Janitor Job Description for a Resume
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What does a janitor do?
A janitor cleans and maintains buildings such as schools, offices, hospitals, and facilities. They sweep, mop, vacuum, and sanitize floors and restrooms, empty trash, restock supplies, and perform minor repairs and grounds upkeep. They handle cleaning equipment and chemicals safely and report maintenance and safety issues to keep spaces clean and secure.
A Janitor (also called a custodian) keeps buildings clean, sanitary, safe, and functional. The role covers daily cleaning of floors, restrooms, and common areas, trash removal, restocking supplies, and basic maintenance tasks like changing light bulbs, handling spills, and reporting repairs, often across schools, offices, hospitals, or industrial facilities.
This page gives you copy-ready duty bullets, the key responsibilities of a janitor, and the ATS keywords employers search for, so you can build a strong, results-focused Janitor resume that appeals to facilities managers, cleaning companies, and institutional employers.
What does a janitor do?
A janitor is responsible for the cleanliness, sanitation, and basic upkeep of a building and its grounds. Typical duties include sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming floors, cleaning and disinfecting restrooms, emptying trash and recycling, wiping down surfaces, and keeping entrances, hallways, and common areas presentable and safe for occupants and visitors throughout the day.
Janitors also handle a range of light maintenance and safety tasks: restocking soap and paper products, operating equipment like floor buffers and pressure washers, mixing and using cleaning chemicals safely, removing snow or debris from walkways, and reporting larger repair needs. They often work independently on set routes or shifts, following sanitation standards and security procedures such as locking up after hours.
Key responsibilities of a Janitor
- Sweep, mop, vacuum, and buff floors throughout the building
- Clean and disinfect restrooms and restock paper and soap supplies
- Empty trash and recycling bins and dispose of waste properly
- Dust, wipe, and sanitize surfaces, furniture, and high-touch areas
- Operate cleaning equipment such as floor buffers, scrubbers, and pressure washers
- Mix and use cleaning chemicals safely following label and safety guidelines
- Maintain entrances, hallways, and grounds, including snow and debris removal
- Perform minor repairs such as changing light bulbs and unclogging drains
- Report maintenance, plumbing, and safety issues to supervisors
- Lock and secure the building and follow facility security procedures
Resume-ready Janitor job description bullet points
Copy any of these, then swap in your own numbers and the tools or systems you used so each bullet shows a result, not just a duty:
- Cleaned and maintained a 50,000+ sq ft facility daily, keeping floors, restrooms, and common areas to inspection-ready standards
- Swept, mopped, vacuumed, and buffed floors across multiple levels to maintain a safe, presentable environment
- Cleaned and disinfected restrooms multiple times per shift, restocking soap and paper supplies to prevent shortages
- Operated floor scrubbers, buffers, and pressure washers safely to deep-clean high-traffic areas
- Mixed and applied cleaning chemicals in compliance with OSHA and SDS safety guidelines, with zero safety incidents
- Emptied trash and recycling from 100+ bins daily and managed waste disposal per sanitation procedures
- Disinfected high-touch surfaces and shared equipment, supporting facility infection-control standards
- Performed minor repairs including changing light bulbs, replacing filters, and clearing clogged drains
- Removed snow, ice, and debris from walkways and entrances to maintain safe access during winter
- Reported maintenance and safety hazards promptly, reducing the risk of accidents and costly repairs
- Locked and secured the building after hours, following facility security and key-control procedures
- Maintained organized supply closets and tracked inventory to ensure cleaning materials never ran out
- Completed assigned cleaning routes independently and on schedule across day, evening, and overnight shifts
- Set up and broke down rooms for events and meetings, arranging furniture and cleaning before and after
- Recognized for dependability and strong attendance with a record of meeting daily cleaning quotas
ATS keywords for a Janitor resume
Mirror these terms from the job posting where they are true of you, so both the applicant tracking system and the hiring manager see the match:
How to put janitor duties on your resume
Turn everyday custodial duties into quantified achievements. Instead of "cleaned the building," state the square footage you maintained, the number of restrooms or bins you serviced, the equipment you operated, and results like zero safety incidents or consistently passing inspections. Begin each bullet with a strong action verb such as Cleaned, Operated, Maintained, or Reported, and add numbers wherever they're realistic.
Tailor your resume to the employer and setting. A school or hospital posting values sanitation and infection control, an office posting values discreet after-hours work and security, and an industrial role values equipment operation and chemical safety. Mirror the job ad's keywords, lead with your most relevant duties, and highlight any certifications, equipment skills, or safety training up top.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a janitor do?
A janitor cleans and maintains buildings such as schools, offices, hospitals, and facilities. They sweep, mop, vacuum, and sanitize floors and restrooms, empty trash, restock supplies, operate cleaning equipment, perform minor repairs and grounds upkeep, and report maintenance and safety issues to keep spaces clean, safe, and secure.
What are the main duties and responsibilities of a janitor?
Core duties include sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and buffing floors; cleaning and disinfecting restrooms; emptying trash and recycling; sanitizing surfaces; operating buffers and pressure washers; using cleaning chemicals safely; performing minor repairs; grounds and snow removal; reporting maintenance issues; and securing the building.
What should I put on a janitor resume?
Include core cleaning and sanitation duties, equipment operated, chemical-safety knowledge, minor repair skills, and the type and size of facility you maintained. Add quantified results (square footage, restrooms, bins), any certifications or OSHA training, your shift availability, and ATS keywords like "floor care," "custodian," and "facility maintenance."
How do I describe janitor experience on a resume?
Use action-verb bullets that pair a duty with a result, such as "Cleaned and maintained a 50,000+ sq ft facility to inspection-ready standards" or "Operated floor scrubbers and pressure washers with zero safety incidents." State the size of the space and equipment used, then tailor the wording to match the specific job posting.
What skills does a janitor need?
Key skills include knowledge of cleaning techniques and chemical safety, equipment operation (buffers, scrubbers, pressure washers), physical stamina, attention to detail, time management, and reliability. Useful extras include basic maintenance and repair skills, sanitation and infection-control knowledge, and the ability to work independently across shifts.
