noun
Refers to a person whose job is cleaning, such as a janitor or professional cleaner. Can be used for both commercial and residential cleaning staff.
ビルの掃除屋さんが毎朝廊下をきれいにしている。
The building's janitor cleans the hallway every morning.
引っ越しの後、掃除屋を呼んで部屋
After moving out, I called a cleaner and had them thoroughly clean the room.
noun
night soil collector
Archaic term for a person who collected human waste for use as fertilizer. No longer used in modern contexts except in historical descriptions.
江戸時代には掃除屋が町のし尿を集めて肥料として売っていた。
In the Edo period, night soil collectors gathered human waste from the town and sold it as fertilizer.
Compound of 掃除 (cleaning) and 屋 (person/establishment). The archaic sense derives from the historical practice of collecting night soil.