I pass by a business that is Strategic Janitorial Solutions. These are the often unseen people who usually start their work shifts at night after office workers have gone home. They perform thankless tasks for low pay. A janitor in the building where I used to work told me he knew which women in the building wore the most makeup because their phone receivers were always smudged with it. He always cleaned their phones first. These are the cleaning fairies who work very hard to make things sparkle and never get recognized for their efforts. One of the branches of the company I used to work for was not making much money and laid off the janitorial staff, assigning employees to take turns doing the work. They soon found out how much work it was. I have a friend from college who worked his way through school as a janitor. One of my current friends complained about the lackluster cleaning of the small dental lab where she works. Her boss said if she could do it any better than the janitorial service, he would pay her. And so now she earns more money because she comes in on the weekend to clean the office and lab. Janitors are the unsung heroes of our decadent culture. Let’s learn more about them.
According to Wikipedia, a janitor — American English and Scottish English, custodian, porter, cleaner or caretaker is a person who cleans and maintains buildings such as hospitals, schools and residential accomodations. A janitor’s primary responsibility is as a cleaner. Janitors typically earn an average wage of $15 per hour in the United States. That translates to an annual salary of around $35,000 for states that pay janitors the most, such as New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. In some cases, they will also carry out maintenance and security duties. A similar position — but usually with more managerial duties and not including cleaning — is occupied by building superintendents in the United States and occasionally in Canada and site managers in schools in the United Kingdom. Cleaning is one of the most commonly outsourced services.
Occupational tasks Although most of the work performed by janitors and building cleaners is indoors, sometimes it can be outdoors. Office buildings are usually cleaned when they are vacant, so most of the office janitorial staff work during the evening. The work can be physically demanding and sometimes dirty and unpleasant. General janitor duties often include the following tasks:
- Cleaning and restocking bathrooms.
- Sinks.
- Toilets.
- Urinals.
- Floor cleaning, refinishing, and polishing i.e., sweeping, mopping, scrubbing and buffing.
- Clearing garbage bins.
- Restocking restroom paper products and other supplies such as feminine products and air fresheners.
- Cleaning mirrors.
- Cleaning floors i.e., mopping, sweeping and polishing.
- Carpet cleaning by dry method, extraction or steam and bonnet.
- Cleaning carpeting by vacuuming.
- Cleaning stainless steel and other special surfaces.
- Clearing lunchroom/kitchen.
- Cleaning tables in cubicles, meeting rooms, etc.
- Window washing.
- Emptying trash and recycling bins.
- Unlocking and locking buildings at the beginning and end of the day.
- Operation of building systems i.e., turning on and off lights, setting thermostats, etc.
- Stripping and waxing floors using floor buffer.
- Cleaning air-conditioner vents.
- Crime scene cleaning — requires being fully certified and pay scale starts from $300 to $700+ an hour.
- Picking up litter.
- Spot cleaning — generally spills e.g., coffee.
- Sanitization.
- Room and event setups at colleges/schools, etc. — tables and chairs, audio video equipment, etc.
- Raising and lowering flags at schools.
- Minor maintenance work, such as changing light bulbs and filters, replacing ceiling tiles, doing small repairs, performing testing and monitoring of building equipment, etc. In some places, other people may do these maintenance tasks.
- Outdoor work, such as cleaning walkways, mowing lawns, tending to landscape plantings, leaf cleanup, snow removal, etc. In some places, groundskeepers or a separate company may do outdoor work.
- Porterage i.e., internal deliveries; movement of equipment or people in hospitals, colleges, etc.
- Unclogging blocked drains and toilets.
- Removing vomit, urine and feces from public areas.
Office cleaning
Office cleaning staff perform many of the same duties as janitors. However, the tasks are divided among different members. Additional tasks include:
- Watering and pruning plants.
- Cleaning sinks, refrigerators, microwaves and toasters in office kitchens; clearing recycling and garbage bins.
- Dusting furniture and computer equipment — monitors and desk area, but excluding keyboards — and tables.
Outsourcing Cleaning is one of the most commonly outsourced services. Some of the reasons for this include:
- Basic cleaning tasks are standardized, with little variation among different enterprises.
- The nature of the job and required standard of performance can be clearly defined and specified in a contract, unlike more technical or professional jobs for which such specification is harder to develop.
- Some organizations prefer to outsource work unrelated to their core business to save additional salaries and benefits required to manage the work.
- Some organizations may feel uncomfortable dealing with labor relations related to low- wage employees; by outsourcing, these labor relations issues are transferred to a contractor whose staff are comfortable and experienced in dealing with these issues, and their approach can benefit from economies of scale.
- If a janitor is unavailable due to sickness or leave, a contractor which employs many janitors can easily assign a substitute. A small organization which employs one or a few janitors directly will have much more trouble with this.
Demography Between 17% to 23% of the total undocumented immigrant population living in the United States work in the cleaning industry, growing at a rate of 1/2% to 1/3% percent per year. In addition to this population offering an abundant source of inexpensive labor, janitorial work is mostly undertaken at night, making it an appealing option for janitorial companies to employ undocumented workers seeking clandestine employment. In the Netherlands, the number of cleaning companies grew from 5,000 in 2003 to 8,000 in 2008.
TV and Movie Janitors According to the Nov. 13, 2019 article “The Ultimate List of TV and Movie Janitors” at cleanfreak.com, there are several famous janitors in TV series and movies.
1. Will Hunting – Good Will Hunting Good Will Hunting is the classic tale of a young man who works as a janitor at MIT. In addition to his cleaning skills, he has unbelievable skills in solving complex math equations. To avoid prison, he reluctantly becomes a prodigy of Professor Gerald Lambeau. Although his stint as a janitor was short-lived, he has left a lasting impression on movie lovers everywhere.
2. Joe Dirt – Joe Dirt Or Joe Dirte if you will. While pursuing reuniting with his long-lost family, Joe has a gig as a janitor at a high school and later at an LA radio station. At the radio station, Joe is enticed to tell his story, and the captivating tales of his journey ensue. A man with impeccable style and a magnificent mullet, Joe shows the listeners that he is an optimistic dude, and we should all just “keep on keepin’ on.”
3. Argus Filch – Harry Potter series Even at the top school for witchcraft and wizardry, things need to be kept tidy. Along with his sidekick Mrs. Norris, Filch prowls the halls of Hogwarts ready to slap a detention on students who are out gallivanting after hours. Although Argus may be one of the crankier contestants, he has made a name for himself in the magic and muggle worlds alike.
4. Marisa Ventura – Maid in Manhattan A hotel maid at a prestigious Manhattan hotel — hence the movie’s title, Ms. Ventura dreams of providing her and her son the best life possible. Working long, nontraditional hours takes strong will and dedication, as displayed by the hotel workers. Although we do not condone stealing hotel guests’ clothes and strolling around Central Park, we do encourage you to pursue your aspirations and maybe land the handsome politician of your dreams in the process.
5. Rosie – The Jetsons A very famous cartoon in the 60’s and then again in the 80’s, the Jetson family lives in a futuristic world where housekeeping duties are taken care of by robots. Rosie flaunts your typical maid outfit complete with a feather duster as she rolls around trying to keep up with Elroy, Judy and Astro. Her efforts are out of this world!
6. Berta – Two and a Half Men Berta is the cynical, hardworking, sassy, but caring housekeeper that tends to the beach house owned by Charlie Harper. Throughout the series, she becomes more like family to the men, even though she often proclaims her disgust by the household’s lack of cleanliness and takes enjoyment in their many misfortunes. Berta’s most famous catchphrase is “I ain’t cleaning that up.”
7. God – Bruce Almighty This 2003 comedy is the story of Bruce Nolan, played by Jim Carrey, who gets fired from his job as a news reporter and blames God for his misfortune. God, played by Morgan Freeman, first appears in the movie disguised as a janitor challenging Bruce with the opportunity to be him for one week. Of course, this isn’t as easy a task as Bruce thought, and things go awry. Talk about cleaning up a big mess! Bonus fact: Jim Carrey worked as a janitor before his big break on “In Living Color.”
8. Finn – Star Wars In the latest trilogy, stormtrooper FN-2817 began his work on the Starkiller Base assigned to the sanitation division. Finn is shocked by the cruelty of the First Order during his first combat mission and ends up fleeing, eventually joining the Resistance. With his knowledge of the inner workings of the base, he’s able to play a huge part in the Resistance’s long-shot journey of taking down the Order. Handling a broom and a lightsaber can’t be that much different, right?
9. Elisa Esposito – The Shape of Water Ahh, this is a romantic tale about a cleaner at a top-secret government lab falling in love with a mysterious amphibian man. The movie went on to win Best Picture in 2017 along with multiple other awards. Elisa shows true bravery in the film, putting her life on the line to fight for what she believes in.
10. The Janitor – Scrubs Known throughout the series as only “Janitor,” he has become one of the most iconic TV cleaning personnel appearing in almost every episode of the show. He’s a mysterious, sarcastic character often telling completely absurd stories and sometimes pretending to be Dr. Ján Ĩtor. He seemed to find great joy in his daily work, along with terrorizing and pulling pranks on JD and other hospital staff members.
11. Carl Reed – The Breakfast Club In this classic 80s film, there are five high school students spending their Saturday in detention. Carl, the confident and slightly cocky school janitor, interacts with the students throughout the day, and at one point states, “I am the eyes and ears of this institution.” Actor John Kapelos who played the part said that since the high school they used to shoot the film was empty at the time, he found the actual janitor’s office in the building where he would go to practice lines.
12. Consuela – Family Guy Consuela is from the popular animated sitcom Family Guy. She works as a maid in numerous episodes and does it all — from watching Stewie to housework for Superman. A strong advocate for more Lemon Pledge, Consuela deserves a spot on the list.
13. Mrs. Doubtfire – Mrs. Doubtfire Starring Robin Williams, this heartwarming family film tells the story of a father who becomes a nanny/housekeeper for his ex-wife and children after not being granted enough time to spend with them after the divorce. Thus, Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire is born! The dude does really look like a lady, complete with a Grandma type ensemble. She gets things done on her own terms and wins the affection of those around her. A series of hysterical mishaps bring the family closer than ever.
14. Mr. Svenson – Archie Comics “By Yimini!” Next up is Mr. Svenson, the custodian at Riverdale High School in the Archie Comics series. He speaks with a strong Swedish accent and is admired throughout the school for being extremely hard-working. For the millennials out there, it is true that Mr. Svenson also made an appearance on CW’s Riverdale TV series that is based on the characters of Archie Comics. However, the lovable cartoon janitor is preferable to the possible serial killer version Riverdale features! #NotMyJanitor
15. Charlie Kelly – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Charlie is the easily excitable janitor of Paddy’s Pub. It would have almost certainly failed its health inspection in season 10 if it wasn’t for Charlie’s fast-thinking cleaning knowledge. He also gets a job as a substitute janitor at the local high school. He’s hired on the spot since the principal says he’s never met anyone more passionate about the custodial field.
16. Alice – The Brady Bunch Here’s the story of a lovely lady … The Brady Bunch wouldn’t have been the same without the family’s beloved and witty housekeeper played by the hilarious Ann B. Davis. Aside from keeping the Brady’s home spotless, she provided the Brady family with lots of laughs, wisdom and friendship in over 100 episodes.
17. Lurch – The Addams Family Working for a family that enjoys living in a dark, dusty environment and is constantly breaking things would not be ideal for most cleaners, but Lurch has always had a profound loyalty to his employers. He takes pride and is willing to do the most strenuous tasks. He’s extremely close to the family, almost like a paternal figure to the children. Oh, and one of his close friends, Thing, is often around to lend him a disembodied hand...
18. Scruffy Scruffington – Futurama Scruffy Scuffington is the janitor from the TV series Futurama. He is a somewhat lazy zombie who wholeheartedly — or disaffectedly — supports his employer, Planet Express. Equipped with a moustache and broom, Scruffy refers to himself in third person and seems to have deep thoughts regarding the world around him. With a job consisting of toilets ‘n boilers, boilers ‘n toilets and even a boilin’ toilet, he is faithful to his profession.
19. WALL-E – WALL-E WALL-E works tirelessly day in and day out to keep a futuristic, uninhabited Earth clean. WALL-E stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth Class, so basically the name says it all. He is the last of his kind and although a little lonely, continues to do what he was designed to do. While not your typical janitor, he helps keep Earth free of trash in hopes that life can one day return to it. You can’t downplay his dedication — 700 years’ worth!
20. Mary Poppins – Mary Poppins
A spoonful of sugar, a magic bag and cleaning skills to boot, Mary Poppins is one of the most well-known nannies/housekeepers of all time. By providing her supercalifragilisticexpialidocious skills, she helps the Banks’ children find fun within their chores and teaches them some life lessons as they sing and dance their way through the day. Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way — including perfect for the list!
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