Who’s Cleaning America’s Public Restrooms?

Nearly half (45%) of facility maintainers, such as cleaners, custodians, and maintenance staff, said they tune into podcasts while working and 15% listen to audiobooks, according to a recent GP Pro survey. Surprisingly, nearly a quarter (24%) of survey respondents work silently, and just 17% listen to music. 

Another question sought to gain consensus on what survey respondents consider themselves. While 36% of participants chose maintainer, 30% chose cleaner, suggesting the debate lingers on. Janitor (23%) and custodian (12%) rounded out the choices. 

The survey also asked participants to identify if men’s or women’s restrooms are messiest. The overall response was nearly equal, with 54% choosing men’s restrooms and 47% choosing women’s restrooms. When segmented by gender, however, 82% of men indicated themselves by choosing their restrooms as being the messiest. Women followed suit with85% choosing women’s restrooms. 

“Our goal in conducting this survey was really to help humanize the people who clean and maintain the facilities we all frequent every day, to debunk and dispel some of the misperceptions related the individuals themselves and the work they perform,” said Ronnie Phillips, Ph.D., GP PRO senior director of washroom innovation. 

GP PRO’s survey also found that 41% of respondents have worked in the cleaning industry for more than 10 years. Further, among maintainers between the ages of 25 and 64, nearly all (98%) plan to stay in the industry long-term, and 57% plan to continue in their current role as long as possible. For those between the ages of 25 and 54, more than half (55%) see opportunities to advance within the industry. 

The survey also found that job tenure is high, as well as job satisfaction, as 82% of maintainers stated they are somewhat or very satisfied in their current role. Although one-quarter admits the work is messy and dirty and more than two-thirds (67%) wish cleaning toilets was faster and easier, only 8% said the tasks are unenjoyable. More than two-thirds (68%) of survey respondents are pleased with the pay, 59% appreciate the good healthcare benefits, and more than half (55%) credit the flexible schedule for their job satisfaction. 

Several survey questions sought to better understand how maintainers believe the public perceives and treats them. While nearly half (46%) of survey respondents said they’ve received public comments conveying appreciation for their work, their attention to detail, and facility cleanliness, 11% stated they’ve never received words of appreciation or respect from the public. 

Finally, when asked how they perceive themselves in their role, 46% of maintainers stated they see themselves as important, appreciated, and relied upon. Still, when asked what they wish the public knew about them, verbatim maintainer responses included, “A simple thank you can make my day so much brighter,” “I am always striving to do my best,” “I bring dedication and commitment to my work every day,” and “I hope people recognize that behind every clean space is someone dedicated to making it happen.”