7+ Best Cleaning Jobs You Can Get [& Where To Find Them]

Are you a cleaner or thinking of starting a career in cleaning? Come discover the best cleaning jobs you should consider in 2024.

  • Cleaning jobs offer stable income, flexibility, and widespread demand across sectors.
  • Top cleaning jobs: night cleaner, housekeeper, window cleaner, floor cleaner, waste collector.
  • Find cleaning jobs via Housekeeper.com, maid service companies, Craigslist, and TaskRabbit.
  • Cleaning jobs require physical fitness, strong work ethic, and sometimes your own supplies.

Table of contents

Cleaning is a significant aspect of daily life, but not every home or business owner has the time to take on that role.

And these people are willing to pay someone else to help them clean their environment. 

This is why you can be sure that this job is a great place to start if you're looking for a stable source of income.

However, one of the challenges is where you can sell your services as a cleaner.

But don't worry; this article will reveal seven cleaning jobs you should consider in 2023, where to find them, what you need to do to ensure you get hired, and more.

An Overview of the Best Cleaning Jobs

  1. Night Cleaner
  2. Housekeeper
  3. Window Cleaner
  4. Cleaning Validation Consultant
  5. Floor Cleaner
  6. Custodial Worker
  7. Waste Collector

Where to find the best cleaning jobs:

  1. Housekeeper.com
  2. Maid Service Companies
  3. Job Boards
  4. Craigslist
  5. TaskRabbit

Best 7 Cleaning Jobs Overview

Here are some of the best cleaning jobs out there:

1. Night Cleaner

As a night cleaner, you'll be in charge of cleaning and maintaining a company, building, or property.

You'll work overnight or after business hours. This means you have to get the facility ready for smooth operation during the day.

After every shift, night cleaners report any issues that may require the expertise of a more experienced maintenance employee.

2. Housekeeper

Housekeepers are cleaners who work in residential homes and hotels. They can choose to work alone or as an employee in a housekeeping company.

As you'd expect, housekeepers handle cleaning tasks like dusting, dishwashing, vacuuming, etc.

3. Window Cleaner

Window cleaners or washers clean glass windows for large buildings, especially high-rises.

As a result, they may perform certain tasks like climbing platforms and scaffolding, maintaining safety equipment, and using swing chairs or ladders on tall buildings.

4. Cleaning Validation Consultant

Your job here involves cleaning equipment for pharmaceutical companies. You'll also need to inspect equipment and help manufacturers prevent cross-contamination of products.

Plus, you should advise manufacturers on ways to improve the purification process without impacting the chemical composition of medicines.

5. Floor Cleaner

Floor cleaners are responsible for cleaning the floors of residential and commercial areas.

Here, you're required to clean different flooring surfaces, like wood, carpet, and tile, with the necessary tools. This means you need to have experience in cleaning different surfaces.

6. Custodial Worker

Custodial workers perform general cleaning tasks and help to maintain the overall appearance of a building.

Some services offered by them include vacuuming carpets, sanitizing bathroom facilities, and emptying trash cans. Your job as a custodian worker may involve responsibilities beyond cleaning.

7. Waste Collector

As the name implies, waste collectors collect waste from business and residential areas and transport them to a disposal facility. These people move around in garbage trucks to pick up trash along the way.

Why You Should Consider a Cleaning Job

A cleaning job has several benefits, and these are a few of them.

1. Flexibility

As a cleaner, you can work for yourself or with professional cleaning services.

Either way, you have flexible work schedules and can choose your work hours and days based on your availability and convenience.

You can also decide to work full-time to make your job more professional or stick to casual hours if you have other commitments.

2. Job Availability

Cleaning is a service that's required in every commercial sector and residential area, which means you'll never run out of work if you choose this profession.

3. Career Progression

Cleaning jobs offer a career progression platform, primarily when working for cleaning agencies.

Based on your performance for the year, in terms of high-quality work and communication, your company can decide to increase your remuneration.

4. Helps You Stay Active

Sitting in a chair all day as a worker can be quite boring. If you're more interested in moving around and staying active, then you may want to consider taking up a cleaning job.

Besides the fact that you'll be moving around your cleaning location, your work can also require you to travel to different houses within a given time frame.

Doing this will keep you on your feet for several hours, which will boost your health status and help you stay fit.

Types of Cleaning Jobs

There are different types of cleaning jobs available, and knowing a few of them can give you an idea of where to start.

1. Residential Cleaning Jobs

This is known as domestic or household cleaning, and it's one of the most popular cleaning jobs available.

In this case, homeowners leave the basic cleaning to a cleaning team or individuals so that they can have time to do other things.

Your services include kitchen, bathroom, and room cleaning, vacuuming, and dusting.

You can also offer deep cleaning, carpet cleaning, washing, tidying, and ironing services per your customer's request.

Cleaners can use their cleaning supplies but usually get them from their clients.

2. Commercial Cleaning Jobs

Commercial cleaning services, otherwise called office cleaning, is another popular cleaning job that you can take up.

Here, you focus on commercial buildings like schools, office spaces, community buildings, etc.

A cleaning team is usually preferred for this kind of job because commercial areas tend to be bigger and more time-consuming than residential quarters.

You can choose to be a part of a cleaning agency or start your commercial cleaning service.

Cleaning can occur during or after working hours, based on what makes sense.

3. Laundry and Dry Cleaning Jobs

Laundry and dry cleaning may sound similar, but they're a bit different from each other.

Laundry involves using detergents, softeners, and soaps to wash clothes, while dry cleaning uses high-end chemicals to remove stubborn grease and stains from clothes.

For this job, you can clean clothes manually or get industrial laundry machines to make your job easier.

4. Janitorial Cleaning Jobs

Janitorial cleaning services include the everyday cleaning and maintenance of commercial buildings.

This is unlike commercial cleaning, which is primarily a deep cleaning task that takes place only a few times a year.

Your services include but aren't limited to sweeping, mopping floors, dusting, air duct cleaning, garbage disposal, etc.

5. Green Cleaning Jobs

Green cleaning services aren't about what you clean but your cleaning methods. The world is going green to save the ecosystem, so you'll have to use fewer chemical cleaners for your jobs. 

Top 5 Places to Find Cleaning Jobs

These are some of the best places you can find cleaning jobs.

1. Housekeeper.com 

Housekeeper.com is a site specially built for cleaners to find jobs, especially house cleaning jobs.

Here, you can find jobs ranging from part-time housecleaning to deep cleaning and even live-in housekeeping.

This site has over 70,000 job listings for cleaners in the US, so you'll always find something that suits your fancy.

screenshot fo the housekeeper.com homepage - image within cleaning jobs post on gigworker.com

Pros

  • One of the easiest sites to find house cleaning jobs
  • Housekeeper.com links you up with homeowners near you, so you don't have to travel if you don't want to
  • The hiring process is fast and seamless

Cons

  • You'll be competing with many housekeepers on the site, which might limit your chances of getting hired
  • Customers may offer low rates for your services

2. Maid Service Companies

Several maid service companies are looking for new cleaners to join their workforce.

If you're interested in working in a team as a commercial cleaner, then you should target commercial cleaning services like this.

These companies offer home cleaning services as well as deep cleaning services. Plus, working with them means you get to enjoy the perks of being an employee.

Examples of maid service companies include Merry Maids and Molly Maid.

Pros

  • You get to work as part of a team and enjoy the benefits of an employee
  • You don't need any special academic qualification to get hired by a maid service company, although some require you to have at least a high school diploma
  • Maid service companies look for cleaning jobs, which means you don't have to search for jobs yourself

Cons

  • As a staff of a commercial cleaning company, you may be required to work on days that aren't convenient for you, including weekends
  • Businesses usually have high expectations from cleaning agencies, which will be transferred to you as a member of the company

3. Craigslist 

Craigslist is an advertising platform where you can post your services and check out job requests from other users.

For instance, homeowners moving out of apartments can post a job request for deep cleaners, and you can send in your quote if you're interested.

a screenshot of the gold craigslist homepage

Pros

  • Craigslist allows cleaners to connect with local clients
  • Craigslist platform is easy to navigate, so you don't need to be tech-savvy to find the right job
  • This site will enable you to track the number of views your job posting gets. This will help you know how to make your listing more appealing to clients

Cons

  • Since several people are posting their services on the platform, it's easy for your listing to get buried underneath new posts unless you constantly repost it
  • You can't complete a transaction on Craigslist; you have to meet the buyer in person, which can be a bit risky
  • It may be hard to find serious clients on the platform

4. Job Boards

Job boards allow you to search for different jobs, including cleaning jobs.

Once you search for a particular job, you can read the description and apply if you're satisfied with what you see.

Job boards also allow you to set job alerts to inform you when new cleaning opportunities arise. Some popular job boards are Flexjobs, Snagajob, and Indeed.

Pros

  • Job boards streamline your search and make it easy for you to find cleaning jobs
  • You get to connect with customers within and beyond your region, which can widen your career opportunities
  • With job boards, you can create an online profile to attract more potential clients

Cons

  • As great as job boards are, they don't always offer the best cleaning jobs out there. You'll be limiting yourself by relying on job boards completely
  • It may be difficult to differentiate genuine listings from spam ones. You have to be extra careful to be sure 

5. TaskRabbit 

TaskRabbit is an online marketplace that lets users accept jobs via an app.

There's no limit to the kind of job you can get on this app, from furniture moving to house repairing and, of course, cleaning.

Joining TaskRabbit is an easy process, and since hundreds of thousands of jobs are available there, you should have no issues finding the perfect cleaning task.

A homepage of the taskrabbit screenshot

Pros

  • TaskRabbit helps you find flexible cleaning jobs that fit your schedule
  • The more versatile and skilled you are, the higher the chances of getting high-paying cleaning jobs
  • Since different people are posting jobs at different rates, you can choose the task with the most suitable rate

Cons

  • Most users complain about low-paying gigs on TaskRabbit
  • Before you can start working on TaskRabbit, you have to undergo a screening process and background checks, which may be tiresome

What You'll Need to Do Cleaning Jobs

These are some of the things you'll need to do cleaning jobs.

Cleaning Supplies

This is perhaps the most important thing you'll need, as you can't clean without the right supplies.

Although some homeowners provide cleaning equipment, having your supplies is better too. It's even more important to have your tools if you own a commercial cleaning service.

Some standard cleaning supplies include vacuums, mops, cleaning agents, microfiber clothes, etc.

Physical Fitness

As a cleaner, you must be on your feet for long periods and exert some energy moving and cleaning things.

Overall, this job can be physically demanding, and you require a certain level of physical fitness to handle the job well.

Strong Work Ethic

Housekeeping is hard work; it takes someone with a strong work ethic to see the job through and impress the client.

Plus, you may need to complete your task within an allotted time, and it's only a strong work ethic that'll help you achieve that.

Tips to Find Cleaning Jobs

Once you're ready to start working as a cleaner, you can follow these steps to get cleaning jobs:

1. Check Out Job Sites

You can take advantage of the internet to find cleaning jobs. Employers and companies usually advertise cleaning jobs online before searching elsewhere.

You can even register on some platforms to receive cleaning job alerts.

2. Look for Cleaning Companies

If you prefer to work in a team, you can look for commercial cleaning companies hiring new staff. You can find them via the internet or through magazines and newspapers.

Sometimes, these companies don't actively advertise job positions but will hire you if you contact them.

3. Advertise Your Job

No one will know what you can do if you don't inform them. You should advertise yourself to stand a chance of being hired.

Word of mouth is an excellent way to tell more people about your business and that you're looking for a cleaning job. You may end up getting recommendations or referrals.

Another effective way to advertise your services is using social media or similar online platforms. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Can I Make From Cleaning Jobs?

According to ZipRecruiter, a cleaner earns an average of $14.86 an hour in the United States and an annual average salary of $30,908.

What Academic Qualification Do I Need as a Cleaner?

You don't need any formal academic qualification to work as a cleaner. However, to be safer, you should have at least a high school diploma or equivalent.

Similar Jobs

If cleaning doesn't sound like your cup of tea, you can check out the following jobs:

  • Weekend Jobs: Interested in working only on the weekends? Check out some jobs that can make you some money during this period
  • Virtual Assistant Jobs: Did you know you can also work as a virtual assistant and earn some cool cash? Check this tutorial to find out how
  • Delivery JobsYou should check out this article if you're interested in working as a delivery person
Brett Helling
Founder, Gigworker.com

Brett Helling is the founder and owner of Gigworker.com. Having worked in the gig economy for nearly a decade, he has mastered freelance, remote, and app-based work. You can learn more about his journey in his book, "Gigworker: Independent Work and the State of the Gig Economy", now available on Amazon.

Go to creator profile