A cleaner, cleanser or cleaning operative is a type of industrial or domestic worker who is tasked with cleaning a space. A janitor (US and Canada), also known as a custodian, porter or caretaker, is a person who cleans and might also carry out maintenance and security duties. A similar position, but usually with more managerial duties and not including cleaning, is occupied by building superintendents in the United States and Canada and by site managers in schools in the United Kingdom.
According to the Cambridge English dictionary a "cleaner" is "a person whose job is to clean houses, offices, public places, etc.:"; [1] the Collins dictionary states that: "A cleaner is someone who is employed to clean the rooms and furniture inside a building." [2] However, a cleaner does not always have to be employed and perform work for pay, such as in the case of volunteer work or community service. "Cleaner" may also refer to cleaning agents e.g. oven cleaner, or devices used for cleaning, e.g. vacuum cleaner. [2] [3]
Cleaning operatives may specialize in cleaning particular things or places, such as window cleaners, housekeepers, janitors, crime scene cleaners and so on. [4] Cleaning operatives often work when the people who otherwise occupy the space are not around. They may clean offices at night or houses during the workday.
The word janitor derives from the Latin "ianitor", [5] meaning doorkeeper or porter, itself from "ianua", meaning door, entrance or gate. [6] This derives from "Janus", the Roman god of doors, gates and portals. [7]
Its first recorded use meaning "caretaker of a building, man employed to see that rooms are kept clean" was in 1708. [6]
Between 17% and 23% of the total illegal immigrant population living in the United States work in the cleaning industry [8] (and growing at a rate of 1/2% to 1/3% percent per year). In addition to this population offering an abundant source of inexpensive labor, [9] janitorial work is mostly undertaken at night, making it an appealing option for janitorial companies to employ illegal workers [10] [11] seeking clandestine employment.
In the Netherlands, the number of cleaning companies grew from 5,000 in 2003 to 8,000 in 2008. [12]
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023 the median pay of a janitor working in the US was $16.84 per hour. [13]
Cleaning is one of the most commonly outsourced services. [14] Some of the reasons for this include:
The cleaning industry is quite big as different types of cleaning are required for different objects and different properties. For example, cleaning an office space requires the services of a commercial cleaner, whereas cleaning a house requires a residential cleaner or residential cleaning service. Depending on the task, even these categories can be subdivided into, for example, end-of-lease cleaning, carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, window cleaning, car cleaning services etc. Cleaners specialize in a specific cleaning sector or even a specific task in a cleaning sector, and one cannot expect a window cleaner to be able or willing to clean a carpet.
For example, according to International Standard Classification of Occupations and European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations, the profession of a cleaner can be divided into: [15]
In addition:
The cleaning person may receive waste and carry out activities related to its transport to the place of storage, segregation and recycling.
Cleaning can be done freely, free of charge and without employment e.g. social cleaning of the forest from garbage.
Cleaning is sometimes done by convicts for rehabilitation or leniency purposes. Cleaning as a substitute punishment. However, in the other hand in some cases, cleaners are checked against criminal records. [16]
Office cleaning staff perform many of the same duties as janitors. However the tasks are divided among different members. Additional tasks include:
Most of the work performed by janitors and building cleaners is indoors. Office and school buildings are usually cleaned when they are vacant, so most of the office janitorial staff work during the evening. The work can be physically taxing and sometimes dirty and unpleasant. [17] General janitor duties often include the following tasks:
The following are some items used by cleaning staff: However, the equipment depends on the situation and the type of cleaning.
in addition: ladder, rake, bags for leaves.
Not always, but depending on the situation, (for example during cleaning dusty or dangerous substances or places, window cleaning at high heights, being on a busy street or in factories) items used by cleaning staff can include safety equipment such as:
The exposure of a cleaner to hazards depends on the activity performed and the situation for example: allergens, dust, biohazards, fall, possibility of contact with electric shock, slipping on a slippery surface, so safety equipment should be adapted to the situation.
In addition: On the whole it is not recommended to perform this work for a person with severe allergies.
The 2000 film Bread and Roses by British director Ken Loach depicted the struggle of cleaners in Los Angeles, California, for better pay and working conditions and for the right to join a union. In an interview with the BBC in 2001, Loach stated that thousands of cleaners from around 30 countries have since contacted him with tales similar to the one told in the film.
A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum, is a device that uses suction, and often agitation, in order to remove dirt and other debris from carpets and hard floors.
Cleaning is the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment. Cleaning is often performed for aesthetic, hygienic, functional, safety, or environmental protection purposes. Cleaning occurs in many different contexts, and uses many different methods. Several occupations are devoted to cleaning.
A mat is a hard floor covering that generally is placed on a floor or other flat surface. Mats serve a range of purposes including:
A sexton is an officer of a church, congregation, or synagogue charged with the maintenance of its buildings and/or an associated graveyard. In smaller places of worship, this office is often combined with that of verger. Larger establishments, such as cathedrals, may employ a team of sextons.
A mop is a mass or bundle of coarse strings or yarn, etc., or a piece of cloth, sponge or other absorbent material, attached to a pole or stick. It is used to soak up liquid, for cleaning floors and other surfaces, to mop up dust, or for other cleaning purposes.
Housekeeping is the management and routine support activities of running and maintaining an organized physical institution occupied or used by people, like a house, ship, hospital or factory, such as cleaning, tidying/organizing, cooking, shopping, and bill payment. These tasks may be performed by members of the household, or by persons hired for the purpose. This is a more broad role than a cleaner, who is focused only on the cleaning aspect. The term is also used to refer to the money allocated for such use. By extension, it may also refer to an office or a corporation, as well as the maintenance of computer storage systems.
Home repair involves the diagnosis and resolution of problems in a home, and is related to home maintenance to avoid such problems. Many types of repairs are "do it yourself" (DIY) projects, while others may be so complicated, time-consuming or risky as to require the assistance of a qualified handyperson, property manager, contractor/builder, or other professionals.
Kirby Opco, LLC, doing business as The Kirby Company, is a manufacturer of vacuum cleaners, home cleaning products and accessories, located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is a division of Right Lane Industries. Dealers, sales reps, service centers, and distributors are located in over 50 countries. Kirby Vacuums are sold via door-to-door or though arranged-scheduled in-home demonstrations via their website and the company is a member of the Direct Selling Association. The Kirby website can also take vacuum cleaner orders and ship directly to the customer as well, without having to arrange for a scheduled an in-home demonstration. All Kirby Vacuum Cleaners are built in both Edgewater, Cleveland, Ohio and Andrews, Texas, United States.
Swiffer is an American brand of cleaning products that is made by Procter & Gamble. Introduced in 1999, the brand uses the "razor-and-blades" business model, whereby the consumer purchases the handle assembly at a low price, but must continue to purchase replacement refills and pads over the lifespan of the product. Swiffer has become a half-billion dollar brand in fifteen countries.
A carpet beater or carpetbeater is a housecleaning tool used to beat carpets in order to shake dust and dirt out of them. It was in common use until the vacuum cleaner became widely affordable.
Carpet cleaning is performed to remove stains, dirt, debris, and allergens from carpets. Common methods include hot water extraction, dry-cleaning, and vacuuming.
Window cleaning, or window washing, is the exterior cleaning of architectural glass used for structural, lighting, or decorative purposes. It can be done manually, using a variety of tools for cleaning and access. Technology is also employed and increasingly, automation.
Vapor steam cleaners or steam vapor systems are cleaning appliances or devices that use steam to dry, clean, and sanitize surfaces. The steam is produced in a boiler that heats tap water to high temperatures to produce low-pressure, low moisture water vapor.
Floor cleaning is a major occupation throughout the world. The main job of most cleaners is to clean floors.
A central vacuum cleaner is a type of vacuum cleaner appliance installed into a building as a semi-permanent fixture. Central vacuum systems are designed to remove dirt and debris from homes and buildings by sending dirt particles through piping installed inside the walls to a collection container inside a remote utility space. The power unit is a permanent fixture, usually installed in a basement, garage, or storage room, along with the collection container. Inlets are installed in walls throughout the building that attach to power hoses and other central vacuum accessories to remove dust, particles, and small debris from interior rooms. Most power hoses have a power switch located on the handle.
A robotic vacuum cleaner, sometimes called a robovac or a roomba as a generic trademark, is an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner which has a limited vacuum floor cleaning system combined with sensors and robotic drives with programmable controllers and cleaning routines. Early designs included manual operation via remote control and a "self-drive" mode which allowed the machine to clean autonomously.
A floor scrubber is a floor cleaning device. It can be a simple tool such as a floor mop or floor brush, or in the form of a walk-behind or a ride-on machine to clean larger areas by injecting water with cleaning solution, scrubbing, and lifting the residue off the floor. With advancements in robotics, autonomous floor-scrubbing robots are available as well.
Commercial cleaning companies are contracted to carry out cleaning jobs in a variety of premises.Commercial cleaners, often referred to as custodians or janitors, work in a many different types for building such as schools, banks, offices, etc. As a janitor or custodian, the main job duty is to disinfect/ pick up in the fast-paced environments that come with working in commercial buildings.