Cleaner

You would make sure that people’s homes, other buildings and vehicles are safe and pleasant places for them to live in, visit and use.

You could work on general cleaning in offices, shops and schools. Or you could do more specialised work such as cleaning upholstery and carpets, or industrial cleaning of the outsides of buildings.

You might also clean public transport like buses and trains.

You might work in a particular area. You could:

• clear up after fires, floods or building work

• clean up crime scenes

• clean premises where food is prepared such as cafes and restaurants

• do industrial cleaning of new buildings

• deep-cleaning hospital wards to remove bugs

• clear out houses and squats

• clean cars and buses

You’d be responsible for knowing which cleaning chemicals to use for each task, for example using solvents to remove graffiti or oils. You’d need to read the labels on chemicals and cleaning fluids to know how much to use and measure out the amount.

When using these products and procedures you’d need to follow safety procedures. If you do cleaning at heights you’d need to use ladders or mobile access equipment.

You might also do some simple maintenance of the equipment you use and check the stock levels of cleaning materials.

• British Institute of Cleaning Science - professional and educational body within the cleaning industry