Custodians are what hold a business or organization together. Without custodians the whole place would be disrupted with messes and things not working, which is why being a custodian is such an important job.

Custodians are necessary to make sure a building can function properly and smoothly throughout the day, and each custodian has different responsibilities.

“Custodians maintain a building, its cleanliness and do minor maintenance. Anything we can fix, we do, but we have maintenance people that deal with major issues that we can’t fix. Being a custodian is a lot of walking, but a very necessary job to have,” East custodial staff member Chris Suter said.

Custodians play an incredibly important role in communities and workplaces. They are responsible for keeping buildings clean, safe, and comfortable, and they often work behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Custodians not only keep spaces clean and organized, but they also play a key role in maintaining the health and well-being of the building, as well as the students.

“I believe that it is very necessary to have custodians; without them places wouldn’t function properly and the places wouldn’t be clean,” sophomore Matthew Holstein said.

Custodians are often the first ones in and the last ones out, working tirelessly to ensure that everything is in order. Without custodians, buildings and workplaces would be much less pleasant and much less safe, and because of this, they are given recognition and appreciation for the hard work that they do every day.

“Everything needs to be cleaned. If you don’t have cleanliness you are going to have problems. It’s a lot like kitchens, you’ve got to keep them clean for health and safety reasons, but also because it’s nice to have it clean,” Suter said.

While the terms custodian and janitor are often used interchangeably, there are some differences between the two. Custodians are typically responsible for the overall cleanliness and maintenance of a building. Janitors are generally responsible for more specific tasks, such as performing deep cleans in specific areas of a building. While there is some overlap between the two positions, custodians have a broader range of responsibilities and are often more involved in the day-to-day operations of a building.

“Custodians are the unseen heroes of any place they work at keeping it clean and making sure things aren’t broken. Not a lot of people really see the effort they put in to the upkeep of the school,” instructor Ross Hilkemann said. 

There are many similarities between janitors and custodians. Both are responsible for keeping buildings clean, safe, and comfortable for the people who use them, and both play a key role in maintaining the overall health and well-being of a community. Both janitors and custodians are often hardworking, dedicated individuals who take pride in their work and are committed to doing a good job.

“Cleaning helps with morale; if you’re learning in a pigsty, your attention isn’t going to be focused on what you’re learning,  instead it’s going to be on the mess in and around the building,” Suter said.