6 templates by setting, with OSHA safety, FLSA, and salary guidance. Download as DOCX.
Most cleaner job description templates online give you one generic duties list and skip what actually matters when you hire for this role: the setting changes the job, cleaners must be paid as hourly W-2 employees rather than 1099 contractors, and chemical-safety and background-check requirements apply even to a small operator. Getting those right keeps you compliant and helps you hire faster in a field that runs constant turnover.
At FirstHR, we build templates segmented by setting with the compliance pieces built in. The six below cover general, commercial, residential, hotel, healthcare, and supervisor (cleaner and cleaning job descriptions target the same role). Pick the one that matches your setting, fill in the brackets, and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
TL;DR
Six free templates by setting: General, Commercial/Office, Residential/House, Hotel, Healthcare, and Supervisor. Built in, and skipped by every competitor: cleaners are FLSA non-exempt and should be W-2, not 1099, plus OSHA chemical-safety and background-check guidance. Pay anchor: about $17.71/hour median for janitors and cleaners (BLS, May 2025).
What Does a Cleaner Do?
A cleaner keeps spaces clean, sanitary, and safe: dusting, vacuuming, mopping, sanitizing restrooms, emptying trash, restocking supplies, and handling cleaning chemicals safely with PPE. The specifics depend on the setting, commercial, residential, hotel, or healthcare. In federal data, cleaners map mainly to janitors and cleaners (SOC 37-2011) and, for residential and hotel work, to maids and housekeeping cleaners.
For the employer writing the posting, the setting defines the role, an after-hours office contract is a different job from in-home residential cleaning. The six templates split by setting so the document matches the real role. (Cleaner and cleaning job descriptions refer to the same role; use whichever fits.)
Cleaner vs Janitor vs Custodian vs Housekeeper
These titles overlap but carry different connotations by setting and employer. Picking the right one helps you reach the candidates you want.
Title
Typical setting
Cleaner
Broad term; service companies and SMBs
Janitor
Cleaning company or contractor; buildings
Custodian
In-house caretaker; schools, facilities
Housekeeper
Hotels and private homes
Cleaners, janitors, and custodians map to SOC 37-2011; housekeepers and maids map to SOC 37-2012. This page covers cleaner and cleaning roles; janitor, custodian, housekeeper, and maid are best served by their own descriptions, which we cover separately.
Cleaner Duties and Responsibilities
Cleaner duties cluster into cleaning tasks, chemicals and equipment, safety and compliance, and reliability and reporting. The specifics shift by setting, but these areas hold across the role.
Cleaning tasks
Dust, vacuum, mop, and wipe surfaces
Clean and sanitize restrooms
Empty trash and restock supplies
Chemicals and equipment
Handle chemicals safely per labels and SDS
Dilute and store products correctly
Operate and maintain equipment
Safety and compliance
Use PPE and follow safety rules
Manage wet floors and slip hazards
Follow facility-specific procedures
Reliability and reporting
Work independently and on schedule
Report issues and low supplies
Secure the space after each shift
A strong posting grounds these in your specifics: your setting, your schedule, the equipment used, and the physical demands. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by your setting. Each carries the duties, trust, and compliance language for that kind of cleaning. Use this guide to choose.
General Cleaner
Universal base
The broad copy-paste baseline for any business hiring a cleaner, with safety and pay fields built in.
Commercial / Office
Offices and facilities
For offices, retail, and janitorial contracts: after-hours work, floor care, security, and confidentiality.
Residential / House
Clients' homes
For maid services and private homes: trust, in-home conduct, and a background-check requirement.
Hotel Housekeeping
Room attendant
For small hotels and B&Bs: rooms per shift, linens, amenities, and guest interaction.
Healthcare / Medical
Highest compliance
For clinics and care facilities: disinfection, dwell times, infection control, and bloodborne pathogen rules.
Cleaning Supervisor
Leads the crew
For a team lead: scheduling, inspections, training, and an FLSA note on working supervisors.
Match the Template to the Setting
Offices or facilities: Commercial. Clients' homes: Residential. Hotel rooms: Hotel Housekeeping. Clinics or care facilities: Healthcare. Team lead: Supervisor. Anything broad: General. All are non-exempt and hourly; build in chemical-safety and, where relevant, a background-check requirement.
6 Free Cleaner Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands, the non-exempt note, and hourly pay, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Templates
General, commercial, residential, hotel, healthcare, and supervisor. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: General Cleaner
The broad copy-paste baseline for any business hiring a cleaner, with safety and pay fields built in.
Cleaner Job Description (General)
CLEANER JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Owner / Supervisor / Facility Manager]
Two classification questions matter most for cleaners, and getting them wrong is costly.
Non-Exempt, and W-2 Not 1099
Cleaners are non-exempt under the FLSA, so the role is hourly and overtime-eligible at one and a half times the rate over 40 hours a week. The bigger risk is paying cleaners as 1099 contractors: cleaning and janitorial services are a high-risk industry for misclassification, and a cleaner who works your schedule, uses your supplies, and depends on you for work is almost always a W-2 employee, not a contractor. Several states, including California with its ABC test, apply even stricter standards. Misclassification exposes you to back overtime, double damages, and penalties. Do not assume a working supervisor is exempt either. Review DOL misclassification guidance and classify by the real relationship.
The safe default is to hire cleaners as W-2 employees and pay overtime. For the underlying rules, the exempt vs non-exempt guide and the Fair Labor Standards Act guide explain the tests. This is general information, not legal advice; the federal contractor rules have shifted recently, so confirm with an employment attorney.
OSHA Chemical Safety (HazCom)
Because cleaners handle hazardous chemicals, OSHA chemical-safety rules apply to cleaning businesses of any size.
Hazard Communication Applies to Every Cleaning Business
Under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, you need a written hazard-communication program, a safety data sheet kept accessible for every hazardous cleaning chemical, proper labels on containers including spray bottles you fill yourself, and training for each cleaner on the chemicals they use before their first assignment. This applies regardless of company size and is among the areas cleaning employers most often miss. For cleaners in healthcare or with exposure to blood or infectious materials, the bloodborne pathogens standard adds an exposure control plan, a hepatitis B vaccination offer, PPE, and training. Build chemical-safety training and a signed acknowledgment into onboarding. Review the OSHA Hazard Communication standard.
Train every cleaner before their first assignment and keep safety data sheets accessible. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm your program with a safety professional.
Background Checks for Cleaners
Background checks are common for cleaners, especially for in-home and after-hours access, and must follow specific rules.
Follow the FCRA and Fair-Chance Laws
Background checks are not always legally required, but clients and insurers often expect them for residential and after-hours roles. If you run one, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires a standalone written disclosure and the applicant's written consent before the check, plus specific steps if you decide not to hire based on results. Many states and cities have ban-the-box and fair-chance laws that limit when you can ask about criminal history and require an individualized assessment, and many apply to private employers. Some states add rules for in-home workers. Apply your process consistently and confirm your state and local requirements. See the EEOC guidance on background checks.
Build the check into hiring consistently and follow the FCRA steps each time. This is general information, not legal advice.
Cleaner Pay and Outlook
Cleaner pay is hourly and varies by setting and region.
Cleaner Pay (BLS, May 2025)
Janitors and cleaners (SOC 37-2011), covering most commercial and office cleaning, had a median of about $17.71 an hour (roughly $36,800 a year). Maids and housekeeping cleaners (SOC 37-2012), covering residential and hotel work, had a median of about $17.07 an hour. Supervisors (SOC 37-1011) had a median of about $25.64 an hour (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Pay varies widely by metro area and cost of living, with higher-cost regions well above these medians, and is influenced by shift, experience, and specialized work. Because cleaners are non-exempt, overtime applies over 40 hours a week. Use current local market data for your area and setting.
A Note on the Data
Cleaners are split across two occupation codes: janitors and cleaners (SOC 37-2011) for commercial and office work, and maids and housekeeping cleaners (SOC 37-2012) for residential and hotel work, with supervisors under SOC 37-1011. The figures above are May 2025 medians. Use the code that matches your setting and confirm against current local market data.
Hiring a Cleaner
A large facilities contractor has HR and compliance teams for classification, safety, and screening. A small cleaning business or an office manager hiring a cleaner handles these directly, and the high turnover in this field means doing it over and over. Here are the three realities that matter most.
Cleaners are non-exempt and hourly, and paying them as 1099 contractors is a serious misclassification risk
Cleaners are almost universally non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, meaning the role is hourly and overtime-eligible at one and a half times the regular rate over 40 hours in a workweek. They do not meet the executive, administrative, or professional exemption tests. The bigger trap for cleaning businesses is treating cleaners as 1099 independent contractors to avoid overtime and payroll taxes. Janitorial and cleaning services are a well-known high-risk industry for worker misclassification, and the legal test for whether someone is truly an independent contractor focuses on economic reality, whether the worker is genuinely in business for themselves or economically dependent on you, with the degree of control being central. A cleaner who works your schedule, uses your supplies and methods, and depends on you for steady work is almost always an employee, not a contractor. Several states, including California with its ABC test, apply even stricter standards. Misclassification exposes you to back overtime, double damages, and penalties. The safe default for a cleaning business is to hire cleaners as W-2 employees and pay overtime, and if you pay piece-rate or per-job, make sure the effective hourly rate still meets minimum wage and that overtime is paid. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with an employment attorney, especially on contractor status and your state's rules.
Cleaners handle hazardous chemicals, which triggers OSHA chemical-safety obligations even for a small operator
Because cleaners handle hazardous cleaning chemicals, even a small cleaning business is subject to the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, which is among the compliance areas cleaning employers most often miss. The standard requires a written hazard-communication program, a safety data sheet kept accessible for every hazardous chemical, proper labels on containers including the spray bottles you fill yourself, and training for each cleaner on the chemicals they use before their first assignment. This is not optional and applies regardless of company size. For cleaners working in healthcare or medical facilities, or anyone with reasonably anticipated exposure to blood or infectious materials, the bloodborne pathogens standard adds a written exposure control plan, a hepatitis B vaccination offer, PPE, and training. The practical step is to build chemical-safety training and a signed safety acknowledgment into onboarding so every cleaner is trained before they start, and to keep safety data sheets organized and accessible. FirstHR helps here: its training modules can house your chemical-safety and infection-control content, document management stores safety data sheets and signed acknowledgments, and onboarding workflows make sure training happens before the first assignment rather than after. FirstHR does not provide the chemicals or legal compliance certification, so pair it with proper safety resources and, where needed, a safety professional.
Cleaning runs extreme turnover, and background checks plus fast onboarding are constant, not one-time, tasks
The cleaning industry runs some of the highest turnover of any sector, with estimates commonly cited in the range of well over one hundred percent a year, meaning a typical operator may replace much or all of their crew within a year. That changes what hiring infrastructure you need: onboarding a cleaner is not a one-time event but a constant, repeating task, and doing it manually every time is a real drain. Two things matter most. First, background checks: clients often expect them, especially for in-home and after-hours access, and while not always legally required, when you run one you must follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which requires a standalone disclosure and written consent, and a growing number of states and cities have ban-the-box and fair-chance rules that limit when and how you can consider criminal history, so the process has to be done correctly each time. Second, speed: with constant hiring, you need offer letters, safety training, equipment and key issuance, and acknowledgments to happen fast and consistently. FirstHR is built for exactly this high-turnover hourly reality: e-signature for fast, mobile offer letters and acknowledgments, onboarding workflows and an AI onboarding wizard to sequence training, key and equipment issuance, and background-check steps, document management for signed forms and background-check records, training modules for safety, an HRIS to manage crews and rehires, and a self-service portal where cleaners view schedules and pay. Because pricing is flat rather than per seat, constant hiring and rehiring does not raise the cost. FirstHR does not run payroll, perform background checks, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll provider, a screening vendor, and an attorney. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
After You Hire: Onboarding a Cleaner
With constant turnover, fast and consistent onboarding is essential. Send the offer letter stating the non-exempt classification and hourly pay, collect the signed offer, and complete Form I-9 and tax forms as part of the new hire paperwork.
Then handle the cleaner-specific steps before the first shift: chemical-safety training and a signed acknowledgment, equipment and key or access issuance, any required background check following the FCRA, and uniform. Keep signed onboarding documents and safety data sheets in one place, and the offer letter template covers the terms, with the onboarding checklist giving you a repeatable process you can run every time.
FirstHR is built for this high-turnover hourly reality: e-signature for fast, mobile offer letters and acknowledgments, onboarding workflows and an AI onboarding wizard to sequence safety training, key and equipment issuance, and background-check steps, document management for signed forms, safety data sheets, and background-check records, training modules for chemical safety and infection control, an HRIS to manage crews and rehires, and a self-service portal where cleaners view schedules and pay. Because pricing is flat rather than per seat, constant hiring and rehiring does not raise the cost. FirstHR does not run payroll, perform background checks, or provide legal advice, so pair it with your payroll provider, a screening vendor, and an attorney. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A cleaner keeps spaces clean and safe; duties vary by setting (commercial, residential, hotel, healthcare), mapping to SOC 37-2011 or 37-2012.
Cleaner and cleaning job descriptions target the same role; match the template to the setting, and keep janitor, custodian, housekeeper, and maid as separate roles.
Cleaners are FLSA non-exempt and hourly; hire them as W-2 employees, not 1099 contractors, since misclassification is a serious risk in this industry.
OSHA hazard communication applies to every cleaning business: written program, safety data sheets, labeled containers, and training before the first assignment.
Background checks are common for in-home and after-hours roles; follow the FCRA and ban-the-box and fair-chance laws.
Pay anchor: about $17.71/hour median for janitors and cleaners and $17.07 for maids and housekeeping cleaners (BLS, May 2025); the industry runs extreme turnover.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main duties of a cleaner?
A cleaner keeps spaces clean, sanitary, and safe, with the specific duties depending on the setting. The core tasks across all settings include dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and wiping surfaces, cleaning and sanitizing restrooms, emptying trash and restocking supplies, handling cleaning chemicals safely according to labels and safety data sheets, using personal protective equipment, and reporting maintenance issues. Beyond that, duties vary by setting: a commercial or office cleaner works after hours on floor care, restrooms, and securing the building; a residential or house cleaner cleans clients' homes with an emphasis on trust and care; a hotel room attendant turns over guest rooms, changes linens, and restocks amenities to a rooms-per-shift target; and a healthcare cleaner disinfects to medical standards with infection-control and bloodborne pathogen precautions. In federal data, cleaners map mainly to janitors and cleaners (SOC 37-2011) for commercial and office work, and to maids and housekeeping cleaners (SOC 37-2012) for residential and hotel work. The templates on this page are segmented by setting so the duties match the actual job you are hiring for.
What is the difference between a cleaner, janitor, custodian, and housekeeper?
The titles overlap but carry different connotations by setting and employer. A cleaner is the broadest term, used by cleaning-service companies and small businesses for general cleaning across many settings. A janitor typically works for a cleaning company or contractor and is dispatched to clean buildings and facilities, often commercial or office spaces. A custodian usually connotes a longtime, in-house caretaker employed directly by the building owner, such as a school, church, or facility, sometimes with light maintenance duties. A housekeeper works in hospitality (cleaning hotel guest rooms) or in private homes (residential cleaning), with more emphasis on detail and guest or client interaction. In federal data, cleaners, janitors, and custodians map to janitors and cleaners (SOC 37-2011), while housekeepers and maids map to maids and housekeeping cleaners (SOC 37-2012). For hiring, use the title your candidates will recognize for your setting: cleaner or janitor for commercial and office work, custodian for an in-house school or facility role, and housekeeper for hotels or homes. This page covers the cleaner and cleaning roles; janitor, custodian, housekeeper, and maid are best served by their own descriptions.
Are cleaners exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
Cleaners are non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which means the role is hourly and overtime-eligible, and you must pay one and a half times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Cleaning is hands-on, non-supervisory work that does not meet the executive, administrative, or professional exemption tests, so there is no realistic basis to classify a cleaner as exempt. This applies whether the cleaner works in-house for a business or for a cleaning-service company. Two cautions for employers. First, do not assume that giving a working lead the title supervisor makes them exempt; a supervisor who spends most of their time cleaning rather than genuinely managing is usually still non-exempt and overtime-eligible. Second, if you pay piece-rate or a flat rate per job, you must still ensure the effective hourly rate meets at least minimum wage and that overtime is paid on top. Some states have overtime rules stricter than the federal standard, including daily overtime thresholds, so check your state. Set cleaners up as hourly, track their hours, and budget for overtime, which is common given the long and irregular hours in this work.
Can I pay cleaners as 1099 independent contractors?
In most cases, no, and trying to is one of the biggest legal risks for a cleaning business. Cleaning and janitorial services are a well-known high-risk industry for worker misclassification, and the legal test for independent-contractor status focuses on economic reality: whether the worker is genuinely in business for themselves or is economically dependent on you, with the degree of control over the work being central. A cleaner who works the schedule you set, uses the supplies and methods you provide, and relies on you for steady work is almost always an employee, not a contractor, regardless of what a contract says. Several states apply even stricter standards, such as California's ABC test, which makes it very hard to classify cleaners as contractors. Misclassification exposes you to back overtime pay, liquidated (often double) damages, unpaid payroll taxes, and civil penalties. The federal rules in this area have shifted in recent years and remain subject to change, which is another reason not to rely on aggressive classification. The safe default for a cleaning business is to hire cleaners as W-2 employees. This is general information, not legal advice; consult an employment attorney about your specific situation and state.
Do I need to do a background check on a cleaner?
It is not generally legally required, but it is common and often expected by clients, especially for residential cleaners who enter private homes and for commercial cleaners with after-hours building access. Many insurers and commercial clients require background checks as a condition of the contract. If you do run one, you must follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which requires giving the applicant a standalone written disclosure and getting their written consent before running the check, and following specific steps if you decide not to hire based on the results. You also need to be aware of ban-the-box and fair-chance laws: a large number of states and cities restrict when you can ask about criminal history and require an individualized assessment rather than an automatic disqualification, and many of these rules apply to private employers. Some states, such as California, have additional rules for background checks on in-home workers. A typical cleaner background check includes a multi-year county criminal search, a national database check, the sex-offender registry, and identity verification, plus a motor vehicle record if the role involves driving. Build the check into your hiring process consistently, follow the FCRA steps, and confirm your state and local requirements.
What OSHA training do cleaners need?
The main OSHA requirement for cleaners is hazard communication training, because cleaners handle hazardous chemicals. Under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, you must have a written hazard-communication program, keep a safety data sheet accessible for every hazardous cleaning chemical, label containers properly including spray bottles you fill yourself, and train each cleaner on the chemicals they use before their first assignment. This applies to cleaning businesses of any size, and hazard communication is among the compliance areas cleaning employers most often overlook. Cleaners should be trained on reading labels and safety data sheets, safe handling and dilution, what PPE to use, and what to do in a spill. For cleaners in healthcare or medical facilities, or anyone with reasonably anticipated exposure to blood or infectious materials, the bloodborne pathogens standard adds a written exposure control plan, a free hepatitis B vaccination offer, PPE, and additional training. Slip-and-fall prevention is also worth covering given wet floors. The practical approach is to build chemical-safety training and a signed safety acknowledgment into onboarding so every cleaner is trained before they start work, and to keep safety data sheets organized and accessible to staff.
How much does a cleaner get paid?
Cleaner pay is hourly and varies by setting, region, and experience. In federal data for May 2025, janitors and cleaners (SOC 37-2011), which covers most commercial and office cleaning, had a median hourly wage of about $17.71, roughly $36,800 a year for full-time work. Maids and housekeeping cleaners (SOC 37-2012), which covers residential and hotel cleaning, had a median of about $17.07 an hour, roughly $35,500 a year. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers (SOC 37-1011) had a median of about $25.64 an hour, roughly $53,300 a year. Actual pay varies widely by metro area and cost of living, with higher-cost regions paying well above these medians, and it is influenced by shift (overnight and weekend work may pay more), experience, and whether the role involves specialized cleaning. Because cleaners are non-exempt, overtime at one and a half times the rate applies over 40 hours a week, which can add to weekly earnings. Set your hourly range using current local market data for your area and setting, and remember that in a high-turnover field, competitive pay helps with retention.
Do cleaning businesses need a license?
Individual cleaners generally do not need an occupational license in most states, but cleaning businesses usually need some basic registrations and may need more depending on the work. A cleaning business typically needs a general business license from the city or county, an assumed-name or DBA registration if operating under a trade name, and an employer identification number, and may need a state sales-tax or vendor's permit depending on the state and whether cleaning services are taxable there. Commercial clients often require the cleaning business to carry a janitorial bond and liability insurance as a condition of the contract, even though these are not government licenses. Specialty work, such as biohazard, medical-waste, or hazardous-materials cleaning, may require additional permits or certifications. Some states add specific requirements: California, for example, requires janitorial employers to register annually with the state labor commissioner and to provide sexual-harassment prevention training. Because requirements vary significantly by state and locality, check with your city, county, and state, and confirm what your commercial clients and insurer require, before you start operating or bidding on contracts.
