Cleaner Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Cleaner

Hours

35-40 per week
Starting salary

£12,000 + per year

As a cleaner, you would be responsible for cleaning the inside of any type of building or transport. You could have other job titles, such as domestic service assistant or cleaning operative. Keeping the areas in which we live and work clean is important work, as it makes our lives safer and more pleasant.

To be a cleaner, you will need to have reading skills for following job and safety instructions. You will need physical fitness. You will also need to be reliable and trustworthy.

The work

You could have general cleaning duties or specialise in certain types of cleaning. These could include:

cleaning carpets and upholstery
stripping and re-sealing hard floor coverings
cleaning premises where food is prepared
industrial cleaning of new buildings
house and squat clearance
cleaning passenger vehicles
cleaning at heights, using either ladders or mobile access equipment
clearing up after fires, floods or building work
crime scene cleaning.

You would need to know which cleaning chemical to use for each task, and follow safety procedures; for example, when using solvents to remove graffiti or oils.

You may have to do some simple maintenance of the equipment you use, and check the stock levels of cleaning materials.

Hours

You may have to work when buildings are closed for normal activities. This could be in the evenings, early morning, or at weekends. You could work part-time or on a casual basis. The number of full-time jobs is increasing. In a full-time job you would work 35 to 40 hours a week. Overtime may be available.

You may work alone or in a team.

Depending on the job, you might clean the same area every day, or go to different sites. If you are a supervisor you are more likely to move around as you might be visiting teams of cleaners working on different contracts.

Income

Full-time cleaners can start at around £12,000 a year. Earnings are higher for supervisors and specialist cleaners. Part-time cleaners are usually paid by the hour.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You would need to be able to show employers that you are reliable and able to do the job.

If your job involves contact with hazardous waste, such as sharp objects and syringes, you will need vaccinations against Hepatitis B and C.

You may be able to get into this job through an Apprenticeship scheme. For more information about cleaning Apprenticeships, visit the Apprenticeships website.

Apprenticeships

Training and development

When you start work, you will usually receive training on the job. Most companies have training programmes covering:

health and safety
how to use cleaning equipment and materials
how to identify suitable equipment and materials for different tasks.

You will receive specialist training for some types of cleaning as, for example, crime scene cleaning or dealing with hazardous waste.

You may have the opportunity to complete qualifications such as:

Level 1 and 2 NVQ in Cleaning and Support Services Skills
Level 2 NVQ in Cleaning Principles
Level 3 NVQ in Cleaning Supervision Skills
British Institute of Cleaning Sciences (BICS) Cleaning Operators' Proficiency Certificate.

The University of Northampton offers the Foundation Degree in Environmental Cleaning Management, which is studied by distance learning. You will usually need to be working in the cleaning industry, and have at least two years' industrial experience. Check with the university for full details.

University of Northampton

Skills and knowledge

To be a cleaner, you will need to have:

reading skills for following job and safety instructions
maths skills for measuring out cleaning fluids
physical fitness
trustworthiness and reliability
the ability to work alone without supervision or as part of a team
awareness of the importance of following health and safety procedures
customer service skills (if working in areas used by the public, such as shopping centres and airports).

More information

British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICS) (Opens new window)
9 Premier Court
Boarden Close
Moulton Park
Northampton
NN3 6LF
Tel: 01604 678710
www.bics.org.uk

Asset Skills (Opens new window)
2 The Courtyard
48 New North Road
Exeter
Devon
EX4 4EP
Tel: 01392 423399
Careers Advice: careers@assetskills.org
www.assetskills.org

Opportunities

If you clean premises such as office blocks and hospitals, you will usually be employed by a cleaning contractor, although some organisations prefer to employ their own staff.

Prospects are good if you want to progress to supervisory and management level. You may then be able to use your experience to move into facilities management.

Other options would be to become a specialist in a particular aspect of cleaning, or set up your own cleaning business.

Vacancies are advertised in local newspapers or in Jobcentre Plus offices.

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The cleaning and support services industry is part of the facilities management, housing, property, planning, and parking sector, represented by Asset Skills Sector Skills Council. The sector workforce, which has continued to grow since 1998, represents 3% of the total UK workforce.

The cleaning and support services industry covers all forms of contract cleaning including: building interiors; transport vehicles; food premises; window and facade cleaning; highways and land; plus carpets and upholstery.

Key facts:

The UK market for contract cleaning is estimated to be £5.6 billion.
There are around 448,400 people working in the industry in just over 32,000 companies.
Migrant workers make up 37% of the English cleaning workforce.
86% of all cleaning companies have 10 or less employees.

Jobs in the industry range from: cleaner, supervisor, caretaker, window cleaner, upholstery cleaner, highways and street cleaner, food premises cleaner, crime scene cleaner, manager, pest control technician.

National and regional data

The following table provides a breakdown of the number of cleaning sector employees in each of the nations and English regions.

Region	Number of employees	Regional key characteristics
East Midlands	22,000	In comparison with other English regions, the East Midlands has a high proportion (23%) of its workforce between the ages 16‐24
East Of England	45,800	The majority of the cleaning workforce (91%) in the East of England is aged over 25
London	110,200	London is the largest employer of the cleaning industry at 28%
North East	16,700	The North East employs 4% of the cleaning workforce
North West	47,100	The North West has a similar profile to the UK. The workforce is 58% female and the majority (56%) work on a part‐time basis
South East	64,600	After London, the South East is the second highest employer of the cleaning workforce at 16%
South West	27,700	A significant proportion of the cleaning workforce in the South West is female (62%)
West Midlands	24,800	A high proportion of the cleaning workforce in the West Midlands is employed on a full‐time basis (55%)
Yorkshire & the Humber	24,100	The workforce in the Yorkshire and Humber region is predominately male (59%)
Northern Ireland	9,100*	The majority of the workforce in the cleaning industry in Northern Ireland (74%) is aged 25 and over. A higher than average proportion of the workforce is female (67%)
Scotland	42,400	Scotland employs 9% of the UK cleaning workforce, with 52% employed on a part‐time basis
Wales	12,900	Wales employs 3% of the UK cleaning workforce, with a significantly high proportion employed on a part‐time basis (60%)