Building cleaner

Building cleaners maintain the cleanliness and overall functionality of various types of buildings such as offices, hospitals and public institutions. They perform cleaning duties like sweeping, vacuuming and mopping floors, empty trash and check security systems, locks and windows. Building cleaners check air conditioning systems and notify the appropriate persons in case of malfunctions or problems.

Building cleaners typically do the following:

• Gather and empty trash
• Sweep, mop, or vacuum building floors
• Clean restrooms and stock them with supplies
• Lock doors to secure buildings
• Clean spills and other hazards with appropriate equipment
• Wash windows, walls, and glass
• Order cleaning supplies
• Make minor building repairs
• Notify managers when a building needs major repairs

Building cleaning workers typically work 40 hours per week, unless they are employed part-time. Part-time workers generally work evenings and weekends. Most building cleaners work in the evenings when buildings are vacant, with the exception of school and hospital custodians which often work during the day. If there is a need for 24-hour maintenance, janitors will be assigned different shifts to work.

Most of the duties are performed indoors with the exception of occasional outdoor work, such as mowing lawns, sweeping sidewalks, or shoveling snow off walkways. Since building cleaning workers use special equipment when doing their job, they may suffer minor cuts, bruises, and burns from tools and other machinery. They spend most of the work day on their feet, and perform tasks that may require lifting, bending, stooping, and stretching.

Building cleaners spend most of the day walking, standing, or bending while cleaning. Sometimes they must move or lift heavy supplies and equipment. As a result, the work may be strenuous on the back, arms, and legs. Some tasks, such as cleaning restrooms and trash areas, can be dirty and unpleasant.

The following job titles also refer to building cleaner:

janitor
janitors manager
maintenance worker
janitors supervisor
custodian
super
office cleaner
janitress
building caretaker
superintendent

No formal educational credential is required to work as a building cleaner. However, high school courses in shop can be helpful for jobs involving repair work. A high school diploma is recommended to get a supervisory position.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Building cleaner is a Skill level 1 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to building cleaner.

toilet attendant
train cleaner
window cleaner
locker room attendant
domestic cleaner

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of building cleaner. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of building cleaner with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

building exterior cleaner
snow-clearing worker
pesticides sprayer
decontamination worker
building caretaker

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of building cleaner.

• Cleaning industry health and safety measures: Preventive and interventional methods used in the cleaning industry to maintain health and safety for all workers and tertiary persons.

These skills are necessary for the role of building cleaner.

• Maintain inventory of cleaning supplies: Follow the stock of cleaning materials, order new material when the stock is empty and follow their usage to maintain a constant supply.
• Maintain personal hygiene standards when cleaning: Make sure to keep yourself clean and tidy and wear protective equipment when performing cleaning activities, as required by the health and safety procedures of the task or the organisation.
• Clean building facade: Perform cleaning activities of the main face of a building, using appropriate equipment, as required by the complexity and height of the building.
• Sort waste: Manually or automatically sort waste by separating it into its different elements.
• Clean particular areas manually: Perform cleaning activities in specific areas by hand, when the surface is small or obstructed and the only means to clean such places is manually.
• Operate janitorial tools: Use janitorial tools and equipment such as floor buffers, dust clothes, vacuum cleaners, and cleaning chemical solutions.
• Operate floor cleaning equipment: Set up, maintain and operate roto, extractor and walk behind scrubbers and other floor care equipment to clean carpets and scrub hard floors.
• Perform dusting activities: Remove dust from furniture, blinds and windowsills using specialised dust cloths or hand-cleaning items.
• Inform on toilet facilities malfunctions: Report to the concerned services when the toilet is not functioning properly or when related equipment is broken and post “out of order” sign on the respective cubicles.
• Perform cleaning activities in an environmentally friendly way: Undertake all cleaning duties in a manner which minimises environmental damage, follow methods that lessen pollution and wastage of resources.
• Maintain facility security systems: Ensure that proper and functional security systems are in place, including alarm systems, fire alarms, sprinklers and emergency exits.
• Perform minor repairs to buildings’ systems: Make minor repairs and adjustment to the heating, cooling or plumbing system or other electrical systems.
• Set up furniture in the building: Move and set up pieces of furniture, such as chairs and tables, in order to prepare seminars and meetings or restore the initial appearance of a room or building after an event or meeting.
• Clean surfaces: Disinfect surfaces in accordance with sanitary standards.
• Maintain cleaning equipment: Clean and preserve the equipment and material used for cleaning purposes in a proper state.
• Clean building floors: Clean the floors and stairways of buildings by sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping them, according to hygienic and organisational standards.
• Report major building repairs: Notify the supervisors or managers concerning the need to undertake major repairs or adjustments to the building.
• Restock toilet facilities’ supplies: Make sure that toilet supplies such as soap and toilet paper are always available for customer use.
• Follow organisational guidelines in the cleaning industry: Apply and follow all protocols or guidelines described by the company within your specific cleaning area. It can also involve wearing the foreseen uniform or piece of clothing at all times or using specific equipment or materials.
• Manage routine waste: Treat routine waste carefully when performing cleaning activities and ensure that the waste collection and surrounding areas are maintained clean at all times.
• Clean glass surfaces: Use cleaning products to clean any surface covered by glass.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of building cleaner. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Hygiene in a health care setting: The procedures related to maintaining a hygienic environment within a health care setting such as hospitals and clinics. It can range from hand washing to cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment used and infection control methods.
• Locking mechanisms: Types and characteristics of locking devices and key types such as tumble, rotating disc or rotating pin.
• Wood preservation: Measures and techniques used to ensure the wood’s durability and resistance against humidity, insects, and fungi.
• Fire safety regulations: The legal rules to be applied for fire safety and fire prevention in a facility.
• Sterilization techniques: The methods and techniques used to destroy or remove microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria that can contaminate medical instruments or any type of material in a health care setting.
• Hardware, plumbing and heating equipment products: The offered hardware, plumbing and heating equipment products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
• Snow removal safety hazards: Range of dangerous situations faced when conducting snow-removing activities such as falling from heights and roofs, frostbite, eye injuries, and other injuries associated with the use of snowblowers and other mechanical equipment.
• Lawn care: Procedures, equipment and products used to maintain the cleanliness of lawns and other grass surfaces in parks or residences.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of building cleaner. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Use snow-removal equipment
• Perform pest control
• Disinfect surfaces
• Communicate with waste collectors
• Clean furniture
• Dispose of hazardous waste
• Perform ground maintenance activities
• Maintain the cleanliness of the toilet facilities
• Remove snow
• Carry out pressure washing activities
• Dispose medical waste
• Clean rooms
• Monitor building security
• Perform weed control operations
• Supervise the work of cleaning staff
• Spray pesticides
• Apply procurement
• Clean wood surface
• Dispose food waste
• Follow safety procedures when working at heights
• Provide lawn care

9112 – Cleaners and helpers in offices, hotels and other establishments

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References

1. ESCO
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Janitor or Building Cleaner Career Profile | Truity
4. Building Cleaner Worker Job Description – StateUniversity.com
5. Featured image: Career jobs photo created by freepik