Laundry and Cleaning Services

Who it is for. Beginners with no formal certificate, including school leavers, women's groups and persons with disabilities. National Proficiency I is the first level of Ghana's TVET framework.

Why laundry and cleaning

• Laundry is a real business in Ghana. A Ghanaian charity, Street Girls Aid, set up a laundry with professional machines to train young women, and won its first orders from local hotels and businesses.
• Cleaning is moving from "anyone can do it" to trained, organised work. A Kumasi cleaning company describes the trade as often run with low-skilled labour, uneven results and little use of systems or proper products, and serves offices, schools, hospitals and public places.
• In January 2026 the Minister of Health directed 24-hour cleaning services in all public hospitals. That means more cleaning jobs.
• Hotels need laundry and housekeeping. Star-rated hotels in Ghana are reported to employ about 101 staff each on average.
• The start-up cost can be low: a basin, soap, an iron and a board. You can grow to machines later.

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme split of about 30% school and 70% workplace. Every unit ends with homework and a short Check yourself quiz.

One rule above all others in this book: never mix bleach with any other cleaning product. You will meet this rule in every unit.

Competency standard

Range. The training laundry and cleaning room. Evidence. Safety checklist; chemical label reading; oral questions.

Your protective equipment (PPE)

More good habits from the same guidance:

Where to buy: rubber gloves, aprons and goggles are sold in supermarkets, building-material shops and markets such as Market Circle in Takoradi (the author's knowledge; prices change, so ask).

Chemicals: read, measure, never mix

Read the label first. Chemical labels use red-bordered pictures (pictograms) to warn you. The ones you will meet most:

Bleach facts you need:

• Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is cheap, works fast and kills many germs.
• It irritates skin and eyes, is corrosive, and damages fabrics and carpets.
• Dirt (organic material) weakens it, so clean first, then disinfect.
• Heat and sunlight make it weaker: store it closed, cool and in the shade.

Measuring and diluting (simple version)

Cleaning products come strong (concentrated) and you add water. Always follow the instructions on the container: too weak does not work, too strong is dangerous and wastes money.

The CDC and ICAN give this rule for making a weaker chlorine solution from bleach:

Parts of water for each part of bleach = (% chlorine in your bleach ÷ % you want) − 1

Example from the guidance: to make a 0.5% solution from 3.5% bleach, 3.5 ÷ 0.5 = 7; 7 − 1 = 6 parts water to 1 part bleach. A "part" can be any measure: a cup, a jug, a litre.

Storing chemicals

The guidance says chemicals should be kept in a dedicated, locked, well-lit and well-aired space, away from food and drinks, with an eyewash nearby and printed safety sheets for each product. At home or in a small shop: a high shelf or locked box, away from children, food and heat; original containers with labels; never in a drinking-water or soft-drink bottle (the author's advice).

Electricity: irons and machines

Before every use:

Iron rules (the author's advice): stand the hot iron on its heel, never face down on cloth; never leave a hot iron alone; unplug before filling a steam iron with water; keep the cable away from the hot plate; keep children away.

Slips, trips and ladders

• Wipe up spills at once. Put up a "wet floor" sign while the floor is wet and remove it when it is dry. Clean one section at a time so people keep a dry path, and clean when few people are around.
• A damp floor is still slippery, even after a squeegee or dry mop.
• Stepladders: check all four feet touch the ground and any lock is engaged; do not work on the top three steps unless there is a handhold; face the work; keep your belly button inside the sides; keep three points of contact when climbing.
• Lifting: a wet load of laundry is heavy. UK guidance gives 25 kg for men and 16 kg for women at waist height as guides, not safe limits, and about half when your arms are stretched out. Split big loads.

Check yourself

1. What two gases can form if bleach is mixed with other products?
2. Name three things that tell you an iron's cable or plug is not safe.
3. When do you remove a "wet floor" sign?

Competency standard

Range. At least 20 garments and household items. Evidence. Sorting record; label-reading test.

The five symbol groups

The care symbols on clothes come from an international standard, ISO 3758, developed with GINETEX. They appear in this order: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, professional care.

Some charts give slightly lower iron temperatures (110, 150 and 200 °C). Either way: one dot is low, three dots is hot. GINETEX says to set the iron by the label, not by guessing the fabric.

Common fabrics (simple checks)

Sort before you wash

Sorting stops white shirts turning grey or pink. Do it in this order:

1. Check pockets, stains and the label on every item. Close zips (the author's advice).
2. Sort by colour: whites alone; pale and medium colours together; bright and dark colours by themselves.
3. Sort by dirt: very dirty items away from lightly dirty ones.
4. Sort by fabric: loose knits and delicates go together on a gentle wash.
5. Lint: fluffy items such as new towels and sweatshirts shed lint; wash them apart from items that catch lint.
6. Bright colours such as hot pink and bright green often run: wash them alone and test before treating stains.

Colourfastness test

Dampen a hidden part (inside a seam or hem) with a little detergent and water and press a clean white cloth on it. If colour comes onto the white cloth, the item is not colourfast: wash it alone in cool water.

Check yourself

1. What does a triangle with two slanting lines inside mean?
2. How many dots on the iron symbol means "hot, for cotton and linen"?
3. Why do you wash new towels apart from dark trousers?

Competency standard

Range. Two hand-washed loads and two machine loads. Evidence. Wash record; finished items.

What makes washing work

How clean the wash gets depends on time and temperature, movement (rubbing or the machine's action), water quality, the size of the load and how dirty it is. Other tips:

Tools and materials

Three plastic basins (wash, rinse 1, rinse 2), a bucket, bar soap and powder detergent, a measuring cup, a soft brush for collars, a clothesline and pegs, hangers, gloves. All are sold in local markets and supermarkets.

Washing by hand: step by step

1. Sort (Unit 2) and read the labels.
2. Prepare water. Fill the wash basin about half full. Dissolve detergent as the packet says. Check the temperature is right for the label.
3. Soak (10–30 minutes for dirty items; do not soak bright colours or wool for long) (the author's practice).
4. Wash collars, cuffs and underarms first: rub gently with soap or brush lightly. Then squeeze the whole garment through the water. Do not scrub delicate fabrics.
5. Check for stains. Treat stains before drying (Unit 4): heat and drying set stains.
6. Rinse in clean water. Squeeze out. Rinse again in the second basin until no soap foam comes out.
7. Wring gently. Twist cotton gently; do not wring wool or silk, press the water out instead.
8. Shake out creases and hang straight.

Common mistakes and fixes

Washing by machine

Twin-tub machines have a wash tub and a spin tub; you move the clothes across by hand. Twin tubs of about 8–9 kg were advertised in Ghana for about GH¢2,000–2,200 in October 2026, and automatic machines from about GH¢3,500.

1. Check the cable, plug and hose (Unit 1). Stand the machine level on a dry floor, away from where water splashes onto the socket.
2. Load loosely: do not fill beyond the mark.
3. Add the detergent made for that machine type, in the amount the packet says.
4. Choose the programme and temperature from the label (gentle for delicates).
5. Twin tub: wash, drain, move clothes to the spin tub, spin, rinse in fresh water, spin again. Keep the spin-tub lid closed while it spins.
6. Take clothes out at once; leaving them wet in the drum makes them smell.
7. Unplug, wipe the machine, leave the lid open to dry.

Drying

• Follow the drying symbols (Unit 2). A slanting line in the square means dry in the shade.
• Sun helps dry and freshen whites and cotton; for dirty linen washed by hand without hot water, the guidance says dry fully, ideally in the sun.
• Strong sun fades dark and bright colours: dry them inside out in the shade (the author's practice).
• Dry wool and knitted items flat on a towel so they keep their shape.
• Hang shirts on hangers to cut ironing time.
• Bring clothes in before rain and before dust or smoke from cooking reaches them.

Check yourself

1. Why do you not pack a basin or machine tight?
2. Why should you check for stains before drying?
3. How do you dry a wool sweater?

Competency standard

Range. At least five stain types; three shirts, two trousers, one wax print. Evidence. Stain record; finished items; observation.

Stain rules

1. Act fast. Old, set stains are harder to remove.
2. Find out what it is. Look, smell and feel: oily, sticky, hard.
3. Blot or scrape off the extra. Do not rub: rubbing spreads the stain and can damage the cloth.
4. Test on a hidden seam first.
5. Start with the gentlest method.
6. No heat until it is gone. Do not iron or tumble-dry a stained item.
7. Never mix removers (Unit 1).

Stain types and what to do

Unknown stain? Soak in cold water about 30 minutes; work in a little liquid detergent and leave 30 minutes; rinse; then wash in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Old tricks such as milk on ink are unreliable and can add a new stain.

Heavy grease: lay the stain face down on clean paper towels, put detergent on the back, and change the towels often.

Starch

Laundry starch is applied to some fabrics before ironing to stiffen them. Customers often want stiff collars, school uniforms, tablecloths and some kaba.

Two ways (the author's practice; follow the product instructions if you buy ready-made starch):

1. Spray starch: shake the can or bottle, spray lightly on the damp-dry item, wait a moment, then iron.
2. Cooked starch (dip): mix starch powder with a little cold water to a smooth paste, stir in boiling water until clear, then add cool water to make it thinner. Dip the clean, damp item, squeeze evenly, dry, then iron while slightly damp. More water = lighter starch.

Mistakes: white flakes (starch too thick or not dissolved); brown marks (iron too hot on starch); stiff, scratchy fabric (too much). Never starch wool or silk. Ask the customer: "light, medium or heavy starch?" and write it on the tag (Unit 5).

Ironing: tools and set-up

• A padded ironing board at waist height, with a clean cover.
• A steam iron or dry iron. Steam irons were advertised in Ghana for about GH¢550–950 and steam-generator irons for about GH¢1,150–1,850 in October 2026.
• A spray bottle of clean water; a clean white press cloth (an old cotton pillowcase works) to protect dark and synthetic fabrics (the author's practice).
• Hangers for finished shirts.
• Safety checks from Unit 1 first.

Heat: set the iron by the label's dots (Unit 2). Iron low-heat items first while the iron warms up, then hotter ones (the author's practice). On three dots, damp ironing and steam may be used; on one dot, steam may cause damage.

Iron a shirt: step by step

(The author's method; many good methods exist.)

1. The shirt should be slightly damp. Spray dry areas.
2. Collar: underside first, from the points to the middle, then the top side. Fold it down.
3. Yoke (shoulders): lay one shoulder over the narrow end of the board, then the other.
4. Cuffs: inside, then outside. Unbutton first.
5. Sleeves: lay flat with the seam at the bottom; iron from shoulder to cuff. A sharp crease on the top is a choice: ask the customer.
6. Front panels: iron around buttons, not over them.
7. Back: iron from the yoke down.
8. Hang at once and fasten the top button.

Trousers: turn inside out and iron the pockets and waistband first; turn back; lay each leg flat with the side seams together and press the crease; use a press cloth on dark or synthetic trousers to avoid shine.

Wax print and kaba: iron on the back (inside) at medium to hot heat for cotton, to keep the colour bright; do not iron over sequins, beads or prints that can melt (the author's practice).

Common mistakes and fixes

Check yourself

1. Why must you never use hot water first on a blood stain?
2. Why should you not use bar soap on tea or coffee stains?
3. How do you stop dark trousers going shiny?

Competency standard

Range. At least five practice customers' bundles. Evidence. Receipt book; tagged items; observation of a hand-back and a complaint role play.

Receiving clothes: the tag system

(The author's method; it is simple and stops most losses.)

1. Greet the customer. Count the items together, one by one.
2. Inspect each item in front of the customer: stains, tears, missing buttons, faded areas, fragile decorations. Point them out and write them down. Say clearly: "This stain may not come out."
3. Check pockets together: money, phones, keys and papers go back to the customer at once.
4. Write a receipt with two copies: receipt number, customer's name and phone, date in, date ready, each item (type and colour), special instructions (starch, no crease, hand wash), price, deposit paid. The customer signs.
5. Tag every item with the receipt number: a small fabric tag pinned or tied inside the collar or waistband, or masking tape on the label. Never write on the cloth itself.
6. Keep each customer's items in their own bag or basket with the receipt copy until they are packed.
7. Give the customer their copy and the date. "Please bring this receipt when you collect."

Folding: step by step

Shirt (the author's method):

1. Button the top, middle and bottom buttons. Lay face down.
2. Fold one side and sleeve to the middle of the back; fold the sleeve down along the side.
3. Repeat on the other side.
4. Fold the bottom up once or twice to the size of your bag. Turn over: the collar should sit straight.

Trousers: hold by the hem, line up the creases, fold in half, then in half again, or hang on a trouser hanger.

Bedsheets: fold in half, then in half again, corners together, then into a neat square. Fitted sheets: tuck the corners into each other first.

Wrappers and cloths: fold along the length into thirds, then into a neat rectangle; keep the best side out.

Packing and hand-back

1. Pack each customer's items by the receipt: count them against the list.
2. Wrap in a clean bag or paper; heavy items at the bottom, shirts on top. Hanging items go on hangers with a cover.
3. Put the receipt number on the outside.
4. Store finished bags off the floor, away from dust, damp and sun.
5. At collection, ask for the receipt, count the items with the customer, take the balance, and say thank you.

Customer care

A simple complaint routine (the author's method): listen without arguing; say sorry for the trouble; look at the item together; check the drop-off notes; offer to re-wash or re-iron free if it is your fault; if damage happened, tell your supervisor or owner; write it in the complaint book; call back.

Check yourself

1. Why do you inspect every item in front of the customer?
2. What goes on a laundry receipt? Name five things.
3. A customer's shirt will not be ready on the day you promised. What do you do?

Competency standard

Range. One office or classroom, one kitchen, one toilet area, one floor. Evidence. Cleaning checklist; observation; dilution record.

Tools and materials

Broom and dustpan; mop and two buckets (or a mop bucket with wringer); squeegee; "wet floor" sign; cotton or microfibre cloths in four colours; toilet brush; scrubbing pads; a spray or squeeze bottle; liquid detergent; household bleach; gloves, apron, goggles. Mop buckets with wringers were advertised in Ghana from about GH¢70–90 for small plastic ones to about GH¢600–670 for 20-litre industrial ones in October 2026.

Cotton or microfibre? Microfibre picks up more dirt and germs, but strong (high-pH) products such as bleach can damage it, and it must be washed apart from cotton. Do not use bleach to disinfect microfibre cloths.

The four golden rules

1. Clean to dirty: clean the cleaner areas first and the dirtiest (such as toilets) last.
2. High to low: top to bottom, so dirt falls onto areas you have not cleaned yet.
3. Clean first, then disinfect: dirt stops disinfectants working.
4. The right cloth for the right place (colour coding, below).

Colour-coded cloths

Using different colours stops germs moving from toilets to other areas. The CDC and ICAN example: red for toilet areas, blue for general areas, yellow for isolation areas. Many cleaning companies also use green for kitchens and food areas (the author's note; agree the code with each client and write it on the wall chart).

Buckets and mops should follow the same code where you can (the author's advice).

How to use a cloth

1. Soak a fresh cloth in the cleaning solution.
2. Fold it in half and in half again so it is the size of your hand: that gives eight clean faces.
3. Wipe in a set pattern (clean to dirty, high to low).
4. Turn and unfold to a fresh face as each one gets dirty.
5. When all faces are used, put the cloth in the dirty-cloth bag and take a fresh one.

Never dip a dirty cloth back into the clean solution, never shake cloths or mops (it spreads dust and germs), and never leave dirty mops and cloths soaking in a bucket.

Clean an office or room: step by step

(Order from the guidance; details are the author's practice.)

1. Knock, greet, and ask what must not be moved. Open windows for air.
2. Empty bins; replace liners.
3. Dust high surfaces first: tops of cupboards, frames, light switches.
4. Wipe desks, tables, chairs, door handles, phones and other often-touched surfaces with the blue cloth. Do not soak electronics: switch off and use a barely damp cloth.
5. Sweep from the far corner towards the door.
6. Mop last (below).
7. Check, put things back, close windows if asked, and record the job.

Clean a kitchen

Use green cloths only. Remove food and dishes. Wipe high shelves, then counters, then the stove (cold), sink and taps. Scrub greasy areas with detergent and hot water; rinse. Clean the floor last. Keep chemicals away from food, and rinse surfaces that touch food after any strong cleaner (the author's practice).

Clean a toilet area: step by step

Shared or public toilets should be cleaned and disinfected at least twice a day, private ones at least once a day, paying attention to the toilet seat, door handles and floor.

1. Gloves on; red cloths, red bucket, toilet brush.
2. Flush. Apply toilet cleaner inside the bowl as the label says (if it is an acid cleaner, no bleach anywhere in this job).
3. Clean from cleanest to dirtiest: mirror, sink and taps, door handles, light switch, then the outside of the toilet from top to bottom: cistern, handle, seat (top and underneath), rim, base.
4. Scrub inside the bowl and under the rim with the brush; flush; rinse the brush in the flushing water.
5. Disinfect high-touch surfaces after cleaning, leaving them wet for the time on the label.
6. Refill toilet paper and soap.
7. Mop the floor last, from the far side towards the door.
8. Wash gloves, cloths and brush; hands washed.

Floors: two-bucket mopping

The two-bucket system uses one bucket of cleaning solution and one of clean rinse water; rinsing the mop before re-dipping keeps the solution clean longer.

1. Put up the "wet floor" sign. Move chairs.
2. Sweep or dust-mop first.
3. Dip the mop in the solution bucket and wring it out.
4. Mop in a figure-of-eight with overlapping strokes; turn the mop head every 5–6 strokes.
5. After a small area (about 3 m × 3 m), rinse the mop in the rinse bucket and wring it before dipping again.
6. Work from the far side towards the exit so you never walk on the wet floor.
7. Change the water when it is dirty.
8. Leave the floor dry or keep people off until it is dry; then remove the sign.
9. Wash, rinse and dry buckets; dry the mop head upwards.

Disinfecting with bleach: the simple recipe

Only when the job needs disinfection (toilets, spills of body fluids). Clean first.

Cleaning after building work (introduction)

After builders finish, rooms are full of fine dust, cement splashes, paint drips, sticker glue and rubbish such as nails and broken tiles. Construction dust is a real risk to your lungs, and breathing it regularly can cause lung cancer, asthma and silicosis. At Level 1:

Check yourself

1. Why do you clean the toilet last?
2. What are the two buckets in two-bucket mopping for?
3. Why must you clean a surface before you disinfect it?

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own plan. Evidence. Costing sheet; price list; one-page plan.

What people pay for

• Laundry: wash and iron per item; iron only; "per bag" or "per basket" deals; express service; pick-up and delivery. A small Accra laundry advertises express and normal service with pick-up and delivery.
• Cleaning: home cleaning, office cleaning, after-construction cleaning, sofa, terrazzo and compound cleaning are all advertised in Ghana; most ask customers to call for a price. One home-help listing offered washing, carpet cleaning, dusting and mopping for GH¢500 per service.

Location settings that give good returns

Business ideas and ingenuity

Market yourself

• A short, clear name and a price list on the wall and on WhatsApp.
• WhatsApp Business: a catalogue with your services and photos.
• A free Google Business Profile so people nearby find you on Maps.
• Before-and-after photos of floors and stains (ask permission first).
• Uniform or apron with your name; neat, polite, on time.
• Ask happy customers to tell friends; a small thank-you for referrals.

Accessibility

Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 2006 (Act 715) requires accessible public places and bans job discrimination. From 2026 the Assemblies' disability fund (5% share) is aimed at skills training, assistive devices and start-up capital.

Many laundry tasks can be done from a seated position; heavy lifting and ladders are the main barriers (the author's view). Workable tasks: ironing at a seated board; folding and packing; receiving and tagging; record keeping and receipts; stain treatment at a table; dusting and wiping. Adjustments (the author's suggestions): a work surface at a height that suits the worker, about 71–86 cm for a seated worker with knee space; a trolley for wet loads instead of carrying; tactile or large-print labels on chemical containers and pre-measured dispensers for blind or low-vision workers; picture instructions and light or vibrating timers for deaf workers; a partner for ladders, heavy buckets and post-construction work.

Check yourself

1. Why is your own time a cost in the price?
2. Name three things a good laundry location needs.
3. Name two free ways to market yourself.

1. What happens if bleach is mixed with an acid toilet cleaner?
2. What should you do if you smell a strong gas while cleaning?
3. Name three things to check on an iron before you use it.
4. What does a tub with "30" and one bar under it mean?
5. In what order do you sort laundry?
6. Why must you not tumble-dry or iron a stained item?
7. What water do you use first on a blood stain, and why?
8. How many dots on the iron symbol for cotton?
9. Name four things you do when a customer drops off clothes.
10. What do "clean to dirty" and "high to low" mean?
11. What colour cloth is used for toilets in the CDC and ICAN example?
12. You have 5% bleach and need 0.1%. How many parts of water to one part of bleach?

Best next reads: the CDC and ICAN guide to environmental cleaning in resource-limited settings; the NMSU guide to removing clothing stains; the hub's Workplace Safety and Money Skills manuals.

What this module does not cover: dry cleaning with solvents, commercial laundry machinery, carpet and upholstery shampooing, full post-construction cleaning, deep cleaning with acid descalers, and business registration (see Levels 2 and 3).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.