A cleaner or a cleaning operative is a type of industrial or
domestic worker
A domestic worker or domestic servant is a person who works within the scope of a residence. The term "domestic service" applies to the equivalent occupational category. In traditional English contexts, such a person was said to be "in service ...
who cleans homes or commercial premises for
payment. Cleaning operatives may specialise in cleaning particular things or places, such as
window cleaners. Cleaning operatives often work when the people who otherwise occupy the space are not around. They may clean offices at night or houses during the workday.
Types of cleaning operatives
The
cleaning industry is quite big as different types of cleaning are required for different objects and different properties. For example, cleaning an office space requires the services of a commercial cleaner whereas cleaning a house requires a residential cleaner or residential cleaning service. Depending on the task, even these categories can be subdivided into, for example,
end-of-lease cleaning, carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, window cleaning, car cleaning services etc. Cleaners specialize in a specific cleaning sector or even a specific task in a cleaning sector, and one cannot expect a window cleaner to be able or willing to clean a carpet. Some types of cleaners are mentioned below.
Apartment/house cleaners
These cleaning operatives are quite easy to find due to their large numbers, and they are usually denoted as
maid service providers,
janitors, and domestic cleaning operatives. These type of operatives specialize in
house cleaning services such as
spring cleaning
Spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. The practice of spring cleaning is especially prevalent in climates with a cold winter. In many cultures, annual cleaning occurs at the end of the year, which may b ...
,
end-of-lease cleaning etc.
Typical cleaning equipment
The following are some items used by cleaning staff:
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Broom
A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. ...
/
Dustpan
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Buckets with water/cleaning solution
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Cleaning agents
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Floor polisher
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