You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. 

 Relevant courses include:

• cleaning
• cleaning principles
• cleaning and support services

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

You could specialise in working in hospitals and medical centres by applying to do a Cleaning Hygiene Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship takes around 1 year to complete and combines on-the-job training with study off site.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

You can apply directly for jobs. There are no set requirements but previous cleaning experience can be useful.

You could do specialist training through The British Institute of Cleaning Science.

You'll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to use your initiative
• physical skills to handle equipment and clean hard-to-reach areas
• knowledge of public safety and security
• the ability to work well with your hands
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• excellent verbal communication skills
• customer service skills
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You'll need to:

• be able to cope with working at height

As an industrial cleaner, you could:

• wash out boilers, tanks and vats with high pressure hoses
• remove dust and ash from chimneys with industrial vacuums
• decontaminate work areas and machinery
• clean sites affected by fires, floods or spillages
• sandblast the outsides of building and structures
• clean windows and glass features, using water fed poles
• work from cradles or access platforms to clean higher levels
• mix chemicals and dispose of hazardous waste safely
• follow strict safety standards and procedures
• report potential hazards to supervisors

You could work at a client's business, in the community or visit sites.

Your working environment may be in conditions that some may find unpleasant, at height and involve using chemicals.

You may need to wear protective clothing.