Cleaner

A cleaner maintains offices, hospitals, schools, apartments, educational institutions, hotels and leisure resorts in a clean and orderly condition. Commercial cleaning companies usually employ them.

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Cleaners generally work in a team and perform a variety of tasks, including: cleaning floors, windows and walls; vacuuming carpets; dusting furniture; emptying dustbins; polishing desks in offices; changing linen in hotels, resorts and hospitals.

Cleaners operate electrical vacuum cleaners, use manual cleaning equipment such as mops and brooms and employ chemical cleaning agents to accomplish their tasks. They may work in the evening or early morning because most offices have to be cleaned while the personnel are not there. Some buildings, such as hospitals and hotels, require 24-hour maintenance resulting in shift work for the cleaner.

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Personal Requirements

• physically fit
• courteous, tactful and neat when in contact with the public
• follow instructions precisely
• willing to do shift work
• able to tolerate the monotony of the job
• honest and can work without supervision

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How to Enter

Schooling & School Subjects

No specific requirements

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What to Study

Commercial cleaning companies offer in-service training

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Employment

• commercial cleaning companies
• businesses
• educational institutions
• government departments
• hospitals
• hotels
• leisure resorts

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Further Information

Any one of the above potential employers

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Getting Started

• arrange to meet with a building maintenance company and ask about this type of work.
• find part-time or holiday work as a cleaner to see whether you like it

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Related Occupations

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