S3301 - Caretaking as a business.

Operational Details
Caretaking involves cleaning and maintaining the interior of commercial and industrial buildings and the surrounding grounds. Caretakers in this industry specialize in doing general cleanup, including the sweeping, mopping, scrubbing and waxing of hallways, floors and stairs. Caretakers operate industrial vacuum cleaners and polishers, and empty out trash and waste containers. They wash interior and exterior windows and incidentally may clear snow and ice from sideways or walkways using snow blowers and shovels.

Caretaking and janitorial services are usually contracted for a set period of time at so much per cleaning, or a flat rate is charged over the life of the contract. Banks, credit unions, trust companies, insurance companies and small businesses often contract these services because it is more cost effective to hire a firm who might pay a much lower wage, than if they did the same job in-house.

Many caretaking and janitorial businesses are made up of family members or relatives, and often have only one building to clean. Larger firms hire unrelated workers and clean several buildings.

Exterior window washing from elevations is also part of this industry. It may include using a platform suspended by ropes from the top of the buildings that is raised and lowered by an electrical driven motor.

SIC Codes
000000772 - Caretaking