1. Home: Explore careers
  2. Industrial cleaner

Industrial cleaner

Alternative titles for this job include Commercial cleaner

Industrial cleaners clear up after fires, floods and crime scenes, as well as places that need to be hygienically clean.

Average salary (a year)

£15,000 Starter

to

£22,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

41 to 43 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How to become an industrial cleaner

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly
  • specialist courses offered by a professional body

College

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant courses include:

  • Level 1 Award in Cleaning
  • Level 2 Certificate in Cleaning Principles

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

More information

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through an intermediate apprenticeship in cleaning and support services.

You could specialise in working in hospitals and medical centres by doing a healthcare cleaning operative intermediate apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

More information

Direct application

There are no set requirements if you want to apply directly for jobs, but previous cleaning experience would be useful.

Other routes

You can do specialist training through The British Institute of Cleaning Science.

More information

Registration

Career tips

A driving licence might be useful for this type of job.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in this area from The British Institute of Cleaning Science. 

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • the ability to use your initiative
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • ambition and a desire to succeed
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • customer service skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

  • be able to cope with working at height

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

You could

  • wash out boilers, tanks and vats with high pressure hoses
  • remove dust and ash with industrial vacuuming equipment
  • decontaminate work areas and machinery
  • mix cleaning chemicals in the correct amounts
  • sandblast the outsides of building and structures
  • work from cradles or mobile access platforms to reach higher levels
  • safely store cleaning equipment and dispose of hazardous waste
  • clean and disinfect areas following strict standards and procedures
  • remove graffiti
  • report potential hazards to supervisors

Working environment

You could work in a prison, at a school, in an NHS or private hospital, at a power station, in a factory or on a construction site.

Your working environment may be at height and cramped.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a team supervisor.

You could also set up your own company to specialise in a particular type of cleaning, like flood relief or biohazards.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Apprentice Cleaner and Support Services

  • Wage : £139.20 Weekly
  • Location: Manchester M26 1LF
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

Are you interested in becoming an industrial cleaner?

Search for training courses near you.

JobsIn the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Related careers

Skills assessment

Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you.

Get help using this service

Call 0800 100 900 or use webchat

8am to 10pm, 7 days a week

More ways to contact us

Is this page useful?

Yes No