Building Cleaning Workers keep office buildings, hospitals, stores, apartment houses, hotels, and residences clean, sanitary, and in good condition.
Building Cleaning Workers Classifications are:
- Janitors and Cleaners- Building Cleaning Workers who are considered Janitors perform a variety of heavy cleaning duties, such as cleaning floors, shampooing rugs, washing walls and glass, and removing trash. 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. A typical day for the Janitor may include 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. Building Cleaning Workers who perform janitorial duties do most of the duties as specified; however, many Building Cleaning Workers tend to work for companies that specialize in one type of cleaning activity, such as washing windows.
- Maids and Housekeepers- Building Cleaning Workers who are considered Maids and Housekeepers 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 private households, Building Cleaning Workers, 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 Building Cleaning Workers wash, fold, and iron clothes; a few wash windows. Building Cleaning Workers who are classified as general house workers also may take clothes and laundry to the cleaners, buy groceries, and perform other errands. 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.
- Building Cleaning Workers are often classified as Janitors, Maids, and cleaners- These workers use many kinds of tools, equipment, 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 Building Cleaning Workers must learn the proper use of equipment and cleaners to avoid harming floors, fixtures, building occupants, and themselves.
- Building Cleaning Supervisors- The Building 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. Building Cleaning Supervisors may prepare reports concerning the occupancy of rooms, hours worked, and department expenses. Some also perform cleaning duties.
- Building Cleaning Supervisors- The Building Cleaning Supervisors in large offices 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.
Building Cleaning Workers who work in office buildings generally are cleaned while they are empty, many Building Cleaning Workers work evening hours. There are those who work in schools and hospitals who work during the day. In some cases there is a need for 24 hour shifts and in this case the Building Cleaning Supervisors work in shifts as assigned to them. Most Building Cleaning Workers will work a 40 hour work week, however, part-time workers usually only work in the evenings and weekends putting in much fewer hours. Most Building Cleaning Workers work indoors, but some work outdoors part of the time, sweeping walkways, mowing lawns, or shoveling snow. Building Cleaning Workers realize that some of their work is noisy because of the machines they need to use.