Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Career Description: Perform any combination of light cleaning duties to maintain private households or commercial establishments, such as hotels, restaurants, and hospitals, in a clean and orderly manner. Duties include making beds, replenishing linens, cleaning rooms and halls, and vacuuming.

Industry: Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance

Other Job Titles for Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Carry linens, towels, toilet items, and cleaning supplies, using wheeled carts.
• Clean rooms, hallways, lobbies, lounges, restrooms, corridors, elevators, stairways, locker rooms, and other work areas so that health standards are met.
• Empty wastebaskets, empty and clean ashtrays, and transport other trash and waste to disposal areas.
• Replenish supplies, such as drinking glasses, linens, writing supplies, and bathroom items.
• Keep storage areas and carts well-stocked, clean, and tidy.
• Dust and polish furniture and equipment.
• Sweep, scrub, wax, or polish floors, using brooms, mops, or powered scrubbing and waxing machines.
• Clean rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and draperies, using vacuum cleaners and shampooers.
• Wash windows, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, waxing and polishing as necessary.
• Hang draperies and dust window blinds.
• Disinfect equipment and supplies, using germicides or steam-operated sterilizers.
• Observe precautions required to protect hotel and guest property and report damage, theft, and found articles to supervisors.
• Care for children or elderly persons by overseeing their activities, providing companionship, and assisting them with dressing, bathing, eating, and other needs.
• Wash dishes and clean kitchens, cooking utensils, and silverware.
• Remove debris from driveways, garages, and swimming pool areas.
• Sort clothing and other articles, load washing machines, and iron and fold dried items.
• Run errands, such as taking laundry to the cleaners and buying groceries.
• Sort, count, and mark clean linens and store them in linen closets.
• Polish silver accessories and metalwork, such as fixtures and fittings.
• Prepare rooms for meetings and arrange decorations, media equipment, and furniture for social or business functions.
• Purchase or order groceries and household supplies to keep kitchens stocked and record expenditures.
• Request repair services and wait for repair workers to arrive.
• Replace light bulbs.
• Assign duties to other staff and give instructions regarding work methods and routines.
• Plan menus and cook and serve meals and refreshments following employer's instructions or own methods.
• Answer telephones and doorbells.
• Deliver television sets, ironing boards, baby cribs, and rollaway beds to guests' rooms.
• Move and arrange furniture and turn mattresses.

Emerging Tasks

• Operate vehicles and powered equipment such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chain-saws, electric clippers, sod cutters, and pruning saws.
• Maintain grounds area, for example, by removing snow and mowing the lawn.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• apply cleaning solvents
• arrange decorations or furniture for banquets or social functions
• assign work to staff or employees
• assist patient with dressing, undressing, grooming, or bathing
• attend to or care for children
• clean linens
• clean or wax floors
• clean rooms or work areas
• cook meals
• explain work orders, specifications, or work techniques to workers
• feed or water animals
• groom animals
• maintain records, reports, or files
• move or fit heavy objects
• operate cleaning equipment
• order or purchase supplies, materials, or equipment
• plan menus
• remove stains from fabric or carpet
• serve food or beverages
• sort articles for laundry or dry cleaning
• stock or organize goods
• use hand or power tools
• use herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides or related products
• use portable hand spray equipment
• use power mower
• monitor worker performance
• operate agricultural equipment or machinery
• orient new employees
• oversee work progress to verify safety or conformance to standards
• perform safety inspections in agricultural, forestry, or fishing setting
• plan or organize work
• prepare cost estimates
• prepare or maintain employee records
• publicize job openings
• recognize plant diseases
• recommend improvements to work methods or procedures
• repair and maintain grounds keeping equipment and tools
• resolve landscaping problems
• resolve or assist workers to resolve work problems
• schedule employee work hours
• schedule facility or property maintenance
• supervise grounds keeping or landscaping workers
• understand second language
• use chain saws
• use hand or power tools
• use herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides or related products
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use plant or crop transplant techniques
• use power mower
• use truck-mounted hydraulic lifts or other accessories

Overall Experience
No previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a cashier even if he/she has never worked before.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

Education
These occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some may require a formal training course to obtain a license.

Examples
These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include taxi drivers, amusement and recreation attendants, counter and rental clerks, cashiers, and waiters/waitresses.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$8.82
• Average annual wage (2007) - $18,350.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 12.66%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 185,999
• Employment (2006): 1,469,519

• Chefs and Head Cooks
• Cooks, Fast Food
• Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
• Dishwashers
• Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
• Packers and Packagers, Hand
• Mechanical Door Repairers
• Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons
• Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
• Social and Community Service Managers