Building cleaning workers—including janitors, maids, housekeeping cleaners, window washers, and rug shampooers—keep office buildings, hospitals, stores, apartment houses, hotels, and residences clean, sanitary, and in good condition. Some do only cleaning, while others have a wide range of duties.
Janitors and cleaners perform a variety of heavy cleaning duties, such as cleaning floors, shampooing rugs, washing walls and glass, and removing rubbish. They may fix leaky faucets, empty trash cans, do painting and carpentry, replenish bathroom supplies, mow lawns, and see that heating and air-conditioning equipment works properly. On a typical day, janitors may wet- or dry-mop floors, clean bathrooms, vacuum carpets, dust furniture, make minor repairs, and exterminate insects and rodents. They may also clean snow or debris from sidewalks in front of buildings and notify management of the need for major repairs. While janitors typically perform most of the duties mentioned, cleaners tend to work for companies that specialize in one type of cleaning activity, such as washing windows.
Maids and housekeeping cleaners perform any combination of light cleaning duties to keep private households or commercial establishments, such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and nursing homes, clean and orderly. In hotels, aside from cleaning and maintaining the premises, maids and housekeeping cleaners may deliver ironing boards, cribs, and rollaway beds to guests' rooms. In hospitals, they also may wash bed frames, make beds, and disinfect and sanitize equipment and supplies with germicides. Janitors, maids, and cleaners use many kinds of equipment, tools, and cleaning materials. For one job they may need standard cleaning implements; another may require an electric floor polishing machine and a special cleaning solution. Improved building materials, chemical cleaners, and power equipment have made many tasks easier and less time consuming, but cleaning workers must learn the proper use of equipment and cleaners to avoid harming floors, fixtures, building occupants, and themselves.
Cleaning supervisors coordinate, schedule, and supervise the activities of janitors and cleaners. They assign tasks and inspect building areas to see that work has been done properly; they also issue supplies and equipment and inventory stocks to ensure that supplies on hand are adequate. They may be expected to screen and hire job applicants; train new and experienced employees; and recommend promotions, transfers, or dismissals. Supervisors may prepare reports concerning the occupancy of rooms, hours worked, and department expenses. Some also perform cleaning duties.
Cleaners and servants in private households dust and polish furniture; sweep, mop, and wax floors; vacuum; and clean ovens, refrigerators, and bathrooms. They also may wash dishes, polish silver, and change and make beds. Some wash, fold, and iron clothes; a few wash windows. General houseworkers also may take clothes and laundry to the cleaners, buy groceries, and perform many other errands.
Building cleaning workers in large office and residential buildings, and more recently in large hotels, often work in teams consisting of workers who specialize in vacuuming, picking up trash, and cleaning restrooms, among other things. Supervisors conduct inspections to ensure that the building is cleaned properly and the team is functioning efficiently. In hotels, one member of the team is responsible for reporting electronically to the supervisor when rooms are cleaned.
Work environment. Because most office buildings are cleaned while they are empty, many cleaning workers work evening hours. Some, however, such as school and hospital custodians, work in the daytime. When there is a need for 24-hour maintenance, janitors may be assigned to shifts. Most full-time building cleaners work about 40 hours a week. Part-time cleaners usually work in the evenings and on weekends.
Most building cleaning workers work indoors, but some work outdoors part of the time, sweeping walkways, mowing lawns, or shoveling snow. Working with machines can be noisy, and some tasks, such as cleaning bathrooms and trash rooms, can be dirty and unpleasant. Janitors may suffer cuts, bruises, and burns from machines, handtools, and chemicals. They spend most of their time on their feet, sometimes lifting or pushing heavy furniture or equipment. Many tasks, such as dusting or sweeping, require constant bending, stooping, and stretching. Lifting the increasingly heavier mattresses at nicer hotels in order to change the linens can cause back injuries and sprains.
| 1. | Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts. |
| 2. | Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms and other work areas so that health standards are met. |
| 3. | Empty wastebaskets, empty and clean ashtrays, and transport other trash and waste to disposal areas. |
| 4. | Replenish supplies such as drinking glasses, linens, writing supplies, and bathroom items. |
| 5. | Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy. |
| 6. | Dust and polish furniture and equipment. |
| 7. | Sweep, scrub, wax, and/or polish floors, using brooms, mops, and/or powered scrubbing and waxing machines. |
| 8. | Clean rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and/or draperies, using vacuum cleaners and/or shampooers. |
| 9. | Wash windows, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, waxing and polishing as necessary. |
| 10. | Hang draperies, and dust window blinds. |
| 11. | Disinfect equipment and supplies, using germicides or steam-operated sterilizers. |
| 12. | Observe precautions required to protect hotel and guest property, and report damage, theft, and found articles to supervisors. |
| 13. | Care for children and/or elderly persons by overseeing their activities, providing companionship, and assisting them with dressing, bathing, eating, and other needs. |
| 14. | Wash dishes and clean kitchens, cooking utensils, and silverware. |
| 15. | Remove debris from driveways, garages, and swimming pool areas. |
| 16. | Sort clothing and other articles, load washing machines, and iron and fold dried items. |
| 17. | Run errands such as taking laundry to the cleaners and buying groceries. |
| 18. | Sort, count, and mark clean linens, and store them in linen closets. |
| 19. | Polish silver accessories and metalwork such as fixtures and fittings. |
| 20. | Prepare rooms for meetings, and arrange decorations, media equipment, and furniture for social or business functions. |
| 21. | Purchase or order groceries and household supplies to keep kitchens stocked, and record expenditures. |
| 22. | Request repair services and wait for repair workers to arrive. |
| 23. | Replace light bulbs. |
| 24. | Assign duties to other staff and give instructions regarding work methods and routines. |
| 25. | Plan menus, and cook and serve meals and refreshments following employer's instructions or own methods. |
| 26. | Answer telephones and doorbells. |
| 27. | Deliver television sets, ironing boards, baby cribs, and rollaway beds to guests' rooms. |
| 28. | Move and arrange furniture, and turn mattresses. |
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