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Custodian Job Description: Top Duties and Requirements

A Custodian, or General Maintenance Worker, is responsible for keeping a building clean. Custodians are often hired to clean businesses, office spaces, warehouses, and other indoor areas. Some businesses hire Custodians to clean outdoor facilities, such as windows, sidewalks, and landscaped areas. Some Custodians also handle seasonal work, such as shovelling snow and mowing grass, along with other light maintenance work for a building.

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Custodian duties and responsibilities

The tasks of Custodians vary according to the workspace and type of business, but they are responsible for maintaining a clean work area. Other key responsibilities and duties for a Custodian may include:

  • Cleaning wood, tile, and linoleum flooring
  • Vacuuming and shampooing carpeting and rugs
  • Disposing of trash
  • Changing air filters and cleaning air vents
  • Waxing floors
  • Disinfecting surfaces, including desktops and shelves
  • Keeping an inventory of cleaning supplies and ordering them as needed
  • Using heavy-duty cleaning equipment, such as floor buffers and commercial vacuums
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Custodian Job Description Examples:

What does a Custodian do?

A Custodian generally handles any of the necessary cleaning that needs to be done at any given property. Custodians may also handle light maintenance or repairs, such as fixing damaged floors or replacing damaged mouldings or doors. In some cases, Custodians may handle biohazardous cleaning or chemical cleaning agents. For buildings with outdoor spaces, Custodians may handle landscaping or snow removal, depending on the season.

Custodian skills and qualifications

Custodians require many skills and abilities to perform their tasks successfully, and handle the physical demands of the job. Some other important skills and qualifications include:

  • Knowledge of different cleaning supplies and tools
  • Awareness of safety procedures
  • Multitasking and organizational skills to keep track of various responsibilities
  • Excellent written and verbal communication
  • Ability to carry out tasks in a timely fashion with minimal supervision
  • Flexibility to work with team members or individually

Custodian experience requirements

A Custodian is generally an entry-level position. Custodians typically start with basic cleaning tasks, and their responsibilities increase with time and experience. Those who work with hazardous chemicals, biohazardous materials or advanced commercial cleaning supplies and equipment, typically have a minimum of one to three years of previous experience. Senior Custodians and Managers typically have three to five years of relevant work, including management experience.

Custodian education and training requirements

Custodians usually possess a high school diploma or equivalent to begin working in an entry-level position. They often do not need prior experience, but most positions should include some on-the-job training sessions to familiarize employees with material safety, proper cleaning supplies, and the use of heavy-duty commercial equipment. Custodians working with hazardous chemicals or biohazardous materials require certifications for work safety.

Custodian salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Custodian is $17.91 per hour. Wages may be dependent on how much relevant experience the candidate has, the location of work, and the exact requirements of the position.

Job description samples for similar positions

If a Custodian isn’t the position you’re looking for, other job description samples are available for related or similar job positions:

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Custodian job description FAQs

Are Custodians required to work outside of the office?

Custodian positions are typically for indoor cleaning, but some businesses include limited outdoor maintenance in their work responsibilities. Custodians may be required to clean windows, sidewalks, courtyards, outdoor seating areas, and outdoor break areas, among others. Custodians may also be tasked with basic landscaping and winter cleanup, such as clearing snow and applying road salt to parking lots and walkways. Essentially, Custodians may have to work anywhere on any property owned by their employer, whether indoors or outdoors.

What makes a good Custodian job description?

Generally, Custodian job descriptions should be detailed, highlighting specific skills required to perform the necessary duties. The job description should include an overview that provides the general duties and responsibilities of a Custodian and what is expected from the candidates, with a focus on anything outside the realm of cleaning and maintenance that may make this particular Custodian job unique.

The same is true for the skills section. There should also be a list of work responsibilities that covers all the details of the job, including any required skills that may not be typical of a Custodian position. The description should have a section that covers the education, certification and training requirements of the candidate, especially in specialized positions such as working with biohazards or other hazardous materials.

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

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