¶ Role Overview: Cleaning, Chaos, and Quiet Heroism
The Janitor is the unsung backbone of station civilization. You belong to the Service department, but your work takes you everywhere—corridors, engineering, the bar, and sometimes the scene of the latest disaster. Your job is deceptively simple: keep the station clean, functional, and safe. In practice, this means a blend of vigilance, creative problem-solving, and a certain fatalistic acceptance that you’ll be blamed for messes you didn’t make—and invisible when things are spotless.
Janitors mop floors, replace bulbs, remove graffiti, and haul away garbage. But you’ll also erase evidence, discover bodies, and occasionally get caught between Security, Medbay, and the Clown’s latest ‘art project.’ Your quiet competence is the only thing between a habitable research outpost and a biohazard zone. If you do your job right, nobody notices. If you slack, the station devolves into filth and complaint.
¶ Starting Out: Your First Shift
¶ The Janitor’s Closet: Home Base
You spawn with basic tools, but the Janitor’s Closet is command central. Here you’ll find:
| Image | Name | Description |
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JaniDrobe | A vending machine for janitorial clothing. Use it by clicking on the machine, then select the item you want from the menu (e.g., gloves, winter coat). Does not dispense galoshes, so protect your starting pair. |
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Janitorial Trolley | A large rolling cart for your main cleaning gear. You can add/remove items (mop, bucket, plunger, trash bag, spray, etc). Slower and bulkier than a mop bucket, but it holds more and can serve as portable storage. |
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Mop Bucket | Pull with you by pressing Ctrl+Mouse Left. Make sure it's full of water before heading out for cleaning duty. When all the clean water in it gets dirty, drag it to a Drain, often found in your closet, and click and drag the Mop Bucket onto the Drain to empty it. You can then refill it at a water tank, sink, or water cooler using a Bucket or other small container to transfer water. Be warned, as anyone can tip over your Mop Bucket given a little time, which will more than likely make a horrendous mess for you to clean. |
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Space Cleaner Dispenser | Wall-mounted refill station for Space Cleaner. Left click to fill an empty spray bottle, or use a bucket to collect large amounts for later refills. Keep at least one spray bottle full for quick cleaning. |
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Trash Cart | Large, lockable bin for moving serious trash. Great for mass cleanups after parties, explosions, or Science "incidents." |
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Recycler | Usually in Disposals, not the Closet. Turns junk into raw materials for Cargo/Engineering. Get in the habit of using it — dumpster-diving sometimes pays off. |
¶ Essential Gear
Your starter JaniBelt carries most of what you’ll need:
| Image | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mop |
The classic cleaning tool for any self-respecting Janitor. Used to clean floor puddles or bludgeon hostile Xenofauna.
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| Bucket |
Your utility container for transferring water and cleaning messes.
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| Cleanade |
A high-volume cleaning grenade.
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| Flashlight |
Your main portable light source.
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| Galoshes | Janitor-exclusive footwear. Wear them (drag to your feet slot) for full slip immunity — even on lube or wet floors. You move slightly slower on slick surfaces, but far safer. Never discard them. | |
| Holographic Sign Projector |
Compact device for warning others of wet floors.
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| Janibelt |
Your utility belt, tailored for janitorial duties.
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Light Bulb/Tube & Light Replacer |
The fastest way to fix lighting.
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| Mega Spray Bottle | High-capacity (250u) bottle for Space Cleaner, researchable for mass jobs. | |
| Advanced Mop |
A higher-tier mop that holds more water and self-cleans over time.
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Mouse Trap | Activate by holding in hand and pressing the Interact key. Place on the floor, under tables, or throw at pests. Instantly kills mice and mothroaches. Recover and reuse. |
| Plunger | A simple, effective sanitation tool. Click on toilets to unclog them. Also, throwable; sticks to crew members for comedic effect. | |
| Soap | The iconic multipurpose bar. Clean fingerprints or fibers off items. Drop it to create slip traps. Can be used as a makeshift weapon—or an impractical snack. | |
| Spray Bottle | 100u Spray bottles, usually filled up with Space Cleaner. Spray to clean several tiles, it's magic. Capable of cleaning up regular puddles, tile grime, and painted artwork. For fancy floor artwork with a mime standing nearby, contemplate whether you really want to risk causing a scene by erasing their picture. | |
| Trash Bag | Left click on the ground next to any trash (wrappers, empty cans, bullet casings) to vacuum it into the bag. Click items directly to pick them up individually. Click on a Disposal Bin with the bag in hand to empty it out into the bin. Can only pick up trash, so if you want to throw something else away, you'll need to manually put them into a Disposal Bin by hand. | |
| Wet Floor Sign |
Your legal shield and visual deterrent. Place signs before mopping high-traffic areas. Prevents slips (or provides plausible deniability). Bonus: Up to three can be stored in your trolley. Can also be worn as an absurd jacket. |
¶ Daily Duties
¶ Core Responsibilities
- Mop floors: Clean up water, blood, vomit, or lube puddles. Watch your mop water — contaminated water just spreads filth.
- Scrub graffiti: Use spray and mop to remove unwanted art. Think twice before scrubbing mime masterpieces — they may take offense.
- Collect trash: Trash Bag for routine garbage, Trash Cart for larger hauls. Encourage crew to use bins, but be prepared to do it yourself.
- Replace lights: Load light replacer with bulbs/tubes, click broken fixtures to replace. Bad lighting means accidents (and more work for you).
- Set wet floor signs: Always warn before you mop — keeps you safe from lawsuits, even if nobody else cares.
- Odd jobs: Unclog toilets, trap vermin, clear debris from fights, and be first on the scene after Science “learns something new.”
¶ Responding to Requests
Listen to your department radio. Expect calls for cleanup in Medical, Bar, and Science. Fast response makes you popular (or at least less hated).
- Medbay: Blood and biohazards. Clean quickly and unobtrusively.
- Science: Unidentified fluids, spills, and residue.
- Bar: Drinks, vomit, smashed glasses—standard chaos.
¶ Late Shifts & Emergencies
- If joining late: gear up fast, the station is probably a mess.
- During emergencies: clear main paths, handle blood spills, dispose of bodies or hazards if Medbay is overwhelmed.
¶ Advanced Cleaning: Going Beyond the Mop
¶ Expanding Your Role
- Know the Station: Your rounds take you everywhere — learn the station layout, shortcuts, and maintenance tunnels.
- Resource Redistribution: Raw materials (glass, plastic, steel, wood): Haul to Science or Engineering, or sell/distribute via Cargo. You’re a vital link in the station’s supply chain.
- Dead Animals: Give them to the Chef (for cooking) or Cargo (for profit).
- Use the Recycler: Process all trash via the Recycler when possible. The less junk, the safer and more efficient the station.
¶ Salvage Operations
- Crowbar: A crowbar lets you access unpowered doors — essential during power failures or for cleaning abandoned sectors.
- Wrench/Screwdriver: Wrench and screwdriver let you move racks, unbolt lockers, or salvage abandoned furniture. Engineering and Science appreciate free materials.
- Networking: Advanced Janitors build a network — trade scrap for favors, supplies, or goodwill with other departments.
¶ Hazard Awareness
- Crime Scenes: Never clean up active crime scenes without Security approval. Evidence matters — unless you want to be an accomplice.
- Dangerous Fluids: Identify dangerous spills (lube, plasma, unknown chemicals). Only clean if safe. Call Science or Security if in doubt.
- Self-Defense: If attacked, wield your mop (press Z) as a weapon. You’re surprisingly dangerous when provoked.
¶ Pro Tips & Janitor Lore
- Always keep your galoshes on. No exceptions. If you lose them, find or request a replacement immediately.
- Don’t over-collect. Hoarding trash bags full of random junk annoys Cargo, Security, and Engineering alike.
- Practice crowd control. Set wet floor signs before you mop high-traffic areas — expect people to ignore them.
- Janitor’s intuition: Expect the unexpected — sometimes you’ll be the first to discover a body, a fire, or an outbreak. Report and move on.
- Mop as a tool and weapon: Use it for defense in a pinch, or for bludgeoning pests (sometimes including the Clown).
- Be ready to improvise. Power outages, mass gibbings, and sabotage will make routine cleaning impossible. Prioritize: keep key hallways, Medbay, and Arrivals clear.
- Help others. Deliver lost property, clean blood to aid Medbay, provide extra materials to Engineering. It builds goodwill.
¶ Helping the Station: Beyond Cleanliness
Your role supports everyone else. Here’s how to maximize your positive impact:
- Proactively visit departments — ask if anyone needs a mess cleaned or supplies delivered.
- Coordinate with Cargo for supply restocks or waste collection.
- Alert Security to suspicious finds (weapons, strange chemicals, bodies in Maintenance).
- Help Engineering by clearing blocked areas, reporting broken lights, or providing raw materials.
- In emergencies, help guide panicked crew to exits by keeping critical corridors clear.
¶ Janitorial Ethics and Etiquette
- Don’t intentionally clean up evidence unless it’s part of the fun (or you want to antagonize Security).
- Respect artists—some graffiti is morale boosting, some is evidence, some is just a mime’s magnum opus.
- Don’t compete with the Clown for pranks unless you want an escalation.
- New Janitors: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Experienced players are often happy to teach you optimal cleaning routes, equipment tricks, or shortcuts.
¶ Roleplay Hooks
- Build a janitorial persona — silent guardian, proud custodian, mop-wielding monk.
- Narrate your cleaning or speak in slogans.
- Establish janitorial territory.
- Rival or ally with the Clown, HoP, or AI.
¶ The Legend of the Janitor
There’s a quiet dignity in Janitor work. Some see you as a background character; others as a stealthy hero. Veteran Janitors become legends — known for never letting blood puddle for more than a minute, or for discovering half the station’s mysteries before Security arrives. The cleanest stations are often the work of one obsessive, methodical Janitor.
¶ Final Thoughts
Nobody will thank you for a spotless station, but everyone will notice if you stop. Wear your galoshes with pride — the fate of the station’s shoes (and morale) rests with you. Even when nobody’s watching, you make the station livable. In the chaos of the station, that’s a superpower in itself.