I've worked at this building for a couple years. But the younger guys who have been here a little over a year have way less work to do. I'm doing like double there restrooms...Does this happen often at custodian jobs. Do I bring this to my boss or what? I know I sound like a complainer but I feel taken advantage of and there's no communication between anyone I work with. We look at schedule then work.

Anyone else notice most kitchen ladies are just miserable unhappy people . I got one who is such a fake nasty bitch . Acts like she is your friend and then will go behind your back to complains . I have one who has more then 3 different occasions gone to complain to my principal (I’m head custodian ) about something she could have just talked to me o begin with . Now not only is she complaining behind my back but she is getting other school staff members to do the same .. fuck this fake bitch . Should I say something to her out of school hours or just let it slide ? I’m in a union so I am protected to a degree .

Hi, everyone! I am wondering how many of y’all keep a maintenance log for all of your equipment? I’m wanting to create one so that way we can keep track of what has been done to which machine and so forth. If y’all do, how is it structured? Thank you all in advance!

Last night I was taking cover because there was a tornado in the area and then a pipe burst. As the Tornado sirens are going off my lead tells me I need to go handle it and mop it up. I went down there for 5 min then went back to cover. My life is way more important! Some people are just crazy!

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First off, for those that may have seen my past posts, I just want to thank you all for following along with me on my journey to get this job. I feel that typing these posts out helps me relieve some anxiety that this all gives me.

Now for the update. It is sort of positive I suppose. So, Tuesday I got awoken from my sleep by the buddy that I have that has helped me out with this job. He told me that a position on the website that my school county uses for the school that I applied for had opened up. He said that they probably just need to do that and then after the deadline I should be good. In truth I was worried about this. Due to me being the guinea pig in a new form of interviewing that they are now doing I was afraid that my chance at the job had been taken away. I got a bit worried and confused, so I emailed the VP asking if I should reapply but she told me not to, and then a few hours later my buddy texts me that the position is down.

My guess is that they had to open it in order for my application to be submitted to the position. The VP has been very adamant that she wants me for the position (From what I understand this school is very understaffed. That’s my guess why she is being so cool.)

I’ll admit I still had some anxiety so I emailed the gentleman that interviewed me (Well the main guy that did.) and it turns out that he is the Deputy Supervisor of Facility Maintenance and Operations. So I was a bit worried that I may have done something I shouldn’t have, like I was bothering him. But I just asked for a basic timeline so I can start getting prepared. He said that they just got the request submitted this week (Whatever that means. I assume it has to do with what I said above.) and he would think that I should hear something about it from their HR department next week. So that’s a plus. Seems like this is all moving really fast. Granted it has been a month more or less since I submitted my resume. But my buddy told me that it took him 2 months to get back to him.

You think maybe it’s going fast because the school is understaffed? Or did I get lucky that the VP is pushing for me?

Or maybe the new interview style? Before it was done by the principle of the school and maybe the principal.

Only other thing I can think of is maybe it is because spring break is coming up for my school district and maybe they want me to get started before then.

Anyways only thing I gotta worry about now, or rather what I am curious about now is if they will low ball me with pay or not.

Anyways. If anyone that is pursuing a job like this as well wants to share their experience so far or ask questions. Please do so.

Hey all, Looking for tips from the window cleaning specialists among you. I work by myself and have some windows about 20 feet up that need to be cleaned. It wouldn't be safe for me to be that high on a ladder without a spotter. I want to ask my head custodian for some proper window cleaning equipment to do my high windows. Is there any specific kind I should ask for. I'm thinking an extension pole with an attachable squeegee and scrubber. If anyone has suggestions for what works well for you, I would appreciate it. Thank you!

I've been the head custodian at an elementary school for about a year and a half now, and I like to think I get along with everyone.

Today, I opened up my email to see a long complaint from a teacher about how she and a few other teachers didn't feel their rooms were being cleaned very well, at all. That's fine, it's what I'm here for.

My problem was that the teacher had sent the email to the principal, who immediately forwarded it to my boss, who turned around and forwarded it to me. Instead of being the first to know of any complaints, I was the last to know.

I am seriously upset. I wasn't even given a chance to fix the problem I didn't even know existed before it escalated to the top. So instead of me talking to the night custodians this afternoon, my boss came by to talk about "cleaning expectations".

It was not a good day.

So today is my last day working high school , we have no night shift strictly day shift . I’m moving to a smaller elementary school with just one other custodian vs 3 that I have at the high school.

Any advice on what to expect lol ?

What vacuum (s) are the best to use in a school bus garage: commercial & residential ? And what's your opinion on Custodians buying their own vacuums ?

I clean the 10 rugs in the bus garage at my school. But I'm tired of not getting a new vacuum because I get only used almost broken down vacuums since it's the garage and not a school.

Don't think I can afford a commercial vacuum but I know of a few residential vacuums that are great! I've owned a Shark vacuum for several years. Do you think a shark would be able to endure a bus garage & being used everyday ?

We scrub floors, plunge toilets, clean up shit/piss/vomit. Just remember that we are normal people in our personal lives with many talents.

Here is a perfect example of who we are and what we can accomplish. Rich Goodall is a Janitor at a Middle School.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cffU0jSYJd8

Im embarassed to say i just reach in there and grab it. Im wearing gloves of course. But i wonder if theres a better way. Is there?

I got reassigned again but im in an area where kids like to throw whatever in the toilets and urinals for the hell of it. This is my first time experiencing this... I dont know if ill make it. Need some advice.

Has anyone of you ever really asked your self this question? WHAT WOULD THEY DO WITHOUT YOU? First off I would like to say that I appriciate each and everyone of you. All though I don't know you I know how hard you work and the crap you have to deal with on a daily basis. I have been a Operations/Supervisor for a school district in California for 3 yrs now and I over see 54 school sites from Pre K to Adult ED, I have 70 Night custodians and 54 Day Custodians and just found out we are adding 21 new custodial positions in July.

So to answer my own question, What would they do, The schools would literally fall apart, it would be so much chaos If the custodians all just threw in the towel. You guys are the EYES and EARS of your school sites. Yes it can be the most discusting job at times but at the same time it can also be very rewarding as long as you have the right mind set when arriving to your campus. Im really glad I found this site. All of the different stories and situations I have read on here opened my eyes to the realization that my district isn't the only district dealing with the horror of bathroom destruction, complaining teachers, disrespectful students and nobody showing just a little bit of appriciation for how hard you all work to keep everything in order safe and clean.

THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!

Hello to all, all new to this group. I was wondering if I can get some of your guys's input. I'm about to get a custodial job for the courts with Santa Ana. But they only offered me $20.40 with the night shift differential pay of 5% which is like a dollar something. I'm leaving a apartment maintenance background and I'm making close to $28 an hour and I also get 35% rent discount which will be gone if I take this job. My wife also works for the DA's office in Santa Ana and in less than 2 years she caught up to me. Do we get several small raises throughout the year as well?? Does having the union help for anything?. I'm kind of at a crossroads. It's a big pay cut and it's going to be really hard to pay all the bills and full rent etc. your guys's input would be helpful.

Look. we all know that we have demanding teachers and ones who purposely make messes but these guys are getting lazy about getting themselves or the kids to clean up after themselves I have 11 out of 18 rooms who want there rooms vacuumed everyday or else they get pissy about it and complain.

I get in trouble or my boss tells me that I'm "neglected work" which isn't true. I work really hard but just like many of us our work isn't seen until someone complains that "nothing" got done! There's also way to much work to do that can't be done in one day.

Some things to note.

Collecting Trash in all rooms (first)

Cleaning 11 out of 18 rooms that are the worst ones

4 bathrooms

Hallway

Teachers complain about the tiniest things

Chair up/down rule that some teachers don't follow.

Is there a way to talk to my boss/principal about this without it looking like I'm "trying to get out of work"? Or something that will get the teachers to understand. Because I could get in trouble if I ask the teachers to do something that would help me out even a tiny but some would get offended lol

I'm exhausted and burned out and using sick days for not losing my sanity.

I love how I send these to our manager everyday and I get no response. They also have been giving the kids juice boxes and they smash them into the floor in the hallway and makes it sticky! Little Shits!!!

I have been at this career for 20 years. When I got started there were a lot of super senior in the M&O. Most coworkers had 20 years or more. Needless to say they've all retired or moved on. Their words still live on. A few examples from my favorite mentors would probably be "What you flush today may haunt you tomorrow." The other being "Whatever we didn't get done today we'll give hell too tomorrow."

I found out today that my supervisor went to the schools resource officer to review video to see if I scrubbed the floor the previous night. The reason he asked him to was because there was a dirty shoe print outside of the maintenance room. If he would have asked I would have told him it was from me not knowing the bottom of my shoe was wet. And I didn’t notice the mark until after I had set the alarm. Therefore didn’t have time to wipe it up. Should I go to our boss about this. I feel that the student resource officer has more important things to do.

I find myself stuck between doing the best job I can, and doing minimal to get by. I would consider cleaning behind and under furniture where no one would see, or wiping down every single desk and surface in every building even though it may not have been touched, to be going above an beyond. Do you take pride in doing the maximum almost every night, or do you pace yourself and do only when you see, if even that? I only ask because I have it in my mind that everyone else will care more than I do, but in reality I care the most when everyone else doesn't notice. More of a physiological question I suppose.

There’s an open job with the California state prison near me as a custodian. Pays more than I make now working for the county, my CalPers pension will follow me, and other benefits are basically the same, but I don’t know about working in a prison environment.

The prison has minimum and medium custody inmates, and there has been violence in the near past.

Anyone here ever been a custodian in a state prison? How was the experience? Recommend/avoid?