How to become a Cleaner

Duties & Tasks of a Cleaner

Cleaners:

• Operate vacuum cleaners to clean floors, work areas and machinery
• Clean, dust and polish furniture and fittings
• Sweep, mop, scrub and polish floors; shampoo carpets and rugs; and strip wax and polish from floors
• Clean walls and windows
• Clean and disinfect laundry, kitchen, toilet and bathroom fixtures and floors
• Empty and clean ashtrays and waste containers
• Clean areas surrounding buildings, such as paths and entrances
• Remove graffiti.

Tasks

• Operating industrial vacuum cleaners to clean floors, work areas and machines
• May clean exteriors of buildings by sand-blasting and applying solvents
• Removing lint, dust, soot, oil, grease, sludge and other residues from machines, hulls and holds of ships, and interiors and exteriors of furnaces, boilers and tanks
• Stripping wax from floors, re-waxing and polishing floors
• Vacuuming carpets, curtains and upholstered furniture
• Removing rubbish and recyclable material, and emptying containers, bins and trays
• Cleaning and disinfecting laundry and bathroom fixtures, replenishing supplies and reporting defective plumbing fixtures
• Cleaning, dusting and polishing furniture, fixtures and fittings
• Removing dust and dirt from ceilings, walls, overhead pipes and fixtures
• Applying acids and solvents to surfaces to remove stains and dirt

Working conditions for a Cleaner

Cleaners are often responsible for the security of the building in which they work. This responsibility includes ensuring that lights and electrical appliances are turned off, that the building is locked and secure and that any security breaches are reported to building owners or managers. Cleaners often work irregular hours in shifts and may be employed as full-time, part-time or casual staff.

Employment Opportunities for a Cleaner

Most cleaners work for contract cleaning companies or large factories, businesses or firms. A high proportion of cleaners are employed on a permanent part-time or casual basis, and many have to work very early in the morning or at night. Opportunities exist for experienced cleaners to become supervisors and managers in some of the larger contract cleaning firms. Self-employment is also possible.

Specializations

Carpet Cleaner

A carpet cleaner uses steam-clean and pile-lift machines to clean, scrub and brush carpets. They may also clean upholstered furniture and remove stains from carpets.

Domestic Cleaner

A domestic cleaner cleans and tidies homes, performing tasks such as cleaning floors, walls and windows, emptying rubbish bins, and tidying rooms. They may also make beds, iron clothes and wash dishes.

Hospital/Hostel Cleaner

A hospital/hostel cleaner undertakes sterilisation and antiseptic protocols and procedures using specialised chemicals.

Industrial Cleaner

An industrial cleaner may remove rubble and surplus building materials from construction sites or dismantle and clean machinery. They may use heavy-duty cleaning equipment, such as pressure hoses and ride-on powered scrubbing machines.

Industrial Plant Cleaner

An industrial plant cleaner keeps working areas in production departments of industrial establishments clean and orderly.

Steam, Pressure and Chemical Cleaner

A steam, pressure and chemical cleaner works indoors and outdoors with high-pressure or chemical cleaning equipment to strip paint, dirt or grease from buildings and machines.

Window Cleaner

A window cleaner cleans interior and exterior window surfaces. Cleaning exterior surfaces on multistorey buildings involves cleaners using a 'cherry picker' or hoist system. They may also clean stone walls, metal surfaces and window frames.

Housekeeper

A carpet cleaner uses steam-clean and pile-lift machines to clean, scrub and brush carpets. They may also clean upholstered furniture and remove stains from carpets.

Cleaner

Cleaners clean schools, construction sites, commercial, industrial and domestic premises, industrial machinery and vehicles using portable cleaning equipment.

Window Cleaner

A window cleaner cleans interior and exterior window surfaces. Cleaning exterior surfaces on multistorey buildings involves cleaners using a 'cherry picker' or hoist system. They may also clean stone walls, metal surfaces and window frames.

• 

  Average age

  44

• 

  Future Growth

  Decline

• 

  Gender Share

  55% female

• 

  Average full-time

  42 hours

• 

  Weekly Pay

  $1,192

• 

  Skill level rating

  Entry level

• 

  Unemployment

  Average unemployment

• 

  Full-Time Share

  37%

• 

  Employment Size

  148,200

• 

  Employment by state

  ACT: 1.4%
  NSW: 29.9%
  NT: 0.9%
  QLD: 23.1%
  SA: 7.7%
  TAS: 2.8%
  VIC: 21.9%
  WA: 12.2%
  
• 

  Age brackets

  15-19: 3.9%
  20-24: 7.4%
  25-34: 17.1%
  35-44: 16.6%
  45-54: 23.8%
  55-59: 13.5%
  60-64: 10.7%
  65 and Over: 7.1%
  
• 

  Education level

  Advanced Diploma/Diploma: 7%
  Bachelor degree: 9.2%
  Below Year 10: 13.5%
  Certificate III/IV: 14.4%
  Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate: 2.7%
  Year 10 and below: 36.2%
  Year 11: 7.7%
  Year 12: 22.9%
  Years 11 & 10: 26.8%