At Maid to Clean we believe that cleaning is far more than just a job, it’s a career that is loaded with potential, flexibility and job satisfaction. In fact, most households and businesses would simply not be able to function without a cleaner and are immensely appreciative of the difference they make in their lives and workplaces.
Working as a cleaner can often be seen as an entry level or unskilled job, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Cleaning jobs can be highly skilled and very rewarding, ranging across just about every industry such as hospitality, mining, defence, tourism, and more. They often require excellent attention to detail but also great communication, customer service skills and time management. Providing a high-quality cleaning service is therefore not easy, which is why a lot of the higher end companies like Maid to Clean offer excellent remuneration to their staff.
What is a cleaner and what do they do?
As simple as it sounds, a cleaner is employed to clean. However that can take multiple forms and settings, from domestic cleaning where you would be cleaning private dwellings such as houses, units, flats, apartments and townhouses, to commercial cleaning where you could be cleaning hospitals, schools, offices, construction sites, aeroplanes and other commercial premises using heavy duty cleaning equipment.
Do you need qualifications to be a cleaner?
You can work as a domestic or commercial cleaner without formal qualifications, and most cleaning companies will even provide on the job training. However, a certificate II or III in cleaning operations is always helpful, but not essential.
Duties of a cleaner
So what does a day in the life of a cleaner look like? The day in the life of a cleaner can vary greatly depending on the type of cleaning you’re doing or the job site that you’re on. Some of the things you might do on an average day will be:
- Checking your work schedule and planning your day and travel route
- Travel to your workplace. Commercial cleans may mean a fixed workplace, while domestic cleaning will mean travelling to different homes each day
- Meeting and communicating with customers to ensure you have an understanding of their priorities and preferences
- Getting to work on high priority “wet” areas such as the bathrooms and kitchens of the home/workplace
- Vacuuming carpets, curtains and furniture
- Dusting, polishing and cleaning furniture, fixtures and fittings
- Removing rubbish and recyclable materials
- Tidying and arranging spaces to look beautifully tidy as well as clean
- Using different cleaning products depending on the surface/area you are working
- For domestic cleaning, travelling between homes and managing your time to meet start/finish times
- If working with Maid to Clean, applying hotel-style finishing touches to always be exceeding customers expectations
Benefits of being a cleaner
Career Progression
A cleaning career comes with many benefits. Working a full-time role in the cleaning industry provides job security and job satisfaction. Most companies will offer annual pay reviews so you can increase your remuneration through showing high quality work and communication.
Most cleaning companies offer different types of employment too, so you can choose/change your hours to suit your lifestyle as it changes and evolves. You can elect to work full-time if you are more career oriented, or casual hours to fit in your personal commitments like study or school drop offs!
Flexibility
As mentioned above, a career in cleaning can be very flexible, with many cleaning agencies allowing you to choose how many days and hours you are able to work in a week, and if you end up working for yourself, then this is entirely up to you!
There will always be work
Cleaning is one of those rare industries that are always in demand, if you’re an experienced cleaner you can be sure that you will never be short of work. Even during slower periods such as during COVID lockdowns there is still demand for cleaners in commercial settings such as offices, schools, construction sites, aeroplanes, and more.
Job Satisfaction
Professional cleaners often report higher levels of job satisfaction, so much so that a 2019 study of working conditions in France showed that employees working in the cleaning sector report significantly higher levels of satisfaction than the other employees. This could be the result of the flexibility, the benefits or the competitive salary, or if you’re anything like us it could be the satisfaction that comes from transforming an unclean living area into a clean one.
Keeps you active and healthy
If you’re not particularly fond of sitting in front of a screen and would prefer to be active then a career in cleaning might just be for you. On an average day you may be travelling to multiple houses and spending several hours on your feet, which is sure to keep you fit and healthy.
Cleaning Career Outlook
According to www.joboutlook.gov.au the demand for commercial and domestic cleaners is only set to increase, with an industry size of around ~170,000 cleaners, and moderate growth predicted over the next 5 years you can be sure that you will never be short of work.
How to become a cleaner
So, how do you actually become a cleaner?
If you’d like to jump straight into the workforce you can start by looking for domestic cleaning jobs that do not require experience and provide training, or if you’d prefer to study beforehand you can always look at completing a Certificate II or III in Cleaning Operations.
Some things that cleaning companies consider beneficial and will give you a competitive edge are:
- Relevant work experience
- Reliable transport
- National Police Check
- Drivers Licence
- Relevant qualifications
If you’re still interested in a career in cleaning, then why not check Maid to Cleans job openings? We’re regularly looking for experienced cleaners and provide some of the best conditions and opportunities in Melbourne.