What Qualifications Do I Need To Be A Cleaner?

If you enjoy working independently and love turning a messy and dirty interior into a sparkling sanctuary, a career in the cleaning space might just be for you.

A career as a cleaner offers flexibility, a steady income, and the opportunity to work in diverse settings from cafes and office spaces to schools and residential sites. And it also offers interesting career progression with the possibility to start your own cleaning business down the road.

So, to help you kick start this exciting journey, we’ve compiled below the key duties residential and commercial cleaners usually perform and highlighted the main qualifications to be a cleaner in Australia.

What Does A Cleaner Do?

As a cleaner, you can work in a residential or commercial setting. Although the idea stays the same; cleaning residential or commercial sites, the tasks can vary slightly.

What Does A House Cleaner Do?

House cleaners (also known as domestic cleaners) have a range of regular duties including:

• Dusting, vacuuming and mopping every room
• Emptying bins and sanitising surfaces
• Wiping the outside of range hood
• Wiping down chairs and tables
• Wiping down window sills
• Cleaning and disinfecting bathrooms, including showers and bathtubs
• Cleaning and sanitising toilets
• Following health and safety procedures

What Does A Commercial Cleaner Do?

Commercial cleaners (also known as office cleaners) provide cleaning services for businesses such as offices, shops or factories. Their range of duties include:

• Cleaning windows
• Removing rubbish
• Replacing supplies
• Dusting desks and reception areas
• Cleaning toilets and replenishing toilet paper and towels
• Vacuuming and mopping the floors
• Cleaning fridges and microwaves
• End of tenancy deep cleaning
• Following health and safety procedures

Naturally, the tasks can vary depending on the nature of the business you're working for.

What Qualifications Does A Cleaner Need?

The good news is that you don’t need any formal qualifications to become a cleaner in Australia. However, taking a short course can help you develop and sharpen your skills and ensure you deliver high-quality services to your clients.

Here are a few courses you can undertake:

Certificate II In Cleaning 

This course will allow you to learn the fundamentals of cleaning and help you gain basic industry knowledge. This is the perfect qualification to obtain if you’re only going to perform simple tasks. 

‍Certificate III In Cleaning Operations

This course will teach you how to select the right cleaning products for each task you're performing and how to manage your time efficiently. And you’ll also learn how to work safely in the workplace and safely store and maintain your equipment and cleaning products.

‍Certificate IV In Cleaning Management

This course is perfect if you want to run your own business or take on managerial duties. During this training, you’ll learn how to manage staff, draft quotations, plan work, provide customer support and handle complaints.

Helping Cleaners Find The Right Business Insurance

If you’re considering starting your own cleaning business, you’ll want to consider business insurance to protect your assets and your operations from potential claims and costly legal action. 

That’s why, at upcover, we offer public and products liability insurance and cyber & privacy insurance for cleaners. This way, you’ll have peace of mind that your business and assets are protected if someone injures themselves due to your negligence, you accidentally damage one of your client’s properties, or a cybercriminal hacks your data. 

To find the best insurance policy tailored to your specific needs, hop onto our instant quote generator, where you can get an estimate on market-leading insurance for cleaners in seconds. Simply enter your occupation and expected revenue to get started.