Furniture cleaner

Furniture cleaners maintain furniture items by removing dust, applying furniture polish, cleaning stains and maintaining colouring.

The duties of a furniture cleaner include, but are not limited to:

• Cleaning upholstered furniture in plant or on customer’s premises, using vacuum cleaner, brush, sponge, drycleaning fluids, or detergent solutions
• Cleaning loose dust and dirt from furniture, using vacuum cleaner.
• Applying cleaning solutions selected according to stains and pats or rubs stained areas with brush or sponge to remove stains.
• Scrubbing upholstery with brush and drycleaning solvents or detergent solutions and water to clean upholstery.
• Rubbing leather or plastic surfaces with oiled cloth and buffs with cloth or hand buffer to restore softness and luster.
• Spraying upholstery, using spray gun and solutions for example stain repellent or plastic fluid which reduces soil collection.
• Polishing wooden parts of furniture.

Furniture cleaners work in many different places. Worksites include customers’ homes, commercial workplaces, and cleaning plants

The following job titles also refer to furniture cleaner:

re-upholsterer
upholstery cleaner

No formal educational credential is required to work as a furniture cleaner. Employers typically require only that applicants be physically able to perform the work. There is often a limit to how far they will travel.

They may have to work for long periods on their hands and knees. Being physically fit and agile is important.

Safety is important in this job. Wet surfaces can cause slip-and-fall injuries. Repetitive tasks can lead to repetitive strain injuries. Working with solvents can also give rise safety concerns.

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.

Furniture cleaner is a Skill level 1 occupation.

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

toilet attendant
locker room attendant
linen room attendant
window cleaner
train cleaner

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

furniture assembler
upholsterer
furniture upholsterer
cabinet maker
furniture finisher

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of furniture 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.
• Furniture wood types: Types of wood used in the manufacturing of wooden furniture and their characteristics.
• Furniture care products: The products used to clean and maintain the quality of furniture in the cleaning process such as furniture cleaners, wax, polish or oil.
• Furniture industry: Companies and activities involved in the design, manufacture, distribution and sale of functional and decorative objects of household equipment.

These skills are necessary for the role of furniture cleaner.

• Clean furniture: Remove dirt, marks and other unwanted material from furniture.
• Provide advice on furniture maintenance: Provide information to clients on the products or methods to use in order to maintain the appearance and quality of their furniture, according to its type of fabric or material.
• Maintain customer service: Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
• 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.
• Use furniture dust removing tools: Use tools such as feather duster or treated cloths to remove dust from furniture surfaces.
• Polish furniture: Apply polish to the furniture in order to maintain its wooden quality and natural beauty.
• Prepare furniture for application of paint: Set up furniture for standard or custom paint job, protect any parts that should not be painted and prepare painting equipment.

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

• Clean marble furniture: Use the appropriate cloth and chemical substances to clean and maintain furniture made out of marble.
• Drive vehicles: Be able to drive vehicles; have the appropriate type of driving license according to the type of motor vehicle used.
• Manage a small-to-medium business: Manage the organisational, financial and day-to-day operation of a small-to-medium enterprise.
• Artificially age furniture: Use various techniques such as sanding, denting, painting and others to make new furniture look distressed and aged.
• 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.
• Lacquer wood surfaces: Apply one or several layers of lacquer to a wood surface to coat it. Use a roller and a brush for larger surfaces. Load the roller or brush with lacquer and coat the surface evenly. Make sure no debris or brush hairs stay on the surface.
• Clean upholstered furniture: Use appropriate cleaning techniques and materials to clean upholstered furniture depending on the type of fabric used in its fabrication: cotton, synthetic, microfibre or leather.
• Repair furniture frames: Repair dents, cracks or holes and replace broken parts of furniture frames.
• Clean surfaces: Disinfect surfaces in accordance with sanitary standards.
• Take payments for bills: Accept payments from customers by cash money or credit cards.
• Clean wood surface: Use a variety of techniques on a wood surface to ensure it is free of dust, sawdust, grease, stains, and other contaminants.
• Clean street furniture: Perform cleaning activities of objects or equipment in the public domain, on streets or other public places, used for various purposes.
• Wax wood surfaces: Treat wood surfaces with an appropriate wax, such as solid paste wax or liquid wax. Apply the wax to a wood surface and rub it in. Buff the surface to a shine using manual or electric equipment.
• Repair furniture parts: Repair locks, pegs, braces, frames or other parts of furniture.

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

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References

1. ESCO
2. Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner: Occupations in Alberta – alis
3. Furniture Cleaner: A description for the furniture cleaner job – Job Description
4. Featured image: Close up of female hands holding multicolored duster – depositphotos.com