What does a janitor/housekeeper do?
Janitor/housekeeper responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real janitor/housekeeper resumes:
- Perform specialty floor care; stripping/waxing floors, carpet extracting.Safely operate auto scrubbers, carpet extractors, floor burnishers.
- Maintain cleanliness of public areas including front of building, restrooms, front desk area and elevators.
- Maintain building cleanliness internal and external
- Maintain working facilities-use floor scrubbers to clean assign areas-Polished floors-cleane bathrooms and take out garbage to maintain a clean environment
- Disinfect equipment and supplies using steam operate sterilizers and germicides.
Janitor/housekeeper skills and personality traits
We calculated that 32% of Janitor/Housekeepers are proficient in Clean Rooms, Cleanliness, and Patient Rooms. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Mechanical skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Janitor/Housekeepers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Clean Rooms, 32%
Clean rooms within allotted time of 30-35 minutes for check out and 15 minutes for occupied rooms.
- Cleanliness, 7%
Assisted with the overall cleanliness of the church and its various other facilities using appropriate materials.
- Patient Rooms, 4%
Clean patient rooms and offices daily and take care of your assigned floor/area including bathrooms and floors.
- Paper Towels, 4%
Restocked toilet paper, paper towels, soap, seat covers and trash liners.
- Office Buildings, 4%
Serviced, cleaned, and supplied restrooms in commercial buildings such as colleges and office buildings.
- Glass Partitions, 3%
Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors using soapy water or other cleaners, sponges or squeegees.Reason for leaving: Personal
Common skills that a janitor/housekeeper uses to do their job include "clean rooms," "cleanliness," and "patient rooms." You can find details on the most important janitor/housekeeper responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a janitor/housekeeper to have is interpersonal skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "janitors and building cleaners must interact well other cleaners and the people who live or work in the buildings they service." Janitor/housekeepers often use interpersonal skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "assisted underground welding safety procedures.technical skills:interpersonal skills, organizational skills, time management skills, and basic industrial laborerskills. "
Mechanical skills. Another essential skill to perform janitor/housekeeper duties is mechanical skills. Janitor/housekeepers responsibilities require that "janitors and building cleaners need to understand general building operations and should be able to make routine repairs, such as to leaky faucets." Janitor/housekeepers also use mechanical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "perform preventative and general maintenance and may assist with minor repairs to building and mechanical operating systems. "
Physical strength. janitor/housekeepers are also known for physical strength, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to janitor/housekeeper responsibilities, because "janitors and building cleaners often must lift and move heavy cleaning materials and equipment." A janitor/housekeeper resume example shows how physical strength is used in the workplace: "operate high-speed industrial cleaning equipment use/knowledge of industrial strength cleaners general cleaning/maintenance entry level knowledge of security"
Time-management skills. janitor/housekeeper responsibilities often require "time-management skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "janitors and building cleaners must plan and complete tasks in a timely manner." This resume example shows what janitor/housekeepers do with time-management skills on a typical day: "assist building maintenance manager with maintaining a clean, presentable school environment, completing assignments by set deadlines. "
The three companies that hire the most janitor/housekeepers are:
- Castle Management, Inc.19 janitor/housekeepers jobs
- Crestwood Behavioral Health6 janitor/housekeepers jobs
- Learning Care Group6 janitor/housekeepers jobs
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Compare different janitor/housekeepers
Janitor/housekeeper vs. Custodian
A custodian, also referred to as janitor, is responsible for maintaining cleanliness and helping protect all facilities. Custodians make sure everything is clean, neat, in order, and free from clutter and safe. They perform routine maintenance tasks and heavy cleaning duties. They do everyday things to sweep floors, mop, scrub, vacuum, collect and empty trash, dust furniture, walls, and equipment. They mix solutions and chemicals in containers based on proportions for disinfecting windows, mirrors, and other partitions requiring cleaning. Some also do minor building maintenance and light repairs, while others are exposed to biohazardous materials.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, janitor/housekeeper responsibilities require skills like "clean rooms," "good communication," "patient rooms," and "laundry room." Meanwhile a typical custodian has skills in areas such as "work ethic," "customer service," "minor maintenance," and "ladders." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Custodians earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $31,075. On the other hand, janitor/housekeepers are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $28,189.The education levels that custodians earn slightly differ from janitor/housekeepers. In particular, custodians are 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a janitor/housekeeper. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Janitor/housekeeper vs. General cleaner
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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, janitor/housekeeper responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "clean rooms," "good communication," "patient rooms," and "laundry room." Meanwhile, a general cleaner has duties that require skills in areas such as "break rooms," "safety regulations," "customer service," and "commercial property." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, general cleaners earn a higher salary than janitor/housekeepers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, general cleaners earn the most pay in the construction industry with an average salary of $27,073. Whereas janitor/housekeepers have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $28,189.In general, general cleaners achieve similar levels of education than janitor/housekeepers. They're 0.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Janitor/housekeeper vs. Service cleaner
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a janitor/housekeeper is likely to be skilled in "clean rooms," "good communication," "cleanliness," and "laundry room," while a typical service cleaner is skilled in "window sills," "exam rooms," "clean bathrooms," and "clean environment."
Service cleaners earn the highest salary when working in the government industry, where they receive an average salary of $28,787. Comparatively, janitor/housekeepers have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $28,189.Most service cleaners achieve a similar degree level compared to janitor/housekeepers. For example, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Janitor/housekeeper vs. Office cleaner
Even though a few skill sets overlap between janitor/housekeepers and office cleaners, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a janitor/housekeeper might have more use for skills like "clean rooms," "good communication," "cleanliness," and "patient rooms." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of office cleaners require skills like "window sills," "office space," "clean bathrooms," and "exam rooms. "
The finance industry tends to pay the highest salaries for office cleaners, with average annual pay of $27,888. Comparatively, the highest janitor/housekeeper annual salary comes from the health care industry.In general, office cleaners hold similar degree levels compared to janitor/housekeepers. Office cleaners are 0.5% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of janitor/housekeeper
Updated January 8, 2025
