launderings

Launderings refers to the acts or processes of laundering, and the term is used in two principal senses. In everyday usage, launderings most often describe the cleaning of textiles and clothing, typically through washing, drying, and finishing. In financial and criminological contexts, money laundering is the process by which illicitly obtained funds are made to appear legitimate by concealing their origin and layering transactions.

In textile laundering, launderings involve sorting garments by color and fabric, pretreating stains, washing with detergents, rinsing, and eventually drying and finishing. Methods vary by fabric and care requirements, including machine washing, hand washing, and, less commonly, dry cleaning. Detergents, water temperature, agitation, and mechanical action influence cleaning effectiveness and garment care. Care labels guide appropriate methods to prevent damage and color fading. Laundering aims to remove dirt, oils, and odors while preserving fabric integrity.

In finance, money laundering is typically described as a three-stage process: placement (introducing illicit funds into the financial system), layering (a series of complex transactions to obscure the origin), and integration (reintegrating the funds into the economy as apparently legitimate). Regulators focus on anti-money laundering (AML) measures, including know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, transaction monitoring, and suspicious-activity reporting. International cooperation and organizations such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) provide guidelines to reduce abuse, though enforcement and detection remain challenging in some jurisdictions.

Etymology traces laundering to the verb to wash, with the financial sense adopting a metaphor of cleansing dirty money. The term’s dual usage reflects both a literal and a figurative cleansing concept in different domains.