Absolute Janitorial

Janitors and building cleaners keep many types of buildings clean, orderly, and in good condition.

Janitors and building cleaners typically do the following:

• Gather and empty trash and trash bins
• Clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming them
• Clean bathrooms and stock them with soap, toilet paper, and other supplies
• Keep buildings secure by locking doors
• Clean spills and other hazards using sponges and squeegees
• Wash windows, walls, and glass
• Order cleaning supplies
• Make minor repairs to the building, such as changing light bulbs
• Notify managers when the building needs major repairs

Janitors and building cleaning workers keep office buildings, schools, hospitals, retail stores, hotels, and other places clean, sanitary, and in good condition. Some do only cleaning, while others have a wide range of duties.

In addition to keeping the inside of buildings clean and orderly, some janitors and building cleaners work outdoors, mowing lawns, sweeping walkways, or shoveling snow. Some janitors also monitor the heating and cooling system, ensuring that it functions properly.

Janitors and building cleaners use many tools and equipment. Simple cleaning tools may include mops, brooms, rakes, and shovels. Other tools may include snowblowers and floor buffers.

Some janitors may be responsible for repairing small problems with electricity or plumbing, such as leaky faucets.

Laundry and dry-cleaning workers clean clothing, linens, drapes, and other articles, using washing, drying, and dry-cleaning machines. They also may clean leather, suede, furs, and rugs.

Laundry and dry-cleaning workers typically do the following:

• Receive items from customers and mark them with codes or names
• Inspect articles for stains and fabrics that require special care
• Sort articles to be cleaned by fabric type, color, and cleaning technique
• Load clothing into laundry and dry-cleaning machines
• Add detergent, bleach, and other chemicals to laundry and dry-cleaning machines
• Remove, sort, and hang clothing and other articles after they are removed from the machines
• Clean and maintain laundry and dry-cleaning machines

Laundry and dry-cleaning workers ensure proper cleaning of clothing, linens, and other articles. They adjust machine settings for a given fabric or article, as determined by the cleaning instructions on each item of clothing.

When necessary, workers treat spots and stains on articles before washing or dry-cleaning. They monitor machines during the cleaning process and ensure that items are not lost or placed with items of another customer.

Sometimes, laundry and dry-cleaning workers interact with customers. They take the receipts, find the customer's clothing, take payment, make change, and do the cash register work that retail sales people do.

Some dry-cleaners offer alteration services. Often, sewers and tailors do these tasks, but some laundry and dry-cleaning workers do them as well. For more information, see the profile on sewers and tailors.