Who runs the laundry?

[Spinward Scout]

Who does your laundry?!?

First time aboard ship? I'm only gonna say this once, so you better listen good. Your Momma's not here - and I sure ain't gonna do your laundry for you. There's the machine over there. And the one that loses first in the Saturday poker game does the winner's laundry for a week.

 

[Mithras]

Chirpers? I would have though Bwaps/newts/'towel heads'...?

 

[Zutroi]

OK, I've always assumed the 'dry cleaner' in the fresher handled pax and crew garments (with the fancier stuff on a liner being dealt with by the Steward). Modern fabrics are very stain-resistant, there's work being done now on 'switchable' hydrophilic/hydrophobic chemicals that could make true self-cleaning fabrics, so extrapolating to Imperial Era easily leads to the 'laundry slot' in the fresher wall - you can put your laundry in as you step under the shower, and the clean garments are ready when you step out. Then the towel follows to be ready for the next shower...

What about bedding? I can't imagine that even the mid-passengers are going to be washing their own sheets, even if it IS just to pop them in a laundry slot!

Of course, I never REALLY thought about this at all until now, so NOW I've got to ret-con a small laundry unit (or several, in the case of larger ships) into my all of my vessels!

 

[Patron Zero]

Self-service

With the 'miracles' of fabric rejuvenators in our modern world such as Frebreeze to name one, I see mid-passage accommodations having a 'gift' basket that includes said refreshing agent, basic but quality toiletries and other necessities to make the voyage pleasant and reasonably comfortable.

One might also expect a small parcel of spare bed linens, towels, wash clothes and such to be found in the cabin's wardrobe-stowage locker.
Blankets and pillows also stored in this compartment if not available from a communally accessible shipboard 'closet'.

Beyond those self-service functions, one need only press the button to summon a steward !

 

[Drakon]

In modern American navy, I've seen it done in two ways.

First, we had a "Laundry Queen", usually one of the strikers (junior seaman who have not struck, or started training for, a rate) but also a rotated extra duty assigned to each enlisted man.

The other way was each man did his own, with each division assigned a time during the week. Some division would then assign their own laundry queen, others did not.