Building Cleaning Workers Career

Building cleaning workers include maids, window washers, janitors, rug shampooers, and housekeeping cleaners. Their primary work is to keep hospitals, office buildings, stores, hotels, apartment houses, and residences sanitary, clean, and in good condition. Some of the workers do cleaning whereas others have an extensive range of duties.

Job Prospect for Building Cleaning Workers
Cleaners and janitors perform a number of cleaning duties such as shampooing rugs, cleaning floors, washing glass and walls, and removing rubbish. These workers may fix empty trash cans, leaky faucets, replenish bathroom supplies, perform carpentry and painting, mow lawns, and examine whether air-conditioning and heating equipment are in working order.

A janitor may dry or wet mop floors, clean vacuum carpets, bathrooms, dust furniture, make repair and exterminate rodents and insects. They may need to clean debris or snow from sidewalks in front of buildings and evaluate the need for major repairs. Cleaners work for various companies, which specialize in one type of activity like washing windows.

Housekeeping cleaners and maids execute any type of light cleaning duties in order to keep commercial establishment or household such as nursing homes, hotels, and restaurant orderly and clean. In hotels, housekeeping cleaners and maids may deliver cribs, ironing boards, and roll away beds to guests' rooms. Maids and housekeeping cleaners who work in hospitals may make beds, wash bed frames, and sanitize supplies and equipment with germicides.

Maids, janitors, and cleaners work with various cleaning materials, tools, and equipment. These workers may require standard cleaning implements to perform the tasks. They may need special cleaning solution and electric floor polishing machines to execute their tasks. The arrival of advanced chemical cleaners, power equipments, and other building materials has made tasks easier. Cleaning workers have to learn the proper use of cleaners and equipment to avoid harming fixtures, floors, and building occupants.

The job of cleaning supervisors is to schedule, coordinate, and supervise the activities of cleaners and janitors. They assign the work and evaluate building areas to see that the work is running properly. These workers also issue equipment, inventory stocks, and supplies to make sure that supplies are satisfactory. Sometimes, they may contribute to the training for new employees, hire job applicants, and recommend transfers, promotions, or dismissals. A supervisor may create reports pertaining to the occupancy of hours worked, rooms, and department expenses. Some of the workers deal with cleaning duties.

Servants in private households and cleaners polish and dust furniture, wax floors, mop, sweep, clean ovens, vacuum ovens, clean bathrooms, and refrigerators. They may polish sliver, wash dishes, and change beds. Some of the workers fold, wash, and iron clothes. Some housekeepers take cloths to the cleaners. They buy groceries and carry out other tasks.

In some large offices, hotels, and residential building, cleaning workers work in a team comprising of workers who specialize in picking up trash, vacuuming, and cleaning restrooms. Other work of a supervisor is to conduct inspections to make sure that the building has been cleaned appropriately and the team is working efficiently. The responsibility of a team member is to report electronically to the supervisor when rooms are cleaned.

Work Environment
Most cleaning workers perform their tasks in the evening because offices and buildings are cleaned when they are empty. Nevertheless, hospital and school custodians work in the daytime. However, when there is need, janitors have to work in different shifts. Many full-time building cleaners work forty hours a day. Cleaners who serve part-time, usually, work on weekends and evenings.

Some of the building cleaning workers work indoors whereas others work outdoors. Their work may include mowing lawns, sweeping walkways, or shoveling snow. Working with machines may be noisy and some tasks can be dirty such as cleaning trash rooms and bathrooms. Janitors have to take care as they may suffer bruises, cuts, and burns from chemicals, hand tools, and machines.

They need to spend ample amount of time on their feet. Sometimes, they may need to move, lift, and push heavy equipment and furniture. They may have to cope with other tasks like sweeping or dusting and require constant stooping, bending, and stretching.

Training and Educational Qualification for Building Cleaning Workers
Most of the building cleaning workers must have a high school degree or learn work skills on the job through informal training. Many employers offer special training to their employees. There is no special education required to get into this field. Nevertheless, workers must be able to perform arithmetic. A course in high school shop is helpful for jobs concerning repair work.

In many cities, the course is conducted by the government agencies, unions, or employers teach required skills to perform the job. The course incorporates theoretical as well as practice exercises where students are given an opportunity to enhance their skills. Students are taught how to clean buildings efficiently, how to safely use and select various cleaning agents, how to operate advanced machines such as dry and wet vacuums, polishers, and buffers.


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