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Cleaner CV example and template (South Africa)

Most cleaning jobs in South Africa are with contract cleaning companies, such as Bidvest Prestige and many smaller firms, that place cleaners at offices, shopping malls, hospitals, schools, factories and airports. A cleaning supervisor reading your CV wants to know where you have cleaned before, whether you can use chemicals and floor machines safely, and whether you arrive on time for every shift, including early mornings and nights.

The example below is for a cleaner with about eight years in office, mall and hospital cleaning. If you are looking for your first cleaning job, write down any cleaning you have done for a church, school, crèche or neighbour, and say clearly which shifts you can work and how you will get there. Supervisors often choose the person who lives close to the site and can start early, so put your area and transport near the top.

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Cleaner CV example

Dineo Maluleke

Cleaner with 8 years in hospital, mall and office cleaning

076 555 0147 · dineo.maluleke@example.co.za · Pretoria, Gauteng

Profile

Hard-working cleaner with eight years in contract cleaning, the last four in a private hospital in Pretoria East. Trained in infection control, colour-coded cleaning and the safe use of chemicals with safety data sheets. Confident on scrubber-dryers, polishers and wet vacuums for mall and office floors. Looking for a permanent cleaning or team leader post in Tshwane.

Work experience

Hospital Cleaner

Bidvest Prestige (placed at a private hospital, Pretoria East), Pretoria | Aug 2022 – Present

  • Clean and disinfect two medical wards, a waiting area and staff toilets every shift
  • Do terminal cleaning of isolation rooms with chlorine-based disinfectant at the correct dilution
  • Use colour-coded cloths, mops and buckets for toilet, general and clinical areas
  • Sort general and medical waste into the correct bins and report full sharps containers to nurses
  • Train new cleaners on the ward checklist and hand hygiene routine

Cleaner (Mall and Office Sites)

Sparkle Contract Cleaning Services, Pretoria | Feb 2018 – Jul 2022

  • Operated a ride-on scrubber-dryer on mall walkways before trading hours
  • Cleaned and restocked public toilets on a 30-minute checklist during trading
  • Stripped, sealed and buffed office vinyl floors during monthly deep cleans
  • Put out wet floor signs and reported spills and leaks to the site supervisor

Education

National Certificate in Hygiene and Cleaning

Services SETA-accredited training provider, 2019, NQF level 2

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Hlanganani High School, 2017, NQF level 4

Subjects: English First Additional Language, Xitsonga Home Language, Mathematical Literacy, Life Sciences, Geography, Life Orientation

Skills

  • Hospital and infection control cleaning
  • Colour-coded cleaning equipment
  • Safety data sheets and PPE
  • Scrubber-dryers, polishers and wet vacuums
  • Floor stripping, sealing and buffing
  • Medical and general waste handling

Certificates

  • Infection Prevention and Control for Cleaning Staff, Bidvest Prestige in-house training, 2023
  • First Aid Level 1, St John South Africa, 2024

Achievements

  • Hospital site cleaner of the quarter, April to June 2025
  • No missed shifts in 2024

Personal details

Nationality:
South African
Languages:
Xitsonga (Home language), Sepedi (Fluent), English (Good)
Notice period:
One week
Availability:
Early mornings, nights and weekends; travels by taxi from Mamelodi

References

Elizabeth Mabena

Site Supervisor, Bidvest Prestige

012 555 0118

Jacob Nkosi

Area Manager, Sparkle Contract Cleaning Services

012 555 0173

Cleaner CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

Hard-working cleaner with eight years in contract cleaning, the last four in a private hospital in Pretoria East. Trained in infection control, colour-coded cleaning and the safe use of chemicals with safety data sheets. Confident on scrubber-dryers, polishers and wet vacuums for mall and office floors. Looking for a permanent cleaning or team leader post in Tshwane.

Skills to list on your Cleaner CV

Duties written as strong bullet points

Tips for a stronger Cleaner CV

Name the types of sites you have cleaned

Hospital, mall, office, factory and school cleaning all need different skills. Write the type of site next to each job, such as "private hospital, medical wards" or "office park, five floors". A supervisor filling a hospital contract will look for hospital experience first.

List the machines you can use

Many cleaners can mop, but fewer can use a scrubber-dryer, high-speed polisher, carpet extractor or ride-on machine. Name each machine you have used. Contract companies often pay more or give more shifts to cleaners who can run the machines without supervision.

Show you work safely with chemicals

Chemical burns, slips and mixing the wrong products are real dangers in cleaning. Mention that you read safety data sheets, mix chemicals to the right strength and wear PPE. It shows a supervisor you will not create a health and safety problem on their contract.

Say where you live and when you can start

Many cleaning shifts start at 5am or run through the night. Put your suburb, how you travel (taxi, train or walking) and the shifts you can work in your availability section. Being close to the site is often the reason one cleaner gets the job over another.

Questions people ask

Do I need a qualification to work as a cleaner in South Africa?

Most cleaning jobs do not ask for a qualification, and many do not ask for matric. Some contract companies prefer cleaners with a hygiene and cleaning qualification at NQF level 1 or 2, and hospitals often train their cleaners in infection control. Any training certificate you have is worth listing.

What is a safety data sheet and should I mention it on my CV?

A safety data sheet (SDS) is a document that comes with every cleaning chemical. It explains the dangers of the product, which PPE to wear and what to do if it touches your skin or eyes. Writing that you can read and follow an SDS tells an employer you understand chemical safety.

How do I show hospital cleaning experience on a CV?

Name the wards or areas you cleaned, such as wards, theatres, casualty or isolation rooms, and mention infection control, hand hygiene, terminal cleaning and medical waste. Hospital cleaning is stricter than office cleaning, so this experience counts for a lot with any healthcare cleaning contract.

Can I move from cleaner to team leader or supervisor?

Yes. Many cleaning supervisors started as cleaners. Show on your CV where you already led others, such as training new cleaners, keeping the site register, checking stock levels of chemicals and toilet paper, or standing in for the supervisor. Say in your summary that you are ready for a team leader post.

Should I include short contracts and relief cleaning work?

Yes. Contract cleaning often means moving between sites when a contract ends. List the company and the site, with the months you worked there. If you did relief work at many sites for one company, put it under one heading and name the main types of sites.

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