We are always looking for cleaners, not because people leave us, but because we need more people on our team to cover the workload. Cleaning can be a very satisfying role so this month we wanted to talk to you about some of the key skills we look for when people apply for a cleaning job with us.
Soft Skills are Key Skills for Cleaning Professionals
Not everything can be taught, and soft skills are really important to us. Being good with people can be really helpful and can make you stand out. Some of these soft skills that we look at include:
Reliability: It should go without saying but reliability is really important. Showing up on time and consistently finishing your work to the required builds trust with our customers.
Adaptability: The cleaning business can sometimes throw us a curveball so being able to adapt to different scenarios matters. You might run into different cleaning tasks, a change to your schedule, or a new work setting. We do try to remain as consistent as possible for you, however sometimes things don’t always go to plan so it’s good to know where you can – or can’t – adapt to these changes.
Problem-solving: As someone who cleans for a living, you might come across face situations that need quick thinking and clever fixes. Whether you’re tackling tough stains or have a strict deadline, being able to resolve the issue can make a big difference.
Your Interpersonal Skills as a Cleaner
As a cleaner, your people skills matter just as much as your cleaning knowledge. Building connections with customers and colleagues can make your working day more enjoyable. Some of the interpersonal skills we often look for include:
Communication: Your ability to communicate well is important in so many roles, but as a cleaner, it’s important to be able to understand directions and share information with your colleagues or with the client. Whether you’re talking about cleaning schedules or trying to solve a problem, clear and professional communication is essential. We like people who aren’t afraid to ask questions if something’s unclear – it’s better to check than to guess.
Customer Service: As a commercial cleaner, you’re in other people’s workplaces, so it’s good to be polite to anyone you come across.
Teamwork: Most of our contracts involve being part of a team so we like to look out for good team players. When you work well with your co-workers, the job itself gets done well.
Essential Cleaning Skills
When we have looked at the cleaners who are really good at their jobs, there are some things we have noticed that they all share:
When you pay attention to detail, you make sure nothing is missed the little things matter.
Being able to manage your time means you can get everything done in time and without cutting corners.
You don’t need to be fit to be a cleaner, but you will spend a lot of your time at work standing, moving, and using cleaning equipment.
Fundamental Cleaning Tips and Techniques
There are certain cleaning activities that take place regardless of the type of company it is and there are some that will be very specific. Some of the common cleaning activities we carry out on a daily basis include:
Cleaning surfaces: Different types of surfaces may need to be approached differently so you will need to know the right cleaning methods for each.
Disinfecting busy areas is essential to kill harmful germs and viruses.
Being well-organised helps.
When you enter a space that needs cleaning, you’ll often see many tasks that need your attention. By prioritising, you can make sure you handle the most important or urgent tasks first.
The Knowledge Part of Being a Cleaner
Building technical skills and knowledge will make you more productive and make you’re keeping yourself, and others, safe.
As a commercial cleaner, you’ll work with a range cleaning products and they need to be handled right. As time goes on, you may remember the different properties of cleaning products but some of the things it’s important to remember including:
- Reading product labels and making sure you stick to the instructions
- Use safety gear, like rubber gloves
- Keep chemicals in the right place and away from stuff that doesn’t mix well
- Dealing with spills and accidents
Some of the equipment we have isn’t commonly used around the home so you might need to learn how to use new tools and may take training and practice. We do have tools that are more eco-friendly so could be something you haven’t come across yet, obviously we wouldn’t expect anyone coming to work with us to know how to do so.
Cleaning Vacancies at White Horse Cleaning Services
We get a lot of satisfaction from our work – everyone in our company gets on with the job and you’ll often see the MD himself out on a job purely because he wants to.
We recruit, employ and train all our cleaners and make sure you are well matched with one of our cleaning contracts. Hopefully you can see that a lot of the key skills we look out for can be gained in a lot of different aspects of life and work experience.
We work in industrial sites, warehouses, building sites, commercial offices, retail, hotels, exhibition venues, schools and nurseries, colleges and universities, GP practices, dental clinics, and care homes, and carry out end of the tenancy cleans with contracts to suit the individual client requirements.
If you want to move forward in your cleaning career, think about applying for a job with us. The skills you’ve picked up on the way already make you ready.
