Post Job

What does a General Cleaner do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a General Cleaner do

General cleaners are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness of all the facilities of the company premises. A general cleaner also monitors the adequacy of cleaning materials in the storage area. They also respond to the visitors' inquiries and concerns, directing them to the appropriate personnel and department for their business needs. A general cleaner must be highly-organized, ensuring the safety of the establishment by following strict sanitary standards and cleaning procedures. They report defective items, inspect office equipment, and request additional supplies.

On This Page

General cleaner responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real general cleaner resumes:

  • Operate a forklift for logistic, to manage and relocate BMW's fixture material.
  • Service, supply and clean restrooms including all fixtures; toilets, urinals, partitions, walls, vents and mirrors.
  • Disinfect equipment and supplies, using germicides, orStream operate sterilizers.
  • Utilize a variety floor care tools including vacuums, steamers, buffers etc.
  • Used hand and power tools such as floor polishers, ladders, vacuum cleaners and mops.
  • Assign to the Honda plant, cleaning body repair booths, paint booths, sludge pits and paint ovens.
  • Conduct preventative maintenance and cleanliness using store approve techniques.
  • Clean restaurants during the evenings and ensure protocols are followed according to restaurant cleanliness guidelines.
  • Clean laboratory equipment such as glassware or metal instruments using solvents, brushes, rags, or squeegees.
  • Place clean linens on beds, clean bathrooms, kitchen counter-tops and stoves.
  • Disinfect equipment and supplies, using germicides or steam-operate sterilizers.

General cleaner skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of General Cleaners are proficient in Cleanliness, Break Rooms, and Light Fixtures. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Mechanical skills, and Physical strength.

We break down the percentage of General Cleaners that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Cleanliness, 14%

    Maintained proper cleanliness of facilities *Prepared clinic for incoming patients *Restocked and kept accurate inventory of monthly supplies in each facility

  • Break Rooms, 8%

    Cleaned break rooms, including sinks, counter tops, microwaves, coffeemakers, refrigerators, tables and chairs.

  • Light Fixtures, 6%

    General maintenance and repairs such as painting, fixing door knobs, replacing light fixtures and ceiling tiles.

  • Safety Regulations, 5%

    Stock and maintain supply rooms and followed health and safety regulations.

  • Mop Floors, 5%

    Sweep and mop floors, vacuuming, emptying trash receptacles and replace lining, clean windows and mirrors, dust furniture.

  • Trash Removal, 5%

    Trash RemovalLawn CareGeneral RepairClean outs of homes

Most general cleaners use their skills in "cleanliness," "break rooms," and "light fixtures" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential general cleaner responsibilities here:

Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a general cleaner to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "janitors and building cleaners must interact well other cleaners and the people who live or work in the buildings they service." Additionally, a general cleaner resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "assisted vendor freight bills conducting backroom stock inventory high customer service and interpersonal skills janitor"

Mechanical skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling general cleaner duties is mechanical skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "janitors and building cleaners need to understand general building operations and should be able to make routine repairs, such as to leaky faucets." According to a general cleaner resume, here's how general cleaners can utilize mechanical skills in their job responsibilities: "experience with floor cleaning machines, buffing and scrubbing machines, mechanical extraction carpet scrubbers. "

Physical strength. general cleaners are also known for physical strength, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to general cleaner responsibilities, because "janitors and building cleaners often must lift and move heavy cleaning materials and equipment." A general cleaner resume example shows how physical strength is used in the workplace: "clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, or vacuuming gather and empty trash performing general physical activities"

Time-management skills. A big part of what general cleaners do relies on "time-management skills." You can see how essential it is to general cleaner responsibilities because "janitors and building cleaners must plan and complete tasks in a timely manner." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical general cleaner tasks: "vacuum floors and under seats/seat cushions accomplishments always turned planes on time"

See the full list of general cleaner skills

The three companies that hire the most general cleaners are:

Choose from 10+ customizable general cleaner resume templates

Build a professional general cleaner resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your general cleaner resume.
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume
General Cleaner Resume

Compare different general cleaners

General cleaner vs. Day porter

Day porters are skilled employees who are responsible for conducting daily building maintenance at a facility to ensure it looks neat and presentable to the public. These porters are required to clean all common room areas such as the kitchen, cafeteria, and lobby as well as prepare conference rooms before and after meetings. They must complete minor repairs and place safety hazard signs in the building to warn customers and employees. Day porters must also provide service washrooms while responding to major spills or other cleaning crises.

We looked at the average general cleaner salary and compared it with the wages of a day porter. Generally speaking, day porters are paid $1,615 higher than general cleaners per year.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between general cleaners and day porters are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like cleanliness, light fixtures, and mop floors.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a general cleaner are more likely to require skills like "break rooms," "safety regulations," "ventilation," and "exam rooms." On the other hand, a job as a day porter requires skills like "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "abm," and "plumbing." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Day porters really shine in the utilities industry with an average salary of $28,643. Comparatively, general cleaners tend to make the most money in the construction industry with an average salary of $27,073.The education levels that day porters earn slightly differ from general cleaners. In particular, day porters are 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a general cleaner. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

General cleaner vs. Rooming house keeper

The extent of a rooming house keeper's responsibilities will vary on the organization or industry where one is employed. Most of the time, it is their job to perform various household chores such as cleaning bedrooms and bathrooms, washing dishes, doing the laundry, and even vacuuming particular areas. There are also instances where they must prepare meals, arrange closets, iron and fold pieces of clothing, and discard trash. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with other employees at all times and adhere to the directions of employers.

A career as a rooming house keeper brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a general cleaner. In fact, rooming house keepers salary is $1,820 higher than the salary of general cleaners per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. General cleaners and rooming house keepers both require similar skills like "light fixtures," "mop floors," and "trash removal" to carry out their responsibilities.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, general cleaner responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "cleanliness," "break rooms," "safety regulations," and "customer service." Meanwhile, a rooming house keeper has duties that require skills in areas such as "clean laundry," "patient rooms," "guest rooms," and "residents rooms." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Rooming house keepers may earn a higher salary than general cleaners, but rooming house keepers earn the most pay in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $30,178. On the other hand, general cleaners receive higher pay in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $27,073.In general, rooming house keepers achieve similar levels of education than general cleaners. They're 0.1% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

General cleaner vs. Housekeeping aide

The primary job of a housekeeping aide is to maintain the cleanliness of an assigned area, including hospital rooms, hotel rooms, and corridors. This role will require you to perform various housekeeping chores as requested by the housekeeping manager, such as cleaning the restrooms and kitchens. You will be responsible for keeping the office pantries tidy and ensuring the availability of supplies for beverages such as chocolate and coffee at all times. Other duties include cleaning floors, clearing away garbage, and attending to the needs of guests.

On average scale, housekeeping aides bring in higher salaries than general cleaners. In fact, they earn a $2,763 higher salary per year.general cleaners and housekeeping aides both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "cleanliness," "light fixtures," and "mop floors," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a general cleaner is likely to be skilled in "break rooms," "safety regulations," "commercial property," and "office buildings," while a typical housekeeping aide is skilled in "patients," "guest rooms," "home health," and "rehabilitation."

Housekeeping aides earn the best pay in the hospitality industry, where they command an average salary of $30,153. General cleaners earn the highest pay from the construction industry, with an average salary of $27,073.When it comes to education, housekeeping aides tend to earn similar degree levels compared to general cleaners. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

General cleaner vs. Porter

A porter is responsible for managing the building's cleanliness and orderliness, together with the cleaning maintenance team. Duties of a porter include ensuring the premises' safety, operating cleaning tools and equipment, and performing basic troubleshooting for defective machines. Other tasks include assisting visitors with their inquiries, leading clients to the appropriate departments, adhering to the highest safety standards and procedures, and answering maintenance calls. A porter must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills to ensure daily smooth operations.

Porters tend to earn a higher pay than general cleaners by an average of $2,656 per year.According to resumes from general cleaners and porters, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "cleanliness," "light fixtures," and "mop floors. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between general cleaners and porters, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a general cleaner might have more use for skills like "break rooms," "safety regulations," "commercial property," and "ventilation." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of porters require skills like "excellent guest," "dexterity," "manual dexterity," and "good communication. "

Porters enjoy the best pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $30,781. For comparison, general cleaners earn the highest salary in the construction industry.porters reach similar levels of education compared to general cleaners, in general. The difference is that they're 0.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of general cleaner

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse building and grounds maintenance jobs