A cleaner does cleaning and general housework duties, usually inside a building, although some clean inside buses, trains or aeroplanes. You usually specialise in cleaning a particular type of place such as a domestic cleaner in a private home, an industrial cleaner in an office or public place, or a hospital cleaner.

The Work

• Domestic cleaner – you clean private homes, usually on your own. You might also wash and iron clothes, empty the washing machine and dishwasher and make beds.
• Industrial cleaner – you clean offices, shops, factories, schools, airport terminals and other large buildings, often as part of a team. You will use industrial cleaning equipment such as mechanical floor scrubbers and polishers, and concentrated chemicals.
• Hospital cleaner – you clean wards, operating theatres, public areas and offices, using antiseptic chemicals to sterilise surfaces.

You could be:

• scrubbing, mopping, sweeping, vacuuming or polishing stone, wooden, carpeted or lino floors
• dusting, waxing or polishing furniture and windows, washing surfaces, cleaning ovens, cleaning toilets and emptying bins
• using items such as brushes, mops, dusters, vacuum cleaners and floor polishers
• choosing the correct cleaning product for the job
• carrying out basic maintenance on equipment
• following health and safety procedures
• checking cleaning product stock levels and re-ordering fresh supplies
• moving furniture around to clean underneath
• specialising in thorough cleaning of houses which have not been lived in for a while.

Pay

The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on:

• where you work
• the size of company or organisation you work for
• the demand for the job.

Starting pay is often based on the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or the National Living Wage (NLW).

As of 1 April 2024 the National Minimum Wage is £6.40 an hour for workers under 18, £8.60 an hour for workers aged 18 to 20. The National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over is £11.44 an hour.

You may be able to earn more by doing overtime or night shifts. As a supervisor you could earn around £13.00 an hour.

Conditions

• You have to bend, stretch, climb stepladders, carry buckets of water and cleaning equipment, scrub surfaces and move furniture.
• In industrial or commercial cleaning your shifts would mostly be early morning or late evening.
• The work can be messy and dusty.
• Many jobs are part time and some jobs involve night shifts.
• You wear protective overalls and sometimes gloves.
• You might work alone or in a team.
• The job is physically demanding.

Getting In

• You do not need formal qualifications but a good general education is useful.
• You should be physically fit.
• You should not have allergies to dust or chemicals.

Jobs are found with contract cleaning companies, domestic cleaning agencies and local authorities or you could be self-employed.

Job Outlook Scotland

Job Outlook Scotland and UK

What Does it Take?

You need to be:

• methodical and conscientious
• able to follow health and safety rules
• honest and reliable
• able to work unsupervised and to a high standard
• observant with a good eye for detail
• willing to learn about different cleaning equipment and products
• able to follow written and spoken instructions
• willing to do repetitive tasks
• able to work in a team.

Training

• Training is mainly on the job.
• You may work with an experienced cleaner first.
• You can work towards SVQ Cleaning and Support Services at SCQF Levels 4 and 5.
• The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) offers a range of online training courses, including the Licence to Practice (LTP). 
• You may also complete courses in manual handling and general health and safety.

Getting On

If you are working for a large agency you can apply for promotion to a supervisory position. Many cleaners are self-employed.

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Contacts

The following organisations may be able to provide further information.