The ‘Invisible’ Cleaners Keeping the Cities Spotless

By sharing her mother’s experiences as a cleaner, a Shenzhen writer shines a light on the lives of China’s janitors and custodians.Editor’s note: At the age of 52, Chunxiang, a migrant worker from the southern foothills of the Qinling Mountains in northwest China, was invited to live with her daughter Zhang Xiaoman in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Since then, she has worked as a cleaner in shopping malls, government buildings, and high-class office buildings across the city.From her mother’s personal experience, Zhang, a former journalist, came to see that janitors and custodians, while essential to the daily maintenance and operation of a city, are often “invisible” members of society. In her book, “My Mother, Cleaning Up,” she records her mother’s life and work. The following is an excerpt:Shenzhen is a city known primarily for its efficiency and wealth. Public restrooms here are generally clean, creatively designed, and well-equipped; museu ………………………………