There are many different terms that are applied to persons who seem to be there to fix problems and troubleshoot. In different countries, they are referred to as caretaker, custodian, janitor, cleaner, and so on.
A janitor is a person who is entrusted with cleaning and maintenance of a building. Custodian as a word reminds of someone who has custody of something or a child. However, in office and public places, a custodian is a person seen to be performing a role similar to that of a janitor.
What is Janitor?
A janitor (American English), janitress (female), custodian “cleaner” or caretaker is a person who cleans and maintains buildings such as hospitals, schools and residential accommodation. Janitors’ primary responsibility is as a cleaner.
In some cases they will also carry out maintenance and security duties. A similar position, but usually with more managerial duties and not including cleaning, is occupied by building superintendents in the United States. Cleaning is one of the most commonly outsourced services.
What is Custodian?
The term custodian may refer to a Person who has responsibility for or looks after something, such as a museum, financial assets, or a culture or tradition.
Key Differences between Janitor and Custodian
- A janitor has traditionally been entrusted with cleaning jobs whereas custodian is a person in charge of looking after a property or a child
- the definitions have got somewhat blurred these days and often a janitor is seen performing many other roles that are traditionally considered fit for a custodian
- A custodian is there on the premises of the property he is entrusted to maintain whereas a janitor performs his duties in the mornings or in the evenings
- Normally, janitorial services evoke images of a person cleaning toilets and floors, whereas a custodian reminds us of a person looking after maintenance and security of a place.
- Today custodian is considered as preferable to janitor; people think it makes the job sound more important.
- As nouns the difference between custodian and janitor is that custodian is a person entrusted with the custody or care of something or someone; a caretaker or keeper while janitor is someone who looks after the maintenance and cleaning of a public building.
- A custodian has custody while a janitor does not.
- A janitor cleans malls and airports. A custodian does the same, but the job requires a certain mechanical aptitude
- Sometimes, a janitor who is employed in schools and other public institutions is also referred to as a custodian when he is entrusted with other tasks apart from cleaning. Anyone performing custodial service, looking after the wellbeing of a kid, an estate, a building or an animal is a custodian.