Candidate Support Pack - Scottish Qualifications Authority

6.12
Activity 5
1 Write a list of six items that would be fully dried in a tumble-dryer.
2 Give six examples of items that are only conditioned in the tumble-dryers and
state which machine they are finished on.
Conditioned item Equipment finished on
1
2
3
4
5
6
Tumble-drying different fabrics
Although there are many different types of fabrics available, most large commercial
laundries restrict the number of fabrics they accept to make processing simpler.
Cotton, polyester and polyester cotton fabrics are the most common fabrics, because they
are the easiest to process and finish.
100 per cent cotton items like towels and bath mats are fully dried in a tumble-dryer to
produce the required finish, but some cotton items will require a more controlled drying
process. Bed linen and table linen will only need conditioning in the tumble-dryer before a
calender completes the drying and finishing process.
One major problem with tumble-drying cotton is shrinkage. This is particularly noticeable
on garments and fitted items.
Polyester and polyester cotton can be fully dried or conditioned in a tumble-dryer, but a
cool-down stage will be required to prevent pressure creases. The other problem with
these man-made fabrics is the generation of static electricity caused by the dry fibres
rubbing against each other. You can reduce this by using a fabric conditioner/softener in
the final rinse of the wash process, or by leaving some moisture in the fabrics if this is
acceptable to the final finish required.
GC8N 22 — Laundry Operations Level 2
Answer sheets p. 6.19