Employee Spotlight
Meet Antoinette Faleiro
"I love working with people. I feel happy, and I am always smiling. CLEAN feels like a second family to me."
Production Operative, Slough
Walk the finishing area at Slough and you will know Antoinette Faleiro. She works the front and back of Number Two ironer, keeping the line moving and the team supported, so customers receive pristine linen on time and in full.
Joined CLEAN at Slough in April, moving into commercial laundry
Oria duvets dispatched every hour by her team on the finishing line
Years as a hairdresser and beautician before she came to laundry
The ROLE
Front And Back Of Number Two
Antoinette Faleiro is a Production Operative on Number Two ironer at Slough. She works both ends of the machine, feeding sheets and duvets in at the front and folding them at the back, which means she sees every item through from damp linen to finished stock.
She describes the job simply. Her role is to make sure the shift runs efficiently so the team delivers what the customer needs, when they need it. That covers the machine, the targets and the people standing either side of her, and she treats all three as part of the same task.
"CLEAN feels like a second family to me."
Why CLEAN
From Breakfast Buffet To Finishing Line
Antoinette joined CLEAN in April 2022, curious about commercial laundry and ready for a challenge. Before that she worked front of house at the local Premier Inn, looking after the breakfast buffet and helping with housekeeping.
That hotel background shapes how she works now. She has seen the guest side of the operation, so she knows exactly what good linen means to somebody’s stay. On the finishing line at Slough she is at the other end of the same promise, and the standard matters to her for the same reason.
Step 01
6.30 AM, PEOPLE CHECKS
A hello with the team and a quick look at how everyone is before anything else starts.
Step 02
JOBS AND TARGETS
Allocating the roles across the line and setting the shift targets on the target sheet.
Step 03
EYES ON THE SCREENS
Watching production screens, managing the machines and cancelling errors as they appear.
Step 04
ENGINEERING ALONGSIDE
Working closely with Engineering so small problems are fixed before they slow the line.
A Day In The Life
The Shift Starts At 6:30
Antoinette’s day begins with people, not machines. At 6.30am, she starts by checking in with the team, making sure everyone is ready for the day ahead. She then assigns tasks and sets shift targets before recording them on the target sheet. Once the team is organised and settled, her focus turns to the production line.
From there she watches the production screens, manages the machines and cancels errors as they appear, working closely with Engineering to keep everything running smoothly. Breaks are short and well earned. The team pauses for 15 minutes at around 9.45 am and takes 30 minutes at 12.30pm, before Antoinette is back on the floor with everyone else.
Pace And Quality
150 Duvets An Hour
The finishing line at Slough handles serious volumes. Antoinette’s team dispatches around 150 Oria duvets and 200 sheets every hour for hotel brands including Marriott, Accor and Fairmont, and the quality has to hold at that speed.
The summer peak, from late July to mid-September, is the real test of the operation. Antoinette thrives on it. She has a soft spot for duvets because she can move through them faster, and getting into a rhythm keeps the whole line flowing.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
A Second Family At Slough
Ask Antoinette what would surprise people about her day and she smiles before she answers. The volumes are demanding, the hours start early, and the part she talks about first is the people.
She loves the atmosphere at Slough, the vibe on the floor, and the way everyone keeps busy and looks out for one another. The Team Leaders and managers are good, she says, and they always listen. It is a description she extends to the whole department. Everyone in Production at Slough tries to be the very best and to be supportive of each other, and that is what makes it feel like family rather than a shift.
Did You Know?
Before laundry, Antoinette spent 20 years as a hairdresser and beautician. She still loves shaping eyebrows to perfection.
What Drives Her
Be Kind, And Be Able To Listen
Asked what the job really takes, Antoinette keeps the list short and human. Be kind, and be able to listen. She puts people first because she believes happy colleagues do their best work, and on a line running at full pace through the summer that belief earns its place.
Speed never comes before safety. Before she pushes for pace she checks the ironer belt is at the correct tension and makes sure there are no blockages, so the line is right before it is fast.
Safety First On The Line
Correct belt tension and a clear machine come before any push for pace. For Antoinette the checks are second nature, and they are what allow the team to run hard when the peak arrives.
WHAT Antoinette BRINGS
