish normal working hours for personnel, operate the laundry generally in shifts. A laundry shift is usually 8 hours long. Your laundry may operate one, two, or three shifts per day. Each shift should have experienced personnel so that laundry is processed in a satisfactory man- ner. A shortage of experienced personnel requires that strikers be used to assist SH personnel. Unde- signated personnel shall be qualified on laundry equipment before they are allowed to operate it. TYPE OF LAUNDRY SCHEDULE The best type of laundry schedule is one that best fulfills the laundry requirements of your ship, inport and at-sea. Some ship's laundries have successfully used daily schedules; that is, a portion of the laundry from each division is delivered to the laundry each day for processing instead of once or twice a week. Daily scheduling of division laundry eliminates bad odors and soiled laundry in berthing compartments, which definitely improves morale. On the other hand, the laundry workload on some ships may not justify a daily schedule. The amount of water and detergents that must be used can un-
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-9 necessarily be heavy. Therefore, equipment often must run at less than full capacity. There is no one correct laundry schedule. Remember that the best schedule is the one that fulfills your ship's needs. AMOUNT of WORK PROCESSED WEEKLY Your ship's laundry facilities should be adequate to process 24 pounds of laundry per accom- modation per week. If your ship is a surface ship with more than 100 accommodations (crew plus troops), then your ship should be capable of meeting the following minimum requirements within a 96- hour laundry operation week: 1. Provide one change of working clothing, underwear, socks and one towel per day per accommo- dation 2. Provide one change of berth linen per accommodation and one change of officer and CPO dining facility linen per week 3. Finish press three uniform shirts and trousers per officer and CPO/SNCO (E7-E9) accommodation per week 4. It is HIGHLY recommended NOT to finish press Navy Working Uniforms (NWU) or coveralls be- cause the heat will diminish the fire retardant material. To calculate the amount of laundry you should process weekly, you should obtain the total number of your ship's crew and multiply that by 24 (the average number of pounds of laundry that may be expected to be processed weekly for each member of a crew). For example, if your ship has a 3,000-member officer and enlisted crew assigned for duty, your laundry workload for each week would be 72,000 pounds (3,000 X 24). In addition, you can anticipate the following breakdown of your total workload to the finished work: 80% will require tumble drying 18% will require pressing 2% will need flatwork ironing. These figures will give you a general idea of the amount of laundry you should be processing weekly. CAPACITY OF LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT The capacity of your equipment determines how much tumbled work, flatwork and press work your laundry operation can handle in 1 day. The capacity of your equipment depends not only on the rated capacity but also on the efficiency and size of the laundry crew. For example, if you have five press stations and only three personnel to operate these stations, then you will have two stations that will be idle at any given time. SIZE and COMPETENCE of the LAUNDRY PERSONNEL Laundering is one of the shipboard jobs that must be done whether you have sufficient person- nel or not. For the most part, your problem will be one of scheduling. You need to make the best use of your available personnel and you should try to spread the workload as fairly as possible. Keep in mind that TRAINED PERSONNEL WILL SUPERVISE all operations. However, your trained personnel need not perform all the tasks.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-10 LAUNDRY LOGS To keep track of laundry operations, you will maintain certain logs. As a laundry operator, you should become familiar with these logs: Heat stress log—Used to record temperature in the laundry Bulk work log—Used to log bulk laundry in and out Press deck log—Used to record officer and chief petty officer lots received in the laundry Equipment maintenance log— Used to record maintenance data on each piece of equip- ment. Maintain these logs daily and ensure that the logs are always ready for inspection by the sales officer, for review and be sure to initial these logs weekly. HEAT STRESS LOG Use the heat-stress log to record temperatures in the laundry every four (4) hours or each work shift. The number of readings taken depends on how many hours the laundry operates. However, readings should be taken anytime the laundry is manned. Table 2-1 is an example of a heat-stress log. Table 2-1, Laundry Heat Stress Log
BULK WORK AND PRESS DECK LOGS Figure 2-2, 2-3 show examples of bulk work and press deck work and press deck logs. As the receiving laundryman, you should carefully log in all laundry. As you study these figures, notice the fol- lowing columns: Berthing Div/Dept—Identifies the organization element turning in the laundry Total No. of Bags—Indicates the number of bags turned in Weight in (Whites, Colors)—Indicates the total weight of bags Signature blocks—Used to acknowledge receipt or delivery of the laundry Weight out (Whites, Colors)—Indicates the total weight of bags • Date out—The date the laundry was issued to the respective division or department repre- sentative
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-11
Figure 2-2, Laundry bulk work and press deck logs. The press deck log records the individual officer and chief petty officer lots received in the laundry. As you study Figure 2-3, notice the following columns shown in the Officer and CPO log: Name/Rate—Used to establish laundry marks Laundry Mark—Identifies individual owners using first letter of last name and last four social security numbers No. of Shirts—Record total shirts received (khaki or white) No. of Pants—Record total trousers received (khaki or white) Other items—Use these columns to record any other items (e.g., laundry bag, sock bag, T- shirts, socks, etc). Received and Delivered By—Laundryman receiving and person who brings dirty laundry to be washed to the laundry Checked Out By—Laundryman issuing the finished product Picked Up By—This will be the person who picks up the laundry Date out—The date laundry is returned to the customer.
Figure 2-3, Laundry press deck logs. Under the column marked "Other," you normally list items other than shirts or trousers. If space does not permit listing these items, keep a separate log. Modify your logs as needed. Each week, the laundry supervisor prepares a locally prepared laundry summary sheet based on the information contained in the bulk and press logs. The supervisor routes the summary sheet to
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-12 the supply officer for review and signature and files a copy in the laundry for reference. Figure 2-4 shows an example of a weekly laundry summary report.
Figure 2-4, Weekly Laundry Summary Report. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE LOG You will use the equipment maintenance log to record historical repair data. You should keep a separate log on each piece of laundry equipment aboard your ship. Figure 2-5 shows an example of an equipment maintenance log. The form is self-explanatory —the headings tell what information is needed.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-13
Figure 2-5, Laundry Equipment Maintenance Log. LAUNDRY SUPPLIES Standard stock laundry supplies are requisitioned from supply activities ashore. Laundry pe r- sonnel should be familiar with the handling and storage requirements of laundry supplies, especially those used in the wash cycle. STORAGE REQUIREMENTS Proper storage and handling of laundry supplies are essential to prevent health and safety h a- zards. Storage space aboard ship is normally limited and some planning is required to make sure space is used efficiently. Laundry supplies such as two-shot detergent should be stored in a laundry storeroom. Heavy containers of laundry supplies should be stored close to the laundry. Rust and stain removers should be stored in a cool, dry space —preferably a small Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) storage locker l o- cated in the space. Small items should be kept in bins to prevent loss. Items, such as pins, laundry net bags, or other items subject to theft, should be stored under lock and key. Laundry supplies kept in the laundry should be stored in a metal bin lined with bin liners or plastic bags. They should be stored in the order of their use and limited to those amounts needed for a 1-week period. When dispensing or using these products, avoid prolonged skin or eye contact and avoid inhaling any dust. Each laundry must be equipped with an emergency eyewash station, which should be installed near the laundry supply handling area or the bins. SOLID CAKE LAUNDRY SUPPLIES The newest laundry chemical available for shipboard use is the solid cake. It is packaged in in- dividual containers, commonly referred to as capsules. The individual solid cake containers are i n- serted into the associated laundry dispensers when in use. Storage Requirements There are three solid cake chemicals used that are automatically dissolved and amounts pr e- cisely dispensed from dispensers. These products come in stackable plastic containers, making ha n- dling less hazardous. These containers require 40 percent less storage space than conventional d e- tergent. Because of the solid nature of the three products used in the laundry, no special protective gear is required under normal conditions to handle the products. The solid form of the three cake laundry products makes contact or exposure unlikely in normal use. If containers are ruptured or br o- ken open, then special handling procedures are in place, as stated on the MSDS.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-14 Solid cake product containers (capsules) can be stored in the received shipping box or as indi- vidual product containers. The product should be stored in a cool, dry space. In the unlikely event that a container becomes punctured, do not use unless it is inserted immediately into an associated dis- penser. As long as the capsules remain sealed, they have no special storage or handling requir e- ments. Detergent (Solid Cake Capsule) The solid cake detergent plus associated builders cause dirt and soil to be released from the fabric. When ready to use, the operator opens the capsule carefully and inverts it over the dispenser. The operator then inserts the individual container into the appropriate slot in the automatic dispenser. Detergent Safety Requirements Contact or exposure with the solid form of the detergent is unlikely with normal use. Detergent may cause chemical burns if it comes in contact with your skin. Eye contact may cause blindness. Eye contact requires that you immediately flush your eyes with water for at least 15 minutes. Then contact medical personnel for treatment. For skin contact, you should flush with water. If swallowed, it causes chemical burns to the mouth, throat and stomach. Contact medical personnel immediately. You should follow all safety precautions according to the MSDS. Oxygen Bleach (Solid Cake Capsule) Oxygen bleach de-stains and is a brightening agent. It comes in a container, making its ha n- dling less hazardous. The oxygen bleach is safe to use on white and colored linen. When ready to use, the operator opens the capsule carefully and inverts it over the dispenser. The operator then i n- serts the individual container into the appropriate slot in the automatic dispenser. Oxygen Bleach Safety Requirements The solid form of oxygen bleach makes exposure unlikely in normal use. However, contact with skin or eyes can cause irritation. If swallowed, large amounts may cause irritation, nausea, or diar r- hea. Follow all safety precautions according to MSDS. Sour (Solid Cake Capsule) Sour neutralizes the acidic wash water. The solid form comes in a container, making its han- dling less hazardous. When ready to use, the operator opens the capsule carefully and inverts it over the dispenser. The operator then inserts the individual container into the appropriate slot in the aut o- matic dispenser. Sour Safety Requirements Sour comes in a solid cake capsule, making its handling much less hazardous. As with the other solid forms, contact or exposure is unlikely with normal use. Sour may cause chemical burns if it comes in contact with your eyes or skin or if you swallow it. Sour can cause severe irritation and poss- ible chemical burns if it comes in contact with your eyes or skin. For skin contact, you should flush with water. Eye contact requires that you immediately flush your eyes with water for at least 15 minutes. Then contact medical personnel for treatment. If sour is swallowed, it can cause chemical burns in the mouth, throat and stomach. If sour is swallowed, contact medical personnel immediately. Follow all safety precautions according to the MSDS.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-15 Two-Shot Detergent The Naval Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) authorized the use of two-shot detergent for use in shipboard laundries. It is called two-shot detergent because it includes a detergent and ox y- gen bleach. This has become a backup to the solid cake capsules. A container of two-shot detergent, which weighs 40 pounds, should be stored in a cool space. The container is made of heavy-duty plastic. The detergent is granular, non-dusting and will not dis- perse into the air. If the detergent is improperly covered, it may develop cakes or lumps, but they can be broken up by hand. When handling laundry detergents and chemicals, it is imperative that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is utilized. Refer to MSDS. Handling Starch Laundry starch is made from corn, wheat, or a mixture of both. It is considered the safest product used in the laundry. Starch normally comes in boxes or bags. Heavy items should not be stored on top of it. Always store it in a cool and dry space. When starch comes in contact with mois- ture or water, it cakes and cannot be used. RECEIVING AREA OPERATION The first step of the laundry operation is the receipt of laundry. To perform the duties involved in laundry receipt, the receiver should have a list of divisional laundry petty officers. The laundry s u- pervisor provides the receiver with this list in case there is a need to contact a division representative regarding delivery and pickup of laundry or to resolve problems. Articles to be laundered are delivered to the ship's laundry either in bulk lots or in individual bundles. Bulk lots include division laundry (the crew's personal clothing and linen) and flatwork (towels and linen from staterooms and tablecloths from officer wardrooms and CPO messes). Also included are service lots (clothing of cooks, food service attendants, barbers and medical personnel) and medi- cal items from sickbay. Individual lots consist of officer and chief petty officer personal laundry del i- vered to the laundry in net bags. The workflow for bulk and individual lots is shown in Figure 2-6. The solid black line running from the Bulk Lots block, top left, to the Issuing block at the bottom shows the steps in processing bulk laundry. The broken line on the right side of the chart connects all types of work accomplished on indi- vidual lots.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-16
Figure 2-6, Work flow for a laundry operation. IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL LOTS The main problem in the laundry is preventing the loss of clothing. Therefore, a good system of identifying laundry is needed since several different persons may handle the clothing during the laun- dry process. The Navy uses two identification systems: laundry lists and laundry marks. Steps to Identify Individual Lots Ship's laundries ask customers sending individual lots, usually officers and chiefs, to the lau n- dry to list the items on a Ship's Store Laundry List, NAVSUP Form 233 (Figure 2-7 ). At the top of the laundry list, customers fill in your name, division and last four of your social security number. On the lower part of the list, they check the types and number of articles to be laundered. Then they give the list along with the laundry to the receiving clerk. The first step in receiving a bundle should be to review the laundry list information and ensure the articles delivered contain a laundry mark. If any items in the bundle do not contain a laundry mark, you must create one. The mark consists of the first letter of the last name and the last four numbers of the social security number. For example, the laundry mark for SHCM Paul T. Boat, 123- 45-6789, would be B-6789. This is the standard method used throughout the Navy to create a laundry mark.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-17
Figure 2-7, Ship's Store Laundry List, NAVSUP Form 233. Location of Laundry Marks The Navy Uniform Regulations Manual contains guidance and procedures for stenciling var i- ous articles. According to the Navy Uniform Regulations Manual, stenciling is mandatory. With proper stenciling, the receiving clerk can check in items easily and quickly. The clerk can also check and as- semble finished articles without unfolding them. The enforcement of the uniform stenciling requirement should reduce the number of laundry claims paid from the ship's store profits. Some common items
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-18 you will receive in the laundry are listed in Table 2-2 along with the proper location of their stencils. For a conclusive list, refer to the Navy Uniform Regulations Manual. IDENTIFYING BULK LOTS Bulk lots are delivered to the laundry in large, marked divisional laundry bags. Make sure the division name is stenciled in large letters on divisional laundry bags. If for some reason there is no stencil on the bag, you can make your own markers or flags by cutting and hemming pieces of cloth to form 8-to 12-inch squares. Then stencil one marker for each division, service group, or activity that brings bulk work to you. Clothing in bulk lots should be stenciled before delivery to the laundry. Each enlisted person is responsible for stenciling his or her clothing. The division laundry petty officer should accept only clothing that is stenciled. As discussed under individual lots, stencils are mandatory and should be ac- cording to the Navy Uniform Regulations Manual. Usually, both black-and-white stencil pens are avail- able in the retail store. Table 2-2.—Proper Stenciling Location for Common Items
TYPES OF STENCIL EQUIPMENT Shipboard laundries use different methods of marking laundry articles: marking pens and sten- cils and cloth markers. The method used depends on whether the articles are received in bulk or ind i- vidual lots. It also depends on the type of article, the method of laundering and the availability of mark- ing equipment.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-19 Laundry-Marking Pens The laundry supervisor should obtain white-and-black laundry markers and charge them as an "issue to ships use (OPTAR)." When marking clothing with marking pens, make sure the mark does not bleed through the fabric. It is best to stencil on a semi-firm surface, such as cardboard. Do not press too hard. Be sure the ink from the stencil is completely dry before placing the clothing with the remainder of the lot. RECEIVING INDIVIDUAL LOTS After all items are properly marked, you should count every item and enter the total on the laundry list. When your count agrees with that indicated on the laundry list, you can start on the next bundle. If your count does not agree, the laundry supervisor should be notified immediately. He or she should contact that individual to inform him the count does not match the laundry list submitted. Individual bundles received during the day are considered a single lot consisting of individually marked bundles. If a lot consists of more bundles than the number of available assembly bins, then break it into two lots. Assemble the items in the first lot before the second lot comes to the assembly bins. One lot of 20 bundles is easy to handle. Never put more than 50 bundles in one lot. The number of bundles you should put in a lot depends on the classification of the items in the bundles. Classification is the process of separating laundry according to color, fabric type and degree of soil. The classifications are white cottons, other white or light-colored fabrics, light cottons with heavy stains, dark-colored cottons and so forth. Net laundry bags should be used to keep rough-dry clothing together during the laundry process. Rough-dry clothing includes items like socks, underwear and handkerchiefs. These bags are made of open mesh nylon and are very useful for separating small items, such as handkerchiefs or socks, from the larger articles. Two general types of nylon net laundry bags are available: woven and knitted. Woven net bags do not stretch and thus retain their size. Knitted net bags have a tendency to stretch and increase in size. The following shows the size and weight capacity of knitted net bags: Net Sizes Capacity 10 x 15 inches 2 to 4 pounds 24 x 36 inches 8 to 12 pounds You should never overload bags. When articles are packed tightly in bags, water and detergent cannot flow through them properly to remove the soil and the process of drying is delayed. In addition, these lots can increase the potential of fires in the laundry. RECEIVING BULK LOTS After bulk lots are properly marked, they must be checked in properly. Checking in bulk laundry is different from individual lots in that you do not count individual items; you simply weigh the bag. You should have an area designated with a hanging scale to weigh in bulk laundry bags. The weight of the bag should be logged into the Bulk Work Log along with the number of bags, color and so forth. Figure 2-8 shows a laundryman weighing and logging in a divisional laundry bag. Make sure that the delive r- ing laundry petty officer signs the log. Never accept overstuffed laundry bags, as they cause handling problems during the laundry process. Bags that exceed the capacity of the laundry bags cause delays on the wash deck because they must be split, thereby increasing the chance of loss claims. You should also ensure the bag is tied up with a rope. This will prevent clothes from accidentally falling out.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-20 Also, make sure blues and whites are not mixed in the same bag. Mixed blues and whites d e- lay the laundry process because the laundry must be separated. Do not accept bulk laundry bags that have any of the discrepancies noted above. To reduce or eliminate these problems, the laundry supervisor should hold periodic meetings with divisional laundry petty officers to discuss laundry policy and policy changes. An important note is to keep soiled bulk laundry separate from clean laundry. In smaller lau n- dries where space is limited, an effort should be made to have all clean laundry picked up after it is completed.
Figure 2-8, A laundryman weighing and logging in a divisional laundry bag. WASH DECKS The next step in the laundry process happens on the wash decks. The goal of the washing process is to remove soil from the items being washed. This process involves the use of washer e x- tractors to loosen soil from the fabric, suspend it in the water and rinse it away. There are five baths in the wash cycle—the break suds, the flush suds, two rinse baths and the sour bath. During the first bath, the detergent removes and loosens the soil so that it may be rinsed away. Laundry personnel must be familiar with the different fabric types. Most shipboard uniforms can be washed in the ship's laundry without damage provided they are resistant to the detergent used. Make sure you read and follow the clothing care labels to prevent damage to uniform items.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-21 To minimize the effects of detergent on fabrics, separate laundry articles according to color, f i- ber content and degree of soiling. Wash lightly soiled articles separately from heavily soiled items. This reduces the chance of heavy soiled items causing lightly soiled items to look gray or dull. Wash colored fabrics separately from whites to avoid color transfer. For maximum washing efficiency, do not exceed the load limits of the equipment. This provides for maximum mechanical action and cleaning efficiency and prevents fabrics from wrinkling. Synthetics or blends do not absorb water —water gathers on the surface of the fiber only. The final extract should be consistent with the Navy wash formula. TYPES OF SOIL/EQUIPMENT In general, there are four types of soils: chemical-soluble, water-soluble, insoluble and special. Some can be removed during the washing process and some cannot. You need to be able to identify them so that you can decide whether they require special treatment. CHEMICAL-SOLUBLE SOIL Chemical-soluble soils dissolve in chemical solvents. They include oils; greases; certain wa x- es; fatty acids; and vegetable, mineral and animal oils. Since these soils usually are not soluble in wa- ter, they may require special treatment. WATER-SOLUBLE SOIL Water-soluble soils dissolve in water. They include substances, such as sugar, starch, gums, salt, flavoring agents and syrups. They also include a wide variety of substances generally found in foods and beverages, such as mustard, catsup, soups and soft drinks. Perspiration stains are also i n- cluded in this category. The normal laundering process will remove these types of soils. INSOLUBLE SOIL Insoluble soils do not dissolve in water or chemical solvents. They make up the bulk of the soils removed from the laundry. They include dirt, sand, carbon, ashes, concrete dust, lint, hair, cos- metics and dandruff. These soil types are usually less visible than oils, greases, or food stains, but are damaging to the fabric because of their abrasiveness. Most insoluble soils are dispersed during the wash cycle, but their complete removal may prove more difficult. Such soils sometimes redeposit on the garments during the laundry process, which causes "graying" of the fabric. SPECIAL SOIL Special soils are insoluble in water or laundry detergents. They include ink, paint, nail polish and various types of adhesives. They may be removed partially or entirely by spotting operations. WASHER EXTRACTORS The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEASYSCOM) publishes #S6152- B1-CAT-010— a catalog of information about laundry and dry-cleaning equipment. The Navy uses this catalog to iden- tify, select and procure laundry equipment. The catalog includes several different types and sizes of washer extractors. Washer extractors installed aboard ship differ mainly in load capacity. Table 2-3 lists the washer extractors the Navy uses.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-22 EDRO (DYNA WASH) MODEL DYNA WASH model is the most commonly found onboard Naval ships. The U.S. Navy uses EDRO DynaWash® 60-to 200-pound capacity three pocket washer extractors for shipboard laundries. These applications range from a single 1 00-pound capacity machine or two 60-pound capacity m a- chines on small surface combatants to one 60-pound, two 100-pound and six 200-pound capacity ma- chines on aircraft carriers. Table 2-3, List of Washer Extractors Used by the Navy The equipment installed on aircraft carriers provides laundry service for up to 6,000 personnel on a daily basis. During a standard 6-month deployment, aircraft carrier laundries will operate 16 to 20 hours per day, 6 or 7 days a week and process nearly 150,000 pounds of laundry a week. Since de p- loyment schedules may require Naval ships to remain at sea for sustained periods, it is imperative laundry operations remains at 100 percent capacity. The inability to provide efficient laundry service due to equipment downtime has a severe detrimental effect on ship's force morale. Safety Features Laundry personnel should know the safety features and procedures to follow to prevent pe r- sonal injury and damage to the equipment. The following safety features are generally true for all models; however, check the technical manual for the specific piece of equipment for any additional safety features: The washer extractor will stop if the outer shell door is opened during the wash cycle An interlock switch prevents the outer shell door of the washer extractor from opening during the extract cycle Both hands must be used to operate the jog switches on the control panel The control switch or the master switch can be used as emergency stops The vibration switch will stop incorrectly loaded machines during the extract cycle The air pressure switch will not allow the machine to operate on less than 80 pounds of air pressure The automatic brake engages during power loss or an emergency stop The positioning interlock switch eliminates the possibility of the wash motor activating while the outer shell door is open. Item No. Description Requirements Manufacturer/Model Number 1 200-pound washer/ extractor MIL-W-19044C Edro Corporation DW2000MNSWE-13A 2 200-pound washer/ extractor MIL-W-19044 Pellerin Milnor Corp 42044CP3 3 100-pound washer/ extractor MIL-W-19044 Edro Corporation DW1000CNSWE-22B 4 60-pound washer/ extractor MIL-W-19044 Edro Corporation DW600PNSWE-23B 5 60-pound washer/ extractor MIL-W-19044 Pellerin Milnor Corp 36021CPE 6 20-pound washer/ extractor MIL-W-23554 Hoyt Corporation HD 2000 7 16-pound washer/ extractor (submarines only) MIL-W-23554 Type I Wascomat Corp. WASCONAU- TIC
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-23 General Safety Requirements Before operating any laundry equipment, you should observe the following general safety r e- quirements: Familiarize yourself with the location and availability of emergency equipment, such as the eyewash station (Figure 2-9) and first-aid box Make sure that the work area around your equipment is dry and clear of obstructions Make sure all lights in the area work Follow the posted operating instructions and observe all safety precautions Only qualified personnel should operate laundry equipment Make sure all safety guards, screens and devices are in place before starting Always turn off power when loading and unloading the washer extractor. Specific Safety Requirements You should pay close attention to the following specific safety requirements: Never bypass or disconnect any safety feature When operating a machine, keep a safe distance away from moving parts Keep your hands, body and clothing away from moving machine parts Never use your hands or body to stop moving parts even if the power has been turned off Never leave machinery unattended Do not clean or service a machine while it is in operation. Maintenance The washer extractor is an important and expensive piece of equipment. If it breaks down b e- cause of a lack of maintenance or care, time and a lot of money may have to be spent to make it o p- erational. The ship's crew may also be subjected to inconveniences and unsanitary living conditions until repairs are made. Too much emphasis cannot be placed on the proper care and maintenance of the washing machine.
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Rev. JAN 2010 2-25
Figure 2-9, Eyewash station. The senior laundry petty officer is responsible for the care and maintenance of the laundry washer extractors. The operators are responsible for performing operator maintenance. The inside and outside of the washer should be kept as clean as possible. The soap solutions and hot water used in washing clothes help to keep the inside clean and sanitary. However, scum and other acc u- mulations should be removed daily from the exterior. To do this, use an oxalic solution. The solution is made by dissolving 1/2 pound of oxalic acid crystals in 1 gallon of water. WARNING Wear goggles and protective gloves when mixing and using the oxalic acid solution. Dispose of the remaining solution as directed by your supervisor. Use a rag or brush to apply the solution. Apply the solution and rub vigorously; then rinse with clean water. A fine abrasive powder, such as pumice stone, sprinkled on a damp cloth helps to r e- move grease and film from the tub. Using scouring powder and a brush also works quite well. Operators should be alert for mechanical problems that may occur between scheduled mai n- tenance checks. The problems may include, but may not be limited to, the following: Loose latches on cylinder doors Leaky valves Improperly working extractor brake Improperly working thermostat Inoperable switches
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-25 Improperly operating timer Improperly engaging extract Incorrect water levels Inoperable safety features. Only qualified shipboard maintenance personnel should perform mechanical or electrical maintenance. Laundry personnel should not perform this type of maintenance or operate any equi p- ment until cleared by the maintenance personnel. Washer-Extractor Controls The control system on the Dyna-Wash machine is simple and easy to understand. To improve laundry quality, prevent mechanical failures and increase life expectancy of the washer extractor, use the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or microprocessor for an automatic wash in shipboard laundries. This system, in conjunction with the solid system control pad, makes washing clothes el e- mentary. The PLC and chemical control pad are shown in Figure 2- 10. With the addition of the PLC, you can no longer use the washer in manual mode. Programmable Logic Controller The following is a description of the PLC controls: 1. Power switch—This switch controls power to the machine. 2. Program select buttons—Selecting these switches will activate the appropriate Navy wash for- mula. There are three buttons that correspond to the three Navy wash formulas. 3. Temperature sensor—This thermostat controls the desired temperature of the water in the washer extractor. An LCD reading shows the temperature of the water in the machine. You can adjust the desired temperature. If the water is not hot enough, the electric coils or steam coils will be engaged to increase the water temperature. NOTE: The wash cycle will not advance before the water temperature reaches the desired temper a- ture. 4. Jog button—This button used in conjunction with the reverse or forward button allows you to move the washer cylinder. This is a safety feature. 5. Forward/Reverse button—This button moves the cylinder in the appropriate direction when pressed simultaneously with the jog button. 6. Emergency Stop button—When pressed it will shut down the washer extractor. This is a safety feature. 7. Cycle indicator lights—The indicator lights illuminates the washer extractor to inform the opera- tor what cycle the washer extractor is currently on. 8. Step number and program time window—LCD readout.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-26
Figure 2-10, PLC and chemical control pad.
Chemical Control Pad A microcomputer, this control pad acts as the brain for the solid cake dispensing system. Based on the operator’s manual input or the PLC electronic signal, the chemical control pad tells the dispensing machine when, what and how much chemical to release. The laundry operator keys are in the desired cycle on the control pad’s numeric keypad. Pressing number: “1” activates the formula for washing whites and khakis; “2” activates the formula for blues; and “3” activates the formula for wools. This operation eliminates the guesswork of measuring the proper chemicals and ensuring they get i n- to the wash at the appropriate time during the wash cycle. Washer-Extractor Operation Washer extractors consist of two parts: the outer shell and the cylinder. The shell holds the water washing supplies. The cylinder holds the clothes. The cylinder has holes in the bottom of the shell that allows water and suds to enter and clean the clothes during the wash cycle. Water is extracted from the cylinder using centrifugal force. During the extracting cycle, a separate extractor motor spins the cylinder at a high speed.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-27 The washer extractors manufactured for the Navy comes in various sizes. They were d e- signed to provide an easy and safe method for washing clothes. Since they are automatic, their ope r- ation is simple. The first step before operating the machine is loading it. Figure 2-11 shows a laundryman loading a Dyna-Wash. When loading the Dyna-Wash, you should divide the wash load into three equal piles. There should be no more than a 10 percent diffe r- ence in the weight of each pile. Overloading a washing machine is one of the causes of breakdowns because greater strain than the manufacturer intended is placed on all moving parts, particularly the motor. Overloading also results in poor washing because the water and cleaning solution do not have adequate space and sufficient agitation to remove the soil. Under loading, on the other hand, results in a waste of water and supplies. Once you understand the importance of proper loading, safety fe a- tures and controls of the washer, you are ready to operate the washer extractor using the following procedures:
Figure 2-11, Proper loading of a washer extractor. 1. Verify the power is turned on and steam, water and air valves are opened as applicable. 2. Open the shell door. On multi-pocket machines, jog the cylinder until the inner door is aligned with the outer door. Open the inner door. Load the open pocket or multi-pocket machine with the prop- er amount of laundry. Do not exceed the maximum rating of the machine or the individual pocket on multi-pocket machines. Repeat the loading process for the remaining pockets. Ensure the mul- ti-pocket machines are evenly loaded to prevent an out-of-balance condition. 3. Close and secure the inner pocket and main shell door(s). Ensure the doors are properly latched and secured. 4. Verify the proper temperature settings for the selected formula and adjust accordingly. 5. Start the machine. For electro-mechanical controlled machines, align the drum to the start of the formula and set the switches for automatic operation. Turn the timer on. For microprocessor or programmable logic controlled (PLC) machines, select the desired formula and begin automatic operation by depressing the formula and/or run button as appropriate. 6. Allow the machine to operate through the full automatic operation. Periodically monitor the m a- chine operation and inform the laundry supervisor of any abnormal operation.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-28 7. Unload the machine following the cycle completion and transfer the clothes to the dryer or press station. Be sure to use the technical manual for the washer extractor aboard your ship when training your laundry personnel. Different machines may have specific safety and operating requirements that you should follow. Wash Water Water is the most important item used in a laundry. Not only is it needed in quantity but also the quality of the water has an important effect on the washing process. At sea, quantities of suitable wash water are subject to greater limitations than ashore. You may not always have enough fresh water available. To conserve fresh water, you may be required to use seawater. Water that contains an appreciable quantity of salts is hard water. Soft water is water that has not picked up salts from the earth or has had these substances removed or neutralized. Since seawater contains a concentration of salts, it is the hardest of all wash waters. TYPES OF HARD WATER—In the laundry, hardness in water kills the power of soap. When soap is added to hard water, the calcium and magnesium salts in the water combine with the soap to form a sticky, insoluble deposit known as lime. This reaction makes soap useless for washing. The sticky deposit traps the dirt and puts it back on the fabric in the form of scum. If no dirt is present, the scum is seen as a white film on the clothes. There are two types of water hardness: 1. Temporary hardness —Water containing calcium and magnesium bicarbonate is cons i- dered temporarily hard because these elements can be removed by boiling. The scale on the inside of steam kettles is caused by the insoluble carbonates being deposited as the water evaporates. 2. Permanent hardness —Water that contains calcium and magnesium chlorides is not affected by boiling and is permanently hard. Water requires special treatment with chemicals or distillation to remove permanent hardness. WATER-SOFTENING METHODS—The base exchange and distillation methods are generally used to soften water. The base-exchange method softens the water by exchanging calcium and ma g- nesium compounds in the water for sodium compounds that do not cause hardness. The distillation method softens the water by evaporating it and then condensing the vapor back into the water to cool it. The distillation method makes seawater usable for the ship's boilers and other uses. Distilled se a- water is not pure, but it contains only about 1/20,000 of its original concentration of salts. Laundry Detergent As discussed earlier in the chapter, the Navy uses solid cake capsules throughout the fleet. These capsules eliminate the guesswork. With the use of these capsules, the proper mixtures of chemicals are dispensed into the wash cycle depending on the type of clothing you are washing. Fig- ure 2-12 is a picture of a solid cake capsule dispensing system. Although we do not use two-shot detergent as a primary chemical, it is used as a backup. Two-shot detergent is intended for shipboard washing of cotton, synthetic and blended items using
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-29 fresh water or seawater. Table 2-4 shows the wash sizes and the amounts of two-shot detergent that should be used with both fresh water and seawater.
Figure 2-12, Solid cake capsule dispensing system. Since bleach is an integral part of two-shot detergent, its use eliminates the problem of d a- maging colored fabrics with bleach. This detergent does not require special handling and is safe for washing all fabrics. Sour is used in the last rinse cycle to neutralize alkalinity and decompose any remaining tra c- es of detergent still in the fabric. WASHING FORMULAS Three wash formulas were developed by the Navy to produce whiter and brighter clothes, to conserve energy and to meet environmental regulations. They are Navy wash formulas I, II and III. These formulas have been tested in laundries aboard ship and found satisfactory. The PLC is pr o- grammed with these formulas. They should be posted on the wash deck for you to be familiar with. RINSING Rinsing removes soil and cleaning solutions from the clothes. Poor rinsing results in grayness, disagreeable odors, harsh finishes and poor-quality work. The number of rinses used should always be according to the Navy wash formula that you are using and should not be modified. Under normal conditions, following the Navy wash formula will bring desirable results. If heavily soiled clothes do not come clean in the first wash, they should be washed again.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-30 LAUNDRY SOUR Sour is added to the last rinse cycle to neutralize the remaining alkali and dissolve iron and other metallic salts. If left in fabrics, these chemicals cause odors and discoloration after drying. Another reason for using sour in the last rinse is that it removes sodium bicarbonate, which is normally in the rinse water. Even though other chemicals may have been rinsed out, sodium bicarb o- nate remains. When subjected to the heat of flatwork ironers or presses, sodium bicarbonate is co n- verted to sodium carbonate that is quite alkaline and can damage fabrics. Sour also decomposes any bleach left in a load, prevents discoloration and helps to sterilize the clothes. In addition, sour sets acid dyes often used in bright-colored fabrics and preserves the tensile strength of fibers. Sour also removes rust stains. Table 2-4.—Two-Shot Detergent Amounts
Many different laundry sours of varying strengths are available. They include acetic acid, flu o- rosilicic acid, hydrofluoric acid and several types of fluoride (ammonium, sodium acid and sodium sili- co). The Navy generally uses fluoride. As previously mentioned, most Navy ships use the solid cake dispensing system. The dispensing system automatically adds the sour in the final bath. DRY CYCLE Once clothes have completed the wash cycle, you will process them through the dry cycle. This cycle is important in achieving the desired finished work. Although the Navy uses several types of tumbler dryers, the 50-pound dryer is mainly used aboard ship (Figure 2-13). TUMBLER DRYERS Figure 2-14 illustrates a set of tumbler dryers. The Navy uses steam and electric dryers. In Figure 2-15, the door of the tumbler dryer is open and part of the perforated basket can be seen i n- side, while a laundry operator loads a Fire Fighting Ensembles (FFE). Each dryer has an exhaust fan enclosed in the bottom of the machine. This fan pulls outside air through the heat coil box where it is heated by steam or electrical coils, depending on the type of dryer. It then enters the basket through the perforations and dries the clothes. The exhaust fan removes the air from the basket and forces it out through an exhaust duct.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-31
Figure 2-13, Diagram of an electric- and steam-heated tumbler dryer.
Figure 2-14, Set of tumbler dryers.
Figure 2-15, Ship's Serviceman loading the tumbler dryer.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-32
Controls and Indicators Table 2-5 identifies the controls and functions of a typical tumbler dryer. Most of these controls and their operation are self-explanatory. However, check the technical manual for the dryer on your ship to determine the location and function of each control. Table 2-5, Tumbler Dryer Controls and Functions.
Primary Lint Trap The primary lint trap is located in the bottom of the machine. It is accessed through the lower lint trap on the bottom of the dryer. Figure 2- 16 shows the primary lint trap open with the secondary lint screen leaning against the front of the tumbler dryer. The primary lint trap should be cleaned after every 2 hours of operation. Cleaning the lint trap eliminates fire hazards and restrictions that increase the drying time. Secondary Lint Trap Air that has gone through the primary lint trap and left the dryer may still have lint in it. This lint builds up in the exhaust ducts and blocks the airflow. Ducts with long runs and elbows attract lint bui l- dup, creating fire hazards and backpressure. These vents and ducts should be inspected and cleaned monthly. Secondary lint traps help to cut down the buildup of lint in ducting. Figure 2- 17 shows a sec- ondary lint screen being removed from the exhaust system for cleaning. The secondary lint trap on your ship may be different from the one shown in the figure. Regardless of what type, they are easy to install and remove and should be cleaned once after every 4 hours of operation. Steam and Electric Coils Steam and electric coils are located on the top of the dryer. Using them as heat exchangers makes them collectors of lint and dirt. This buildup slows the transfer of heat and reduces airflow. Heating coils should be checked for the presence of lint and cleaned daily.
Item No. Control Function 1 Temperature gauge Indicates dryer temperature 2 Start button Starts dryer 3 Temperature range selector Regulates outlet temperature 4 On/Off power switch Turns power on or off 5 Cool-down cycle lamp Indicates cool-down cycle is on 6 Drying cycle lamp Indicates drying cycle is on 7 Drying cycle timer Regulates drying time 8 Lint trap access door Provides access to primary lint screen 9 Lint collector screen Collects lint
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-33
Figure 2-16, Primary lint trap open, ready to be cleaned.
Figure 2-17, Secondary lint trap installation.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-34 PRESSING AND FINISHING The press deck processes laundry received from washing or tumbling operations. By following the washing and drying procedures outlined earlier, you may successfully finish uniform items ma de of synthetics or blended fabric by tumble-drying. However, you must press cotton items. To press clothing correctly, you must be sure that laundry personnel on the press deck know how to operate a press. This requires practice in the use of standard press lays for shirts and trous- ers. It also requires knowing how the laundry press operates and following all safety precautions. LAUNDRY PRESS A laundry press is shown in Figure 2-18. It consists of a stationary, padded buck fastened to a rigid metal frame. The head of the press is made of polished metal; it is operated by compressed air and heated by live steam or an electrical heating element. The press head temperature should be set between 300 and 325 degrees. This should be a sufficient temperature to allow for proper drying with- out scorching the fabric. Speaking of scorching, high temperatures is not necessarily the cause. Be sure the clothes are being properly rinsed on the wash decks, because soap will cause discoloration. A table for holding the items being pressed is attached to the frame of the press under the buck. The buck of a press is your worktable. The buck thermostat should be set between 260 and 275 degrees for proper temperature to keep the padding dry. The size and shape of the buck vary with the function that it was designed to perform. The buck is padded in a specific way for satisfactory pressing. This padding must be in good condition at all times. It should be changed when scorched, uneven, or worn. The amount and condition of padding affects head pressure. You should have the laundry maintenance personnel readjust this pressure to get the amount required for good pressing.
Figure 2-18, Utility laundry press basic parts.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-35 Table 2-6 contains the many different presses used afloat. Even though there are several models (some steam, some electric), the operation of each is basically the same. The following types of presses are usually installed aboard ship: Tapered head—For general pressing of wearing apparel Rectangular head—For general pressing of wearing apparel and flatwork items. You should use the spray guns attached to the press units to dampen garments that are too dry to press with cold water. You also may need to use a little spray to compensate for the moisture lost while pressing other parts of the garment. Table 2-6, Laundry Presses Used Aboard Ship
Press Layouts Two or more laundry presses placed together are called a unit. This allows garments to be a l- ternately pressed on each machine by one operator. The placement of presses within a unit, or units, in the laundry is called the layout of equi p- ment. The layout of equipment on Navy ships is determined by NAVSEASYSCOM and should not be changed without prior approval. Figure 2- 19 shows a single-operator station consisting of two utility presses and one pants topper press. A large ship may have several of these stations. Description Laundry Press Manufacturer and Model Utility press, 54 inch Ajax, Model 554-C Pants topper press, 36 inch Ajax, Model 3612-C Utility press, 54 inch Forenta, Model 53 VAN Pants topper press, 36 inch Forenta, Model 3516 VSN Pants topper press, 36 inch Forenta, Model 3516 VSNE Utility press, 54 inch Hoffman/New Yorker, Model ALU-53 Pants topper press, 36 inch Hoffman/New Yorker, Model ALU-T14
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Figure 2-19, Laundry press single-operator station. Safety Features The laundry press head will not close unless you use both hands to push the two close bu t- tons. This keeps your hand from being caught under the press head. You only have to lift slightly on the control bar to open the press head, which allows easy release in an emergency. If the bar hits some obstruction on the down stroke, the head will release. In addition, press heads will not close and lock if an object that is too thick is placed between the press head and pad. To test this safety feature, roll up a bed sheet, place it under the press head and then try to close the press head. If the press head is adjusted properly, it will not lock shut. Many laundry personnel have caught their hands between the press head and the pad. If you follow a few simple safety precautions, this should never happen: Never operate the press if any control buttons are sticking Never plug one of the buttons to increase speed Do not allow anyone to stand near the press while operating it Ensure that only one operator at a time is working at a press station. UTILITY PRESS Utility presses are air-operated. They are controlled by push buttons mounted on the front or underneath the press table. The air buttons are used to lower and lock the head. These two buttons must be pressed at the same time. Around the exhaust hood, there is a control bar. The head can be released by lifting slightly on this bar.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-37 Before heating and operating the press, examine the cover padding. Check the head pressure by inserting a bed sheet with a portion exposed and trying to pull it out after the press is closed. The bed sheet should resist all efforts to remove it and remain in place. If the padding is bad, do not use the press until it is re-padded. If the cover is unsatisfactory, replace it with a new one. For steam presses , when you heat the laundry press, do it gradually. Turn the steam valve partially open for 20 minutes and then open it completely. The press is then ready for use. For electric presses , allow the press 15 to 20 minutes to heat up to the proper operating temperature. The time required to press a garment depends upon the following: Type of material Moisture in the material Head pressure Steam pressure (less than 100 psi will require longer time) (steam presses only) Effectiveness of the steam trap in carrying away the condensed steam to allow unrestricted flow of live steam into the head chamber (steam presses only) An article with a roughdry appearance usually requires more than normal pressing time. Be sure that the article is damp enough when you start to press it. If the article is not damp enough, spray it with the spray gun. For normal pressing, keep the laundry press head down for about 15 seconds. Experience in pressing enables you to tell when to dampen a garment before you press it and how long it will take to press that particular type of material. PRESS MAINTENANCE Operators should perform only minor maintenance on presses. However, they should see that repairs to presses are recorded in the equipment maintenance log. Check to see that steam pressure to the presses is 100 psi. Air pressure on presses should be from 75 to 95 psi. Laundry personnel should not get into the mechanics of the laundry press; however, they should perform the following operator maintenance: Thoroughly clean presses (daily) Clean and wax press heads when needed Change pads and covers when needed Note: These three operator maintenance tasks are the same for both steam presses and the electric presses. Dust off the entire press table of the laundry press before starting pressing operations (daily) Wash off the press table with hot, soapy water and dry it (daily).
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-38 Cleaning Press Heads Press heads must be clean at all times so that clothing does not pick up stains from the press head. To clean the press head, you need press head cleaner, press head wax and press head mitts. The purpose of the press head mitt is to keep you from being burned. It has two sides: one side is smooth and the other side is steel wool. Use the smooth side to apply press head cleaner evenly to the press head. Then scrub the press head with the steel wool side of the press mitt. Wipe the press head with clean rags, wear the press head mitt to prevent burns to your hand. CAUTION: Never use rags that may have flammable substances on them. After excess press head cleaner is removed, apply wax to the press head. Sprinkle wax on one side of the wax cloth and then fold it together. Use the press head mitt to hold the wax cloth even- ly against the press head until all surfaces have been waxed. Use a clean rag to wipe off any excess wax. Use old bed linen to test the press head for excess cleaner or wax by lowering the press head on the sheet. If no stains are noticed, you are ready for regular pressing. Changing Pads Presses must be properly padded at all times. Packed down pads produce poor-quality work, break buttons and transfer burn odors to clothing that is pressed on burned-out padding. Change these pads as required. The materials you will need to change pads include the following (Figure 2- 20):
Figure 2-20, Changing laundry press padding. One steel wool pad —replace every year Two flannel pads —every 2 months with normal use One press cover —as required. The procedure for changing the padding on the buck is simple. Unclamp or unhook the cover beneath the buck and remove the old padding. The steel wool pad on the bottom is very expensive
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-39 and should only be changed when worn or rusted (about once a year). On the top of the steel wool pad, place two flannel pads with the press cover on top of them. Pull the drawstring tight and tie it off. Connect the tension springs and clamps under the buck of the press. The job is now complete. PRESS LAYS In machine pressing, each garment is finished in a series of lays. Each lay is a position of the garment on the buck. The series of lays should cover the entire garment. You can use a hand iron to smooth out-of-the-way places that cannot be pressed with the machine. A sequence of lays for shirts and trousers are described on the following pages. These are considered the minimum for each article when good-quality pressing is desired. These lays are not standard with all pressers. For example, one press may use two lays for pressing the front of a shirt— one with the pocket flap up and the other with the flap down. Other pressers may use one lay with the flap down and still produce acceptable work. When determining the sequence of lays for a garment, consider the following: The minimum number of lays required to produce satisfactory work The logical sequence of lays needed for easy and quick handling The part of the garment to be pressed last to prevent damage to the finish of the most co n- spicuous parts of the garment. The lays discussed here are used in ships’ laundries. The following lays for shirts and trousers do not include the use of a hand iron for touch-up work on places difficult to reach with the press. However, use hand irons as necessary to produce quality work. A garment that is nearly finished should not require much touch-up. Shirts Figures 2-21, Lay One through Lay Ten give the sequence of lays for a shirt using the presses available in shipboard laundries. These press lays are considered the minimum required to press a shirt properly. The first lay shows the pressing of a shirt collar on a standard press. This may be done on a collar/cuff press, if available.
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Lay One (Collar) Lay Two (Yoke)
Lay Three (Left front pocket) Lay Four (Left side and back)
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Lay Five (Back Full) Lay Six (Back Right)
Lay Seven (Right Front Pocket) Lay Eight (Left Sleeve)
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Lay Nine (Right Sleeve) Lay Ten (Finished Product) Figure 2-21. Pressing Shirts. Use spray guns when needed to keep shirts damp during pressing. This also improves the f i- nished appearance of the shirt. Remove any wrinkles left by the conventional press with a hand iron. As you become more experienced at press operations, you should be able to press two shirts at a time. Trousers Keep trousers in a damp box with a wet net over them until you are ready to begin pressing. When you remove the trousers from the damp box, straighten out the trouser pockets. Shape the trousers with your hand and dampen, if necessary. Press the pockets on the smaller end of the buck
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Lay One (Left Front Pocket) Lay Two (Back Pocket)
Lay Three (Left Leg Inseam) Lay Four (Right Leg outseam) Figure 2-22 . Pressing Pants. Start with left-front pocket and then rotate them clockwise around the buck. Next, press the left rear pocket, then the right rear and lastly the right front. Now that the tops of the pants are complete, you will switch to the larger side of the buck to press the legs, as shown in Figure 2-22, Lay One through Lay Four. If the steam pressure in the laundry is below 100 pounds of pressure, you may have to press the trousers a bit longer to make sure dampness is gone, especially for the inside pockets. Before you press the legs, you must match the inseams. When matching the inseams, be sure the outer seam matches the inner seam on both legs. If they are not matched, the creases will run uneven on the
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-44 trousers. When you complete the press lays, hang the trousers on a hanger equipped with a trouser guard. This prevents lines from setting in the legs of the trousers during storage. Other Articles To finish cap covers, use a regular iron to press the band on the small end of a press. Press garrison caps in two lays on any type of press. Use one lay for each side. Do not press caps with leather bands on a laundry press. The leather will not withstand the temperature of the hot head. When you press ties, cut a cardboard form that will fit inside to hold them straight. Then press with two lays, one for each side. Do not press wool worsted ties on a laundry press. Use a press with a covered head. Take care when pressing tablecloths or napkins. If a flatwork ironer is not available, use a con- ventional press. Precondition the tablecloths and napkins in the dryer before pressing (do not over- dry). If the tablecloths and napkins are not preconditioned before you press them, they may scorch. On the other hand, if they are too wet, they will not be finished properly. Tablecloths should be co v- ered with a wet cloth until you are ready to press them to keep them from drying out. FLATWORK Items of flatwork are made from synthetic, synthetic blend and cotton blend fabrics. These items can be successfully finished in a dryer without the need for pressing, which reduces the press deck load. However, using an ironer reduces the drying workload and produces a better finish than rough-drying. FLATWORK IRONER You will probably serve at some time on a ship that has a flatwork ironer. Flatwork ironers are normally installed on larger ships. On this ironer (sometimes called a mangle), flatwork is ironed as it comes from the washer extractor. Most of the items processed through the flatwork ironer aboard ship are bed linens and tablecloths. Handkerchiefs, hand towels, aprons, undershirts and white trousers can also be finished on the flatwork ironer. On ships without flatwork ironers, flatwork, such as table linen, may be pressed on a laundry press of the type described in the previous section. The rest of the work is roughdried. Ironer Controls The flatwork ironers used on Navy ships have either 60-inch or 85-inch steam-heated cylin d- ers. Each ironer has three padded pressure rolls that press the flatwork against the cylinder. The work is carried into the ironer on feed ribbons that lead the work over the cylinder. At the rear, an apron or ribbon presses the work against the underside of the cylinder and returns it to the front. Steam to heat the cylinder is provided by the ship's steam line. The motor is electrically driven. To give you a broad understanding of the flatwork ironer, we will briefly describe its main co m- ponents. Start button puts the rolls in operation
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-45 The return ribbons hold flatwork in contact with the heated cylinder until discharge to the del i- very table The delivery table catches all discharged material The finger guard prevents the hands of the operator from getting near the padded pressure rolls The padded rolls smooth and flatten fabric as it is fed to the heated cylinder The feed ribbons feed flatwork The feed ribbon drive roll turns the feed ribbons The speed control lever controls the speed in which flatwork is passed through the ironer The foot pedal engages the compression roll The speed control plate increases or decreases the speed of the rolls The round red emergency stop button, located either on the front or back, left or right side, immediately stops the machine in case of an emergency. Care and Maintenance Maintenance of the flatwork ironer is the responsibility of engineering personnel. Only trained maintenance personnel should maintain the ironer. Instructions for performing operator maintenance are found in the manufacturer's technical manual. This includes changing ribbons, aprons, pads and covers and friction material on drive rolls. Laundry personnel should do this maintenance only after being trained in the procedures for perfor m- ing this work. WAXING THE IRONER .—Waxing produces a smooth finish on flatwork, prolongs ribbon life and prevents linen from sticking to the heated cylinder. Laundry personnel should wax the ironer each morning or after every 6 to 8 hours of use. You should use only the wax recommended by the man u- facturer. To wax the ironer, cut a strip of cloth about three feet wide and as long as the cylinder. Sprinkle wax evenly over half of the strip and fold the other half over it. Hold the cloth tightly and feed the closed or folded end into the ironer. Run the cloth through the ironer several times. Be careful when doing this as the wax may become very hot. Also, be careful not to over wax, as this causes the return ribbon and drive material to deteriorate. This cloth may be reused as long as the wax lasts. Never sprinkle wax directly onto the ironer. REPLACING IRONER RIBBONS —Have engineering personnel replace ironer ribbons when they become worn, discolored, or torn. After they have been replaced, you should wax the ironer. REPLACING FRICTION MATERIAL ON THE RETURN RIBBON DRIVE ROLL —The return ribbon drive roll operates the ironer return ribbons. It is located at the front of the ironer under the white canvas feed ribbons. For the ironer return ribbons to be driven properly, the ribbon drive roll must be properly covered with friction material. Special 6-inch-wide friction material wound around the drive roll is used for this purpose.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-46 When the frictional material becomes smooth or worn, contact maintenance personnel to r e- place it with new material. If this material is not replaced, the ironer return ribbons will not be driven at the right speed. Return ribbons should run faster than the heated and padded compression rolls. Jamming or wrinkling of linens under the return ribbons indicates the ribbons are not running at the proper speed. This means the friction material may need replacement. CHANGING COMBINATION PADS AND COVERS—If the padding on the ironer pressure rolls loses its resiliency, becomes scorched, or burned, ask experienced maintenance personnel to install new padding. After the padding is installed, make sure all safety guards are in place and working properly. Then run a wax cloth through the ironer two or three times. The padding at one end of an ironer may become more compressed than at the other end. To fix this condition, pass some heavy bath towels or other thick work through the thicker end. This should compress the padding so that it is the same diameter across the width of the roll. A minimum amount of pressure should be applied on the padding. This allows maximum pa d- ding life. Do not try to maximize the pressure that is put on the padding. The ironer will not dry better because of increased pressure. The padding will simply wear out faster.
Safety Precautions Before discussing operation of the flatwork ironer, we need to discuss safety precautions that apply to this equipment. Do not try to remove jammed linen or material while the machine is running. Serious injury to the operator or damage to the ironer may occur if you try to reposition or un-jam linen or try to service the ironer while it is running. If something is jammed, shut off the ironer at the power source before removing. Never reach over, under, or behind the safety finger guard or into any area near the heated roll or moving parts without first shutting off the ironer at the power source. If you break this rule, you risk being caught in the rolls or ribbons and being seriously injured from the heat or pressure of the ironer. This rule should be followed whether you are working at the front, side, or rear of the ironer. Check the operation of the safety finger guard at the beginning of every shift. Touching the safety finger guard should activate a switch that will stop the ironer. If this safety feature is not wor k- ing, shut off the ironer at the power source and notify your supervisor. Do not try to operate the ironer until the safety finger guard is repaired. Always make sure other safety guards and end panels are in place before operating the ironer. Always make sure all ribbons and tapes are in place and working properly. They are designed to prevent jamming and to hold linen so that it is properly ironed. Keeping the ironer well waxed also helps to prevent jams. The ironer is designed for processing flatwork only. Do not iron anything except flatwork, because damage to the ironer or injury may result. Do not stand, sit, or kneel on any shelf at the front or rear of the ironer. These shelves are not designed to support a person's weight. Protect yourself by following these simple rules. Read and follow all safety labels. Learn which parts are hot and how the ironer works —including how to shut it off in an emergency. Do not try to make mechanical repairs on this equipment. Only qualified personnel should service this equipment. When in doubt, contact the engineering department.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-47 FLATWORK IRONER OPERATION Before you start to operate the flatwork ironer, make sure you fully understand the use of each control and the equipment safety precautions. The compression roll should be disengaged (top pos i- tion) and flatwork ready to be fed into the machine. Follow these steps: 1. Start the ironer by pressing the green button. 2. Set the ironer to the lowest speed by adjusting the speed control handle. 3. Open the steam supply valve slowly. Open the valve one-half a turn at first and gradually allow steam to enter the cylinder. Continue to open the valve slowly until it is opened all the way. The steam pressure for the ironer should be about 100 pounds per square inch (psi). It normally takes about 30 minutes to heat the cylinder fully. 4. Engage the compression roll and wax the ironer. 5. Start feeding the flatwork. You may increase the speed to meet your needs. During normal operation, you may stop the ironer by touching the red finger safety guard or pressing the red emergency stop button. 6. To stop the ironer at the end of your work, close the steam supply, raise the compression roll and allow the machine to run without steam for 20 to 30 minutes. This allows the components to cool before the power is shut off. This cool-down phase also prevents damage to the return ribbons and protects the compression roll padding from being flattened. Note: Never change the speed of the ironer when the ironer is on; doing so may damage the variable speed mechanism. The flatwork ironer is not designed to process nylon or rubberized fabrics. To do so may result in fire or damage to the ribbons or cylinder surface. Do not leave the ironer for more than 5 minutes without raising the compression roll. This keeps it from overheating and burning the roll. FLATWORK IRONER FEEDING When feeding flatwork into the ironer, the following steps will make your job easier: 1. Check on the dampness of the pieces before feeding. 2. Adjust the extracting time as needed to ensure each piece is dried properly when it comes out of the ironer. If the pieces are not dry enough, they will come out of the ironer damp. If too dry, they will come out with a roughdry appearance. 3. Do not let flatwork sit in the laundry baskets after removing the work from the extractor. 4. Iron flatwork immediately while it is at the right amount of dampness, or cover it to retain the right amount of moisture. 5. Shake out the work and lay it over the edge of the laundry basket or on a table when feeding.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-48 6. Feed flatwork into the ironer wrong side up, so that the smooth or "right" side comes in contact with the cylinder. This gives a smooth finish to the outside of the flatwork. Fold the smooth side out as the work comes from the machine. Large Items Two people should feed large items, as shown in Figure 2-23. To start the piece through the ironer, each person grasps a top corner with the hand nearest the ironer. They stretch the forward edge between them so that it enters the machine straight and smooth. After the feed roll ribbons pick up the item, they use both hands to hold it firm and straight as it passes through the ironer. As the item comes out, they fold it.
Figure 2-23. Laundry personnel using the flatwork ironer. Small Items Feed small articles into the flatwork ironer in more than one or two areas along the length of the cylinder. If you continually feed small items into the ironer at one or two spots, the padding on the pressure rolls wears more at these points and the quality of the work becomes unsatisfactory. The on- ly way to fix this problem is to repad the rolls. FINISHED WORK Individual and bulk lots of completed laundry have different assembly and handling requir e- ments. Generally, you can load bulk lots directly into the laundry bags in which they were brought to the laundry. However, items in individual bundles require (1) Careful handling, (2) thorough inspections and (3) accurate counting. Handle finished laundry with care. Collect it promptly and place it in the right bin. Do not allow unfolded clothes from the net bags to pile up around the laundry. Do not allow clothing to fall to the deck. When finished work is soiled or wrinkled by rough or careless handling, reworking is the usual result.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-49 ASSEMBLY OF INDIVIDUAL LOTS Before you receive individual lots in the assembly area, place each customer's laundry list (NAVSUP Form 233) in the assembly bins in alphabetical order. Then place the finished laundry in the correct bins. Figure 2-24 shows this procedure being performed in the assembly room. Remove the items from the net bag. Then fold and return them to the net bag, as you check off each item on the laundry list. Once this is finished, pin the net bag with a large laundry pin. Make sure the right sock bag is attached to the bag with a small laundry pin. Make sure the name or laundry mark is shown clearly on the net when you wrap and pin the bundle (It makes issuing the bundles easier). Then put the bag in the bin.
Figure 2-24. Assembly room. Check the laundry list and make sure you have all the finished presswork (shirts and trousers). Staple or tape the laundry list to the hanger. ASSEMBLY OF BULK LOTS Bulk lots are tumble-dried and placed back in the divisional laundry bags unfolded. Bulk items, such as tablecloths, should be pressed and placed in even stacks for return with the bag. Flatwork,
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-50 such as sheets and towels, should be folded and returned with the laundry bag. The following system may be used when processing bulk lots: Weigh each laundry bag and note the weight in the bulk lot laundry log Make sure you and the division petty officer sign the bulk work log. Acknowledge the delivery weight in both the "Received By" and "Delivered By" columns. Note: Refer to the log should a division bring its laundry back to the laundry issue room claiming loss of clothing. Compare both issue and receipt weights. A 1-pound loss in weight from a 50- pound bag of laundry would indicate the loss may have occurred in the living compartment, rather than the laundry. QUALITY ASSURANCE Quality assurance in the laundry starts in the receiving area and ends with the return of clean, satisfactorily washed laundry to an individual. As you know, every individual expects the return of all articles from the laundry done in a professional manner. When you receive finished work in the assembly room, check each piece for cleanliness, stains, scratches, marks, or any other type of blemish. A shirt, for example, should have a quality look, that is, it should be thoroughly clean, free of blemishes, smoothly ironed and have the proper creases. What applies to the inspection of shirts, of course, applies to every article. Remember that you have final quality control responsibility before returning a customer's laundry. Sendbacks are articles in individual bundles and bulk lots that require reprocessing. Place a r- ticles sent back for reprocessing in a net so that they can be reworked immediately. Send backs should receive special attention so that deliveries can be made on schedule. Check on them occasi o- nally to make certain the desired work is being done. Do not return articles to the owner unless they represent the best quality of work and care you can give them. ISSUE Issue laundry only to authorized persons, to those designated on the schedule, or to individual owners. Be sure to obtain signatures and make sure the count reflected is accurate. Taking these steps will establish validity for laundry claims. Report to your supervisor any problems encountered in issuing laundry to officers, chiefs, mess management specialists, or other personnel. CUSTOMER SERVICE The success of any sales and service operation in meeting its purpose and objectives is d e- pendent to a considerable degree on the face- to-face relationship between the customer and the Ship’s Serviceman serving them. Quality laundry and prompt service are important; however, a co n- scientious, responsive operator can only assure customer satisfaction. You must understand the i m- portance of your job to the general morale of the ship’s crew. Remember, you should always strive to improve customer service. You should always be as responsive and helpful to the customer as you yourself would desire to be treated. If your customers are happy and satisfied, you will seldom hear anything about it. However, if there are any dissatisfac- tions or complaints, you will usually hear about them very quickly.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-51 EVALUATING CUSTOMER SERVICE As mentioned earlier, good indications of trouble spots are the complaints that you will receive. Most of the complaints received aboard ship are laundry related and most of those complaints involve lost, misplaced, or damaged clothing. You may want to change your laundry procedures for logging in and out of division laundry bags. You may want to institute more training on the wash decks on sorting and the use of identification markers. You should examine carefully any improvements you can make to existing procedures. RESOLVING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS As a senior Ship’s Serviceman, you will be expected to investigate compl aints. As previously mentioned, the most common complaint in the laundry is missing or damaged clothing. You will first have to determine if the clothes were actually deposited for cleaning or repair. If they were, then you must determine the circumstances of the loss or damage. If the damage or loss was a result of the ship’s laundry, use the following information to determine what the proper reimbursement recom - mendation should be. When losses of or damage to personal apparel occur through the operation of a ship’s laundry, a claim for reimbursement can be submitted to the commanding officer via the sales officer. After a recommendation has been made from the sales officer, the commanding officer will de- termine the amount to be paid as reimbursement for the loss of or damage to personal clothing. The amount is based on factors, such as the original cost, current market value, length of time in use and whether or not the article is repairable. Articles that can be repaired will be deleted from the claim and will be repaired without charge. Calculation of Reimbursement Amount Reimbursement will be based on a depreciation scale of 30% for the first year and 10% for each succeeding year up to a maximum of 70%, figure 2-25.
Figure 2-25. Example of Claims Adjustment. SHIP’S 3-M SYSTEM In the paragraphs that follow, we discuss the various work center personnel and their respec- tive duties. GROUP SUPERVISOR Ship’s divisions, such as S -3, may have chief petty officers who are responsible for two or more work centers. These chief petty officers shall be referred to as “group supervisors.” Group s u- Khaki Shirt Replacement cost—$29.75 Actual age—11 months 30% depreciation Reimbursement is: $20.80 Adjustment value—30% of $29.75 = $20.80
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-52 pervisors are responsible for the proper performance of the 3-M Systems functions within their r e- spective work centers. WORK CENTER SUPERVISOR The senior enlisted person will be designated as the work center supervisor, responsible for the effective operation of the 3-M Systems within the work center. The work center supervisor will as- sign the maintenance personnel various PMS tasks. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL Junior Ship’s Servicemen are the maintenance personnel in the S -3 division and report to the work center supervisor. Their 3-M Systems duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Perform assigned scheduled maintenance requirements using MRCs (Maintenance R e- quirement Cards), TGLs (Tag Guide Lists) and EGLs (Equipment Guide Lists), as indicated by the weekly schedule of the division. When performing PMS, maintenance personnel will notify the work center supervisor when: Anything on an MRC that is not fully understood, that appears to be incorrect, or that cannot be accomplished as written on the MRC Tools, materials a nd so forth, prescribed by the MRC are not available Any doubt exists about capability, training, or experience to perform the MR (maintenance required) properly Factors exist that would make performance of the MR unwise or dangerous Equipment deficiencies or casualties (casualties meaning down equipment) are discovered. Maintenance personnel will inform the work center supervisor when planned maintenance r e- quirements have been completed and sign the accountability log. The work center supervisor must be informed of any problems encountered under current schedules and/or MRCs. WORK CENTER PMS MANUAL The Work Center PMS Manual reflects the portion of the PMS Master File (maintained by 3- M Systems coordinator) that contains only the planned maintenance requirements applicable to a partic- ular work center. It will be retained in the working area near the Weekly PMS Schedule. Maintenance personnel will be familiar with the following information contained in the Work Center PMS Manual: List of Effective Pages (LOEPs) Maintenance Index Pages (MIPs) Maintenance Requirement Cards (MRCs ). List of Effective Pages LOEPs provide a listing of the MIPs and system equipment not requiring PMS that is assigned to each work center. Note that S-3 division falls under one work center, SS03, as illustrated in Figure 2-26.
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Figure 2-26, List of effective pages. Maintenance Index Pages MIPs are prepared and issued for each installed system/equipment for which PMS support has been established. MIPs are basic PMS reference documents. Each is an index of a complete set of MRCs applicable to a ship’s system, subsystem, or equip ment. A MIP for a tumbler dryer is ill u- strated in Figure 2-27. Note: The equipment has six different MRCs (identified by the box containing SYSCOM MRC Co n- trol No).
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Figure 2-27, An example of a Maintenance Index Page. Maintenance Requirement Cards MRCs provide detailed procedures for performing maintenance requirements and describes who, what, how and with what resources a specific requirement will be accomplished. Personnel per- forming the maintenance should always follow any safety precautions noted on the MRCs and should become familiar with any chemicals used during the PMS, including the correct use of any personal protective equipment required during the handling of chemicals or during the maintenance proc e- dures. An MRC for the tumbler dryer is illustrated in Figure 2- 28. Note the periodicity of the MRC in the illustration—S13; this means that this is a semi-annual PMS check. The OPNAVINST 4790.4 pr o- vides guidance and requirements for all of the blocks and codes listed on the MRC.
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Figure 2-28, An example of a Maintenance Requirement Card.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-56 SUMMARY The purpose of ships laundry is to provide clean clothes to the crew, which promotes good morale. As a Ship’s Serviceman, you should understand the proper procedures for receiving, process- ing and issuing laundry. You will be able to determine the purpose and importance of all laundry logs and understand the proper safety procedures when storing supplies, working in and handling ship’s laundry. It is the responsibility of every SH to understand the importance and adhere to all safety r e- quirement pertaining to ship’s laundry.
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Figure 2-26, List of effective pages. Maintenance Index Pages MIPs are prepared and issued for each installed system/equipment for which PMS support has been established. MIPs are basic PMS reference documents. Each is an index of a co mplete set of MRCs applicable to a sh ip’s system, subsystem, or equip ment. A MIP for a tumbler dryer is ill u- strated in Figure 2-27. Note: The equipment has six different MRCs (identified by the box containing SYSCOM MRC Co n- trol No).
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Figure 2-27, An example of a Maintenance Index Page. Maintenance Requirement Cards MRCs provide detailed procedures for performing maintenance requirements and describes who, what, how and with what resources a specific requirement will be accomplished. Personnel pe r- forming the maintenance should always follow any safety precautions noted on the MRCs and should become familiar with any chemicals used during the PMS, including the correct use of any personal protective equipment required during the handling of chemicals or during the maintenance proc e- dures. An MRC for the tumbler dryer is illustrated in Figure 2-28. Note the periodicity of the MRC in the illustration—S13; this means that this is a semi -annual PMS check. The OPNAVINST 4790.4 pro- vides guidance and requirements for all of the blocks and codes listed on the MRC.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-60
Figure 2-28, An example of a Maintenance Requirement Card.
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SH:”Ship's Laundry”, Chapter 2. Rev. FEB 2011 2-61 SUMMARY The purpose of ships laundry is to provide clean clothes to the crew, which promotes good morale. As a Ship’s Serviceman, you should understand the proper procedures for receiving, process- ing and issuing laundry. You will be able to determine the purpose and importance of all laundry logs and understand the proper safety procedures when storing supplies, working in and handling ship’s laundry. It is the resp onsibility of every SH to understand the importance and adhere to all safety r e- quirement pertaining to ship’s laundry.
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