Cleaning Technician Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a cleaning technician. You can use our job description template in this article to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a cleaning technician.
Who is a Cleaning Technician?
A cleaning technician is a professional who is in charge of cleaning and maintaining a building, office, or property. Although similar to that of janitors and maids, the work primarily entails thorough cleaning duties. Your major responsibilities as a cleaning technician will be to clean the floors, wash the walls, dispose of trash, carry out regular maintenance, and inspect the facility. You are in charge of placing orders for cleaning supplies and tools.
Cleaning technicians are also in charge of maintaining sanitary and hygienic conditions in workplaces, schools, and other public areas. They frequently use chemicals, machinery, and heavy machinery to clean surfaces, mop walls, disinfect floors, and perform other tasks. The responsibility of handling waste or debris from cleaning tasks may fall under the duties of cleaning technicians. This duty could involve cleaning up debris, vacuuming carpets or floor mats, or throwing out trash. Landing a job as a cleaning technician requires some qualifications other than the physical ability to carry out your duties like shampooing the carpet or removing trash. Cleaning technicians with janitorial or housekeeping experience are typically sought after by employers. You need to be meticulous and detail-oriented to succeed in this job.
Many cleaning technicians work for independent companies that manage numerous contracts, while similar opportunities are occasionally available with a large organization or institution. You need a dependable means of transportation if your job requires you to travel frequently. You might also need to pass a background check if your duties call for the capacity for independent work. The best cleaning technicians know how to maintain their health while protecting the welfare of the end user by cleaning responsibly and safely using dangerous cleaning products. Having professional credentials will give you a competitive advantage over other job seekers in this industry. Other qualities necessary for an efficient cleaning technician include dependability and attention to detail.
You will get access to spaces of people’s homes and companies that are private as a cleaning technician. When handling private information concerning the business affairs of your clients, you must always deal honestly and discretely. Moreover, you should show your loyalty to the employer by adhering to all safety guidelines and directions. Even if you are an independent contractor, you still have a duty of loyalty to the client that hired you. Strong physical endurance, great time management abilities, and prior cleaning and maintenance experience are requirements for this job.
After business hours, cleaning technicians often operate by themselves. Depending on the size of the company, a cleaning technician collaborates with many different personnel throughout the organization. A large company’s sanitary supervisor may be responsible for several cleaning technicians. For smaller businesses, they can report directly to the business owner, the office manager, or the building manager. Depending on the time of day, cleaning technicians may engage with coworkers working the same shift or may work alone. A career as a cleaning technician can be a great entry point into the cleaning business. Learning the fundamentals of cleaning, such as the safe utilization of various tools and chemicals, is an excellent starting point. Additionally, you ought to familiarize yourself with the various cleaning responsibilities and their requirements.
Cleaning Technician Job Description
Below are the cleaning technician job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of cleaning technicians include the following:
- Follow safety protocols when using items like ladders, scaffolding, or power tools to prevent mishaps.
- Use mops, brooms, or vacuum cleaners to clean the floors.
- Clean windows, walls, and doors with a variety of cleaning chemicals.
- Ensure that surfaces such as carpet, hardwood floors, tile floors, sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and showers are stainless.
- Use brushes, dust cloths, vacuum cleaners, and shampooers to clean the furniture.
- Use scrubbing machines with spinning brushes and detergent solutions clean floors.
- Use spray bottles to apply cleaning solutions to surfaces, especially large ones like walls or ceilings.
- Wash stains and spots with a sponge dipped in a mild detergent solution or with a high-pressure sprayer to remove them from walls.
- Clean surfaces including walls, ceilings, floors, windows, and doors with cleaning solutions and tools like vacuum cleaners and scrubbing machines.
- Sweep, mop, vacuum, dust, and remove the trash, among other general cleaning and maintenance activities, in the designated locations.
- Follow all safety guidelines and instructions if using machinery or handling chemicals.
- Inform the supervisor of any maintenance or repair requirements in the allocated areas.
- Follow defined schedules and procedures for cleaning designated locations Maintain an inventory of cleaning supplies and materials and request replenishments when necessary
- Fulfill any unique requests or projects as directed by the supervisor.
- Represent how to use all cleaning products and equipment properly.
- Attend all required training and meetings.
- Obey all corporate rules and regulations
- Demonstrate a good customer service demeanour at all times.
- Maintain the privacy of confidential information
Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED.
- Prior experience in professional cleaning or janitorial role
- Thorough knowledge of industrial cleaning equipment and chemicals
- Must have a friendly and professional disposition.
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
- Proficiency in operating industrial cleaning machines.
- Must be able to lift and move heavy objects.
- Must have a reliable means of transportation.
- Excellent attention to detail skills.
Essential Skills
- Communication skills: A cleaning technician should be proficient in communication. They need to be able to interact efficiently with other cleaning workers, office managers, and other staff members because they often work with them. Additionally, they must be able to explain to customers why and how they are operating. Also, you must be able to effectively communicate safety regulations to any coworkers you have on the job site. It’s also essential to have the ability to listen to what clients have to say and react accordingly.
- Attention to detail: Your ability to pay attention to detail will help you do your job well. You can be in charge of making sure a room is entirely clean in your function as a cleaning technician. This may entail cleaning behind furniture, checking for dust in hard-to-reach areas, and making sure all surfaces are stain-free. You might also have to make sure that every region of space is clean and adhere to the client’s detailed instructions. This skill ensures that you live up to your client’s expectations and aids in preserving your good reputation as a cleaning professional.
- Organizational skills: A cleaning technician needs to be able to organize and arrange their work store and tools. This is essential to complete all tasks and duties as timely as possible. It’s also important for cleaning technicians to be able to keep track of their supplies and know which cleaning products they require for different cleaning services.
- Safety procedures skills: Cleaning technicians should be able to follow safety standards since these standards assist them to carry out their duties safely. For a successful career in this job, it is essential to understand safety precautions and how to manage hazardous materials or circumstances. Knowing how to make use of items like ladders, fire extinguishers, and other equipment that are required for a cleaning job is part of the safety procedures skills.
- Physical strength: Cleaning technicians must possess both physical strength and stamina to lift heavy objects. It could be required cleaning technicians to lift heavy items like vacuum cleaners or huge furniture. You should be able to move these objects by yourself without the aid of another person. You must be capable of handling the task on your own if you operate in a commercial environment where there are lots of heavy objects. You can manage to live a healthy lifestyle while working as a cleaning technician if you have the physical stamina. This can help you stay healthy overall by preventing illnesses and injuries.
- Flexibility: Being flexible is having the capacity to change course when necessary. You might be required to work different shifts than you typically would or complete jobs that you haven’t done previously as a cleaning technician. You may continue to do a good job at your job while adapting to these changes by being flexible.
- Vacuuming skills: Cleaning technicians need to know how to vacuum since it enables them to properly clean floors and other surfaces. Many firms expect their staff to be familiar with operating vacuum cleaners because they are common household appliances. Additionally, cleaning technicians should be able to recognize the many vacuum types on the market and know which one is appropriate for each task.
- Interpersonal skills: Cleaning technicians collaborate in groups with other professionals, including building engineers and managers. To build trusting relationships with these people and make task coordination simpler, interpersonal skills are essential. Additionally, you can deal with clients or tenants who require a professional manner with your interpersonal skills.
- Teamwork skills: A cleaning specialist needs to be able to collaborate effectively with others. You might collaborate with a group of other cleaning professionals or with a group of other workers. Working well with others can help you do your work quickly and successfully, regardless of the size of the team. When cleaning huge buildings with lots of people living or working within, working well with others is very essential. Working together can ensure that the building’s different areas get the proper care.
- Trash removal skills: A cleaning technician’s responsibility is to make sure a place is spotless and clutter-free. As a result, you must be aware of how to remove trash from the region and where to dispose of it. You can also be in charge of taking away any trash or recycling containers from an office complex. Maintaining a clean and safe working environment can be made easier by knowing how to manage these things properly.
- Cleaning skills: Cleaning technicians must possess cleaning skills, such as the capacity to thoroughly clean a variety of surfaces and materials. They also need to understand the proper and safe way to use cleaning materials. This entails being aware of which chemicals are safe for particular surfaces or pieces of machinery, as well as how to dispose of them appropriately. When utilizing cleaning instruments and preparing chemical solutions, cleaning workers should be able to follow written instructions.
- Work ethic: For cleaning technicians, having a strong work ethic is essential because it can increase their productivity and efficiency. A strong work ethic demonstrates your commitment to your job and your willingness to put in the necessary effort to advance it. Being on time, trustworthy, and dependable are other traits of a strong work ethic.
- Customer service skills: As a cleaning technician, you should have excellent customer service skills because they enable you to engage with clients and understand their expectations. Active listening, empathy, and the capacity to address client issues are all aspects of good customer service. When speaking with customers on the phone or in person, you can apply your customer service skills.
How to Become a Cleaning Technician
Step 1. Pursue relevant education
Although the least educational requirement for cleaning technicians is a high school diploma or its equivalent, some employers prefer to hire applicants who have completed a cleaning certification course or vocational training in janitorial services. Consider enrolling in a certificate program at a local community college or technical school if you’re interested in pursuing this training. Students learn about subjects like floor cleaning, building maintenance and safety, equipment operation and storage, and standard housekeeping procedures during these programs, which normally span from one to two years.
Step 2. Enroll in the janitorial service vocational program.
Even though a high school diploma or its equivalent is the minimum educational qualification for this employment, you might want to think about finishing a janitorial services vocational program. Depending on the program, these courses are often provided in community colleges and vocational schools and run for one to three years. These courses instruct students on a variety of subjects, including floor maintenance, laundry techniques, pest management, building safety, and more. You can better prepare for entry-level work in this industry by completing a vocational program.
Step 3. Acquire work experience
The majority of employers will train cleaning technicians while they are working. The technician will learn how to use the tools and chemicals they’ll need to clean the facility during this training. Additionally, they will learn how to clean various surfaces and how to properly dispose of rubbish. Internships are another way that cleaning technicians can get experience. The cleaning technician will learn how to utilize the equipment and how to clean a range of surfaces throughout their internship. Moreover, they will learn how to handle harmful materials and how to dispose of waste safely.
Step 4. Acquire certification
Cleaning technicians usually require certification to work in certain industries such as healthcare or education. Various industries have different requirements, that cleaning technicians ought to fulfill before they could be hired.
Where to Work as a Cleaning Technician
Cleaning technicians are needed everywhere. They can work in different places such as office buildings, schools, hospitals, private homes, poultries, etc. They typically work shift hours and may be required to work evenings or during weekends. Many cleaning technicians work for large cleaning establishments that offer cleaning services to several companies and clients. Some cleaning technicians are self-employed and work based on bookings and contracts. Although cleaning technicians may work with other technicians on big projects, they typically work alone.
Cleaning Technician Salary Scale
The salary scale of a cleaning technician can vary depending on certain factors such as their level of experience, the type of company they work for, the geographic location of their job, and additional skills. Between $32,742 and $39,022 is the salary scale of cleaning technicians in the US, and $35,148 is the average amount they earn per year. The average salary of a cleaning technician in the United Kingdom is £24,544 per year. This salary typically begins at £21,450 and goes up to £30,000 per year. In Canada, these technicians earn over $37,050 per year, with a range of $33,150 to $48,731 per year. They are paid about 1,140,000 NGN in Nigeria, and the pay scale typically ranges from 885,000 NGN to 2,520,000 NGN per year.