what is a cleaner?
As a cleaner, you clean offices and residential areas. Specialized cleaners develop systems for detailed cleaning in professional settings. It is important to know which products and equipment work most effectively for different spaces and surfaces. Your duties are confined to inside the building. Some tasks you are likely to handle include cleaning restrooms, sweeping or mopping floors, vacuuming carpeted areas and scrubbing surfaces. Dusting, emptying trash bins, polishing wood surfaces, cleaning windows and disinfecting restrooms are some other typical cleaner duties.
what does a cleaner do?
As a cleaner, you conduct various cleaning and maintenance tasks. Aside from keeping public spaces tidy, you maintain cleaning equipment and procure supplies. Sometimes, your job involves scrubbing private or public toilets and reporting repairs or replacements needed in a facility.
As a cleaner, you know which stain removers leave surfaces clean. After cleaning and sanitizing bathrooms or restrooms, you restock the supplies and ensure the office is ready for the next workday. Aside from knowledge of chemical supplies used in cleaning, you require attention to detail and physical strength to perform your duties.
Would working as a cleaner suit your career goals? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a cleaner role.
view cleaner jobsaverage cleaner salary
According to Job Bank, cleaners in Canada earn $33,032 annually — or an hourly rate of $16.27. The minimum take-home salary for cleaners is $29,250 per year. Most experienced cleaners make up to $42,707 annually.
what factors influence the salary of a cleaner?
As a cleaner, your average salary varies based on various factors. For instance, if you clean residential houses, your earnings differ from those working in commercial settings. Cleaners in industrial settings also need additional training to obtain higher salaries. The size of the company or the facility also influences your earnings. Large offices pay cleaners more than smaller ones, as the role often involves additional duties like cleaning high-ceiling windows.
Your experience and qualifications may also influence your earnings. For instance, additional training in health and safety requirements improves your salary expectations. When you have minimal experience, your hourly rates are low compared to cleaners with years of experience and some training.
types of cleaners
As a cleaner, you work in various settings, including hotels, gyms, restaurants, banks and commercial offices. You also work in residential households where private services are requested. Some types of cleaners include:
- janitors: janitorial cleaning services are completed at specific time intervals, depending on the type of business, usage volume and traffic patterns. As a janitor, you tidy commercial settings, from wiping down windows to mopping floors and cleaning walls.
- project-related cleaners: project-related cleaning services are after specific events or projects. This type of cleaning is for a specific time and may require you to clean particular floors or high-traffic areas. As a project-related cleaner, you often clean carpets and hard floors.
- commercial cleaners: commercial cleaners charge one-time fees — with no requirement to use their services again in the future. As a commercial cleaner, you often use power washers to clean the windows and exterior of an office building.
- industrial cleaners: as an industrial cleaner, you clean hazardous areas that require specialized cleaning procedures. You also clean up after fires, floods and even crime scenes.
working as a cleaner
Working as a cleaner requires physical strength and attentiveness to detail to ensure you are meticulous in your work. Check out the specific tasks of cleaners.
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what does a cleaner do?
Some of the duties of a cleaner include:
- high and low-level dusting: as a cleaner, you wipe the dust from surfaces in various work environments. For instance, you remove dust from ceiling vents, walls, or low-level surfaces like counters and floors.
- vacuuming and mopping: cleaners perform general scrubbing and mopping of laminate, hardwood or tiled floors. You can use vacuums to clean floors and carpets. Some cleaners also perform shampoo and stain removal treatments.
- emptying garbage: when tidying up a room, you collect waste and empty the garbage. You should also regularly wash and sanitize the trash containers to keep rooms smelling fresh.
- washing dirty linens: as a cleaner, you polish furniture and room accessories to ensure tidiness. When cleaning hotel rooms or bedrooms in residential houses, you clean dirty linens and restock the bathrooms with clean towels.
- restocking supplies: your job involves stocking supplies in various rooms. You add new towels and cleaning products to bathrooms and ensure the toilets have the required supplies.
- maintaining equipment: as a cleaner, you are in charge of cleaning supplies and equipment. It is your job to check the equipment for repairs and maintenance. For instance, you ensure vacuum cleaners are in good working condition before storing them away to avoid delays on your next cleaning shift.
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work environment of a cleaner
The work environment of a cleaner includes offices or commercial buildings where multiple people are employed. Cleaners spend most of their time indoors, but you may spend some time cleaning outdoors. Indoors, you clean break rooms, cubicles, offices, hallways and even supply rooms. If you work outdoors, you sweep walkways, shovel snow, empty trash cans and clean windows. The work is physical and requires a lot of standing, bending and walking. Some cleaning positions require travel or are in the public or private sectors.
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who are your colleagues?
As a cleaner, you work with colleagues in various industries. For instance, your team may include janitors, caretakers and hotel room attendants. In industrial settings, you interact with maintenance workers, production supervisors, warehouse associates and construction project managers. In an office setting, you will work with administrative assistants, customer service representatives and office managers.
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cleaner work schedule
The typical work schedule of a cleaner is in the evenings or at night when employees have left the building. Cleaning outside regular office work hours makes the job easier since the rooms are vacant. It also prevents the cleaning process from distracting employees. In some settings, the cleaning services may be weekly. Large office buildings typically require daily cleanings. Some smaller businesses only schedule weekly cleanings because it takes less time to tidy everything up.
As a cleaner, you work less than 40 hours weekly in a shift pattern. Some businesses schedule cleanings during office hours when employees and customers are present. Other businesses have flexible cleaning hours to prevent vacuums from distracting employees. Each business decides what's most convenient. In hotels, you have a typical 9 am to 5 pm schedule but don't always work 40 hours weekly. You may work weekends in hotel or hospitality settings.
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career opportunities as a cleaner
As a cleaner, you work in various commercial or residential settings. Some cleaners specialize in hotel cleaning, industrial settings and business spaces. If you are in a cleaning agency, you work in diverse settings, depending on the agency's clients. To advance in your career, become a cleaning supervisor or caretaker. Cleaners can be self-employed but need experience.
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advantages of finding a job as a cleaner through randstad
Working with Randstad offers you a range of benefits.
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- many training opportunities
- a range of jobs in your area
cleaner skills and education
Some of the requirements of becoming a cleaner include:
- on-the-job training: you don't require formal education, but most employers provide on-the-job training. The training equips you with knowledge in using the equipment and handling complex tasks, like disposing of hazardous waste or cleaning industrial settings.
- work experience: having work experience as a cleaner improves your competitiveness. You gain experience through volunteer work and internship opportunities.
competencies and characteristics of cleaners
Cleaners require knowledge of operating cleaning equipment, but they also need soft skills. Examples include:
- physical fitness: fitness is a crucial factor for most employers. You should be able to bend over to clean under desks, tables and other types of furniture. Flexibility is necessary to ensure you can reach and clean the ceilings or corners of the room.
- handling cleaning solutions: it's important to know specific cleaning solutions to ensure you use them correctly. You should also store the items properly for added safety.
- attention to detail and teamwork: attention to detail is handy to ensure the rooms are thoroughly cleaned. Employers might look for cleaners who have shown they can successfully work in a team; you'll work closely with other cleaners to ensure efficiency. Hence, your interpersonal skills ensure you get along with your supervisor or manager.
- time management: time management skills are necessary to ensure tasks are completed promptly and satisfactorily. As a cleaner, you may have multiple offices to clean within a short time frame. Hence, good organization and time management skills help you ensure your tasks are completed on time.
FAQs about cleaner jobs
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a cleaner.
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how much does a cleaner get paid?
As a cleaner, your salary depends on your employer. The average salary of a cleaner is $33,032 per year or $16.27 per hour. Entry-level cleaner jobs that require minimal experience attract a salary of $29,250 yearly. The most experienced cleaners can make up to $42,707 annually, which increases gradually depending on your duties.
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what are the duties of a cleaner?
As a cleaner, you are responsible for basic cleaning duties in a facility, office building or residence. Your job entails dusting surfaces, mopping and sweeping floors, vacuuming carpets, and cleaning smudges off the doors and windows. You ensure the bathrooms are cleaned, sanitized and restocked every morning or night, depending on the cleaning schedule. If you work in an industrial set-up, you dispose of hazardous waste.
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how do you start working as a cleaner?
The role usually requires short-term work experience. You don't need educational qualifications to get a job as a cleaner. It helps to have knowledge of using cleaning equipment. In an industrial setting, you are expected to know the health and safety requirements and be knowledgeable in handling hazardous waste.
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is being a cleaner a hard job?
Working as a cleaner is not hard if you love your work. When you are a cleaner, you use your hands to perform your duties. You may need to climb ladders to clean windows or raised surfaces, and some physical strength is required to operate vacuum cleaners.
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what skills do you require to work as a cleaner?
As a cleaner, you require physical fitness and endurance to handle your duties. It also helps to be attentive to details to ensure you are thorough in your cleaning.
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how do I find a job as a cleaner?
Finding a job near you as a cleaner is easy. Search our job offers. Have you found what you're looking for? Then submit your application using the 'Apply' button top right on the page. No jobs available right now? Send us your resume, and we'll pass it on to a recruiter who will contact you if an opportunity opens up for you.
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Make sure your resume is up-to-date, including information about your technical skills and certifications. Then share it with us to connect with a recruiter and be matched with job opportunities.
