In team cleaning, a four-member team is comprised of a light-duty specialist, a vacuum specialist, a restroom specialist and an utilities specialist. The vacuum specialist follows behind the light-duty specialist and vacuums high traffic areas as well as furniture and underneath office waste receptacles. To accomplish these tasks, cleaning providers need a machine that allows the user to maneuver around obstacles and that is why a backpack vacuum is the equipment of choice.

Backpack vacuums are worn on the back (or sometimes the hip) with a harness and feature a body with a hose and wand. They provide the greatest amount of mobility among vacuums and allow the user to simply walk and vacuum. They are well-suited for cleaning hard floors, cubicles, classrooms, edging and hard-to-reach areas.