Eight reasons why you need a housekeeper. Six prohibitions for a housekeeper What to do if the hostess humiliates the housekeeper

A modern housekeeper is no longer a tired woman, muttering curses to herself under her breath against all living things. Often young girls choose a “dusty” profession. They are self-confident, drive their own car, go on vacation abroad. Of course, provided that there are enough wealthy clients. And although our housekeepers are still far from the level of Gazprom cleaners, it is no longer possible to associate them with exhausted women with a mop at the ready. One of the capital's housemaids agreed to talk about her life and work.

Not the most prestigious, but no less necessary profession, a young pretty girl chose not only out of love for art. Even in her student years, she wanted to go abroad to earn extra money. In such cases, the choice of specialties is small, and Inessa (name has been changed), deciding between three to five vacancies, settled on an offer to work as a maid in a hotel.

- It is clear that almost every person from childhood knows the "techniques" of cleaning. And since I really differ in diligence, accuracy and knowledge of what needs to be done, there was no doubt. Moreover, in the resort town where I was going, there was always a great demand for maids, they offered good pay.

Memories of working in a hotel? It was both a difficult and very interesting time. Heavy in terms of physical activity: in a relatively short time it was necessary to have time to clean the room to a shine. And given the fact that I worked in a well-known network, I could not count on concessions. And if most of the guests were modest and tidy people, then after the Mexicans, they had to literally restore the room piece by piece. Comrades, they turned out to be very sloppy - almost without exception.

My duties included complete preparation of the room for the arriving guest: washing and ironing, wet and dry cleaning of all surfaces, cleaning plumbing, washing mirror surfaces, cleaning all cabinets, refrigerator and so on. All this did not take much time.

However, I always wanted to find a part-time job. It's not as easy abroad as it is at home. To get an order, I turned to realtors who rent apartments and rooms. Sometimes completely random people helped with the work. After a while, customers began to recommend me to each other. Well, no one has canceled the old proven way - to go to hotels, salons and leave a resume.

I know that in Moscow there are special courses for housekeepers, where candidates are taught the wisdom of handling certain materials and surfaces. In Minsk, I didn’t come across anything like that, maybe because I wasn’t interested. But the basic skills were laid down from childhood: like everyone else, she studied, looking at her parents. Somewhere she intuitively understood what was happening. In principle, now there is a huge amount of cleaning products, all written what and how to do. As a last resort, if you work with very expensive material and are afraid to spoil it, there is the Internet.

When the girl returned to Minsk, she did not want to go only along the proven path. Now Inessa works in a completely different field, but she does not refuse periodic and well-known side jobs.

- Obviously, wealthy people need the services of a housekeeper. I have never had to polish an apartment owned, for example, by a teacher, a shop assistant, or a health worker. By the way, I was very lucky: among the customers (and even very rich people) there were only decent people. I did not meet any arrogance, condescension. All the owners of the apartments are very friendly and respect what you do.

Theoretically, I can refuse to work with people who I immediately did not like, caused rejection. But this has not happened yet, somehow it was possible to smooth out controversial points and reduce to the fact that everyone was satisfied with each other.

By the way, most customers really trust you and do not check (at least publicly) cornices and skirting boards for dust. I don't know if I've had to work under hidden cameras, but control is usually minimal. True, there was a case when one elderly lady stood over me during the entire five hours of cleaning. Somewhere she corrected my actions, I immediately silently did what she asked. In the future, she, making sure that I would not do something incomprehensible in the apartment, removed the “supervision”. But, as it seems to me, she found fault with the quality too much.

Minsk has its own fees for cleaning: everything is around $5-7 per hour in equivalent. But, believe me, you will work this hour from and to. Customers basically do not bargain: they named the price, and they are guided by it. And there were no cases of “thrown” with payment. This may have happened to someone, but I was always paid for the work done.

I consider cottages and a penthouse to be my most interesting objects: a huge area that needs to be put in order and presented to the owners. Fortunately, I did not have to clean the windows in the penthouse: the cleaning service did this. I also didn’t have a chance to launder housing after carbon monoxide parties, although I think I would have coped with this. Unless it would take more time. Basically, you work in apartments, in which order is already maintained. And if once or twice a week the housekeeper also comes, then maintaining a general decent appearance is not difficult at all.

In addition to cleaning, by agreement with the owners, I can sit with the child and cook food. But payment in this case is negotiated separately. But I didn’t try to work full-time with living in the owners’ house and I’m not even going to: I want to be independent, open my door with a key and not be under constant supervision and at arm’s length.

In the profession, of course, there is a certain risk. Given the fact that you work mainly in rich houses, you understand that each figurine or saucer costs decent money. That is, you can break some trinket, and it will turn out to be a very rare collectible item that costs millions of Belarusian rubles. Luckily for me, everything went off without a hitch. But there is still an inner fear, so you do everything very carefully.

Another "horror story" for maids is that you can be accused of stealing. Again: everyone understands that both money and jewelry are stored in the apartments of wealthy people. So, for some it is a temptation. But after all, if I know that I am not capable of this, then no one will prove the opposite. Specifically, I’m not afraid of accusations of theft, breaking something exclusive is worse.

When you spend half a day (or even a whole day - depending on the area) putting things in order in other people's apartments, there is not always time for your own. There is strength and mood - you do the cleaning at home, no - it can wait.

Some people like to fantasize about the fact that housekeepers enter into a relationship that is by no means platonic with the owners of the apartments they clean. But believe me, it's not. You see customers at a minimum: they stipulated the nuances - and everyone went about their business. No one has time: neither you nor the person who is busy making money all the time. Yes, and everyone comes to clean up in simple, comfortable clothes, and not in a weekend attire. All that is really required of you is a neat appearance, clothes according to the weather. It's in your own interest to opt for clothing made from light, breathable fabrics: after all, you have to work in the heat. It may also happen that the air conditioners do not work, then the only advice is to drink plenty of water.

By the way, the crisis does not greatly affect the demands and needs of wealthy people. They do not save on the services of a housekeeper: people have already lost the habit of working with a vacuum cleaner and a mop, or they simply do not want to spend personal time on this, which is already so small. Therefore, demand has not fallen. Of course, there is competition, where without it, but there is enough work.

For some, a housekeeper is a familiar and integral part of everyday life. And for someone, hiring a housekeeper is something out of the realm of fantasy. But if you notice that the pace of life is accelerating and there is not enough time and energy for close people and important things, perhaps it's time to entrust routine household chores to a reliable assistant. Doubts and fears interfere? Let's look into them together and dispel the most popular misconceptions.

1. The housekeeper will poke her nose everywhere, delve into your closets and bedside tables, sort out your personal belongings.

   Let's start with the fact that no one has yet canceled ethics and professionalism, and I would like to believe that for the majority of employees these are not empty words. But even if you don't tend to think well of people in the first place, let's think logically. Your assistant most likely has other clients for whom she cleans from time to time. The more apartments she cleans, the more she earns. It is unlikely that she will want to spend time reading your secret diaries or trying on your underwear.

2. A housekeeper is a woman driven into a corner by fate, she has very difficult life circumstances, she went to this job out of hopelessness and hates her.

   This is far from always the case. There are people who sincerely like to help someone around the house (provided, of course, that the salary is decent and the employer is adequate). Putting things in order, creating comfort and beauty, investing your warmth in it, feeling needed, admiring the result of your work and knowing that it will please the whole family is a worthy job, no worse than any other.

3. The housekeeper does not need to be supervised. She knows what to do without any instructions from you! And in general, all women know how to clean and cook, what to manage there?

   In fact, you need to manage even the most professional housekeeper. You need to explain to her exactly what kind of help you want and do not be too lazy to paint all the details. What means is better to wash the floors, what products to buy and where, what dishes to cook. The more picky you are in everyday life, the more detailed the instructions should be.

4. Since she went to such a job, it means that she is not suitable for any other.

   But no! Take a look at your friends and colleagues. Often a person himself cannot really explain why he ended up in this particular position, the only answer that comes to his mind is “it happened”. Just because she's a housekeeper now doesn't mean that's the only thing she's capable of. It's just the most comfortable way for her to earn money today. A fairly common situation is when a housekeeper you trust can, if necessary, become, for example, a caring companion nurse or a responsible babysitter. Why not?

5. A housekeeper is a servant. Discuss anything with her, except for the brand of washing powder, and also show signs of attention below your dignity.

   First, the housekeeper is not a servant, but an employee who needs you, and who you also need. Yes, in this area, supply usually exceeds demand, but finding a truly skilled and reliable au pair is not an easy task.

   Secondly, of course, if the housekeeper comes to you no more than once a month, then it is natural that you have no particular reason to have conversations and give each other souvenirs from your vacation. But if this is your regular employee and you are really happy with her, wishing her a Happy New Year / March 8, giving her some nice little thing and just chatting about the weather and asking how she is doing is absolutely normal.

6. Housekeepers do not get sick and never go on vacation.

   Of course, people who work in the field of domestic personnel are usually vitally interested in stable work and various types of part-time jobs, so they agree to come on holidays and weekends without any problems, accept almost all the conditions of the employer, and they usually have no time to rest and get sick. This is partly true, but still, like any normal person, a housekeeper can get sick or leave the city on business. Therefore, you should not think that you can call the housekeeper and in five minutes she will come to you with a cart of cleaning products. If you haven't agreed on a cleaning day and time, she may have other plans. So it is best to discuss and draw up a work schedule in advance. And, if suddenly something unexpected happened to your housekeeper, you can always use the services of a cleaning company.

7. A housekeeper is a luxury. Only very rich people can afford to hire a housekeeper.

   It's a delusion. Inviting an assistant once a week or a couple of times a month is quite affordable for the average family. By spending money on a housekeeper, you really save your own energy. Parents free up time and good mood for playing with children, communicating with friends and for each other. In your free time from work, you can do what your soul lies in, and not clean the apartment, carry heavy bags from the supermarket and stand at the stove.

Maria Ivannikova

Imagine that you got a great job as a housekeeper. You have been hired by an intelligent and generous family who are not in the mood for nit-picking their assistant for any reason. You sincerely want not to upset the owner with some ridiculous day off or an accident. In work, a housekeeper should not only be an excellent hostess, but also know some rules of behavior in a strange family.

What should be taken as a rule in the work of a housekeeper?

• Knock before entering the room

If there are employers in the house, then you must definitely warn them before entering the premises. Knocking on the room is a kind of permission that helps to avoid awkward situations. Even if you were given the keys to the house, you still do not be too lazy to pat on the door to make sure that there are no family members. It is better to be 100% sure that you will not take anyone by surprise. It is worth remembering that situations are unforeseen

• Never allow a dispute and showdown with the employer

Do not try to impose your opinion on the hostess, even if you are guided by long experience as a housekeeper. The dispute may concern both means for removing stains from clothes, and the preparation of a particular dish. No need to prove with foam at the mouth that the employer is grossly mistaken and behaves unreasonably. You can only be right if the agent can harm the product or furniture. In this case, you should explain in a calm tone that in your work as a housekeeper you have encountered the fact that the chosen solution really irreversibly spoils the thing.

• On a personal initiative, do not innovate in the interior of the house

You must remember that the job of a housekeeper is not about decorating rooms or improving design, but only cleaning rooms and keeping them clean. No flowers in pots should be placed outside the windows unless you have been asked to. Even if it seems to you that an aromatic candle in the bathroom will make taking baths more enjoyable, and a bag of lavender in the linen closet will saturate things with a persistent smell, then keep your thoughts to yourself. After all, the owners of the house may be allergic to these fragrances. Most likely, your ideas will not be approved. And do not be surprised if, instead of gratitude, you receive a severe reprimand for poor-quality work as a housekeeper. As for personal belongings, you should not forget them either. A scarf on a coffee table or gloves in the hallway is not the end of the world, but a manifestation of your absent-mindedness.

• Pay attention to the little things

In an apartment or in a house, various items are often lost in the form of jewelry, documents, credit cards, watches. The hostess will be very grateful to you if you find a long-standing loss while working as a housekeeper. Do not pass by such things, as they may be very necessary for their owner. Remember that they must be immediately given, and not appropriated. Some employers reward their housekeepers with good bonuses for such finds. Don't miss your chance to get a pay raise.

• Do not impose your society on the employer

Do not bother the hostess with chatter. Do not think that a busy woman is interested in hearing the latest gossip about neighbors or information about the exchange rate. You should not tell her about your family, as personal life should be left out. Try to be inconspicuous in the master's house. It may be better if cleaning is done during the absence of employers. It is possible that the owners will like it more if they see the fruits of the housekeeper's work, and not her personally.

• Don't feel at home at work

When you clean in a luxurious mansion, there is always a temptation to feel like the mistress of the house for at least a few hours. It happens that employers leave for a couple of days and ask to look after the territory. However, you should not assign yourself the status of the mistress of the situation, use the things of the employer, and even more so bring your acquaintances into the private property of another person. This threatens not only with dismissal, but also with prosecution.

Try to remember the rules of conduct in the employer's family so as not to lose the long-awaited job as a housekeeper. Be vigilant and responsible so that worthy hosts do not disappoint you.

The concept of a “good housekeeper” for many employers includes not only the quality of cleaning, but also the ethics of behavior. How important is this area? If the hostess of the house feels comfortable in your presence, if your actions do not irritate her, she will miss cleaning flaws,

which you still cannot avoid, and will proudly praise you to your girlfriends as a very valuable employee.

What behavioral mistakes should a housekeeper avoid?

Let's look at five of the most common problems.

1. Wash your hands

It would seem that the truth is known. Louis Pasteur laid the foundation for microbiology back in the 18th century, and today even small children know about the presence of microorganisms. Surprisingly, yet again and again, entering the house from the street, many people ignore such an action as washing their hands. If the housekeeper does the same, this will not escape the attention of the hostess, especially when there is a baby in the house. Such a mistake can cause dislike and doubt about professional suitability in general. Analyze your behavior in this area.

2. Be invisible

The walls of private property hide behind them the privacy to which the inhabitants of the house are entitled. By your behavior you can show that you respect this right. Thus, you will inspire the location and trust of the owners.

For example: morning, today the owners are late and are going to leave for work later than usual. They need to take a shower in the bathroom, drink tea in the dining room, get dressed in the bedroom, put on shoes in the hallway. Which room will you start cleaning first?

Even if you're used to starting cleaning in the bedroom, it's worth being flexible and changing the cleaning order. It is better to take care of the children's room for now or start the day with ironing on the loggia. So you will be the least visible, and the owners will not experience a sense of embarrassment for the fact that in the presence of a stranger they are doing their usual morning chores.

Another similar situation: you clean the kitchen. In the midst of cleaning, the head of the family appears. He had time to go home to have dinner with his family. Will you keep cleaning? Many housekeepers do this. Although it would be right to interrupt, leave the kitchen for a while and do other things.

3. Perform your duties in silence

You came to work, not to communicate with the hostess. The conversation takes time, which in turn affects the quality of your work. This does not mean that you need to shy away from any conversation. Perhaps the hostess herself asks you questions, tells you about some events. There is nothing wrong with keeping the conversation going. However, make sure that the conversation does not turn into chatter, and this, in turn, does not turn into a habit when the employer no longer knows whether to rejoice or cry because you have become so close.

Avoid asking questions in a conversation that could be seen as an invasion of privacy. “With verbosity, sin cannot be avoided,” says biblical wisdom. It is worth remembering this and not being too chatty or curious.
4. Do not disclose private information

The point is clear, but how easy it is to get into a mess. Concierge, the neighbors want to know where the people who hired you to clean the apartment work? Where do they get money for a housekeeper? How much do they pay you? Where did your hosts go to rest and for how long? Everyone is so sincere and sympathetic that the tongue can be loosened even before you realize your mistake.

To avoid such an oversight, develop a clear position regarding this interest in the lives of your employers. Prepare and practice answering these questions. For example, a simple option: “Sorry, but I don’t think it’s right to discuss these topics with strangers.” Such a clear, specific answer will immediately discourage the unhealthy interest of others and save you from any inclinations to find out any information in the future. It will also raise your rating high in the eyes of the owners if rumors about your decency reach them.

5. And by the way, about decency

“I guarantee integrity” is a phrase that is often found in resumes. What does this concept include? According to Wikipedia, one of the components of such a quality as decency is honesty. The dream of all employers is to find an honest employee.

How does this apply to your work? It immediately comes to mind that an honest person does not take someone else's, does not steal. But not only in this can your decency be manifested. What will you do if you accidentally break a small thing? Many try to hide the traces of the “crime”, trying to glue the broken parts together or quietly throw the item away, in the hope that the owners will not notice the loss.

An honest worker confesses his mistake and offers to deduct the cost of the broken item from the money owed to him. If you do this, it will strengthen the trust of the owners in you, and they will not doubt your decency. And they most likely will not take money from you for a damaged item.

Integrity will be manifested in your attitude to duties, in your willingness to take into account the wishes of employers. Forget everything you did at your previous job, except for professional skills, of course. You came to a new family, and here you have your own routine, habits, circumstances, and so on. Remember one indisputable truth about your working relationship with employers: they should not apply to you, but you to them!

An example of one housekeeper. She says: “My mistress asked me to iron my socks. How am I going to do nonsense! I roll my socks into a ball and have been doing this for a year now. I taught the owners, they no longer stutter about ironing.

It is worth mentioning that after another six months, the employers said goodbye to the housekeeper, most likely without regret. Because she behaved dishonestly towards them!

If you value your reputation, avoid the mistakes described above in your behavior. In return, employers will appreciate you and, accordingly, pay well. Because a valuable worker costs more!

Your life is quite hectic.

If you've ever discussed hiring a housekeeper, you may have come up with a list of reasons why you shouldn't have: it's a luxury you can't afford, or it's a sign of laziness. But have you ever thought about why you should?

Outsourcing your house cleaning is a way to manage your time more efficiently, and it can be affordable even for those on a tight budget.

Whether you're busy with your family and career, or just wanting a little help around the house, cleaning services are not only practical, they're life-saving.
Here are some real reasons why you should hire a housekeeper.

1. You work full time.

After a hard day, spending your free time cleaning up your house drains your energy and limits your ability to do other things. You might not need a daily housekeeper, but having someone to clean a few times a month will give you more time to do the things you enjoy or need.

Ekaterina Manoilenko, a dentist and mother from Ukraine (Odessa), says that without the help of her housekeeper, she was less collected and slept much less: "I hired a housekeeper in order to have more free time to spend with my son, and also take care of yourself: do yoga, run, read and spend time with friends and family."

2. You have a busy family life.

It's hard to find time or energy for family picnics and dates when you spend all your time cleaning, cooking and taking care of your kids. If your schedule is very busy, keeping the house in order becomes a daunting task that can lead to cracks in your marriage as well as poor health.

A university teacher from Belarus (Minsk), Elizaveta Reznikova, has a lot of trouble torn between teaching and being the mother of two children. Housework was the main issue she and her husband struggled with. "I felt very exhausted when I had to completely immerse myself in all this cleaning without anyone's help. I was angry at my husband who did nothing," she says. Hiring a housekeeper not only saved her from constant stress, but also kept her marriage intact. "I just love coming back to a clean home, especially when the bathroom is sparkling clean - it's one of my favorite sensations," she adds. According to Bowden, having a housekeeper is a valuable time management tool. Consider this option.

3. You love to have fun.

Whether you're planning a big event or just going to hang out with your friends, you don't have to add cleaning to your to-do list. Save your time and energy by hiring someone to clean your house before and after the event. Even if you just have dinner guests, knowing that your housekeeper will take care of the house will take the load off you and leave you plenty of time to prepare to welcome guests and enjoy the evening.

4. You don't know how to clean.

General cleaning is not just turning on the vacuum cleaner. There are various tips and tricks that you can learn with time or experience. Don't know how to clean your home because you just don't have the experience? Hire a housekeeper to learn from her. She can clean the house several times and demonstrate how to do it in the best possible way. But be careful: you may like the fact that it works for you, and that's good too!

5. You don't like cleaning.

And who likes it? But some people are better at it than others. Just because cleaning isn't your forte doesn't mean you're lazy. Why waste your time and effort doing something you don't like when you can just hire someone else to do it? If cleaning takes up a lot of your time and you hate every minute of it, hire a housekeeper and devote your time to something more necessary or enjoyable. If hiring someone to clean your house doesn't fit into your budget, invite a housekeeper to clean your house once a month. Thus, you will be able to keep the house clean and tidy, as well as save more time for your business.

6. You have elderly family members.

You may not want or need someone to clean your own house, but your aging parents or other relatives may need help. As people get older, it becomes more difficult for them to do daily chores around the house. A house with a mess is dangerous for the health of the elderly. A cluttered floor can cause falls, and the accumulation of debris and food waste can be harmful to health.

PR manager Maria Kornitskaya from Russia (Rostov), ​​hired a housekeeper to clean up her father's apartment once a week. "My dad has diabetes, so because of his illness and age, it was hard for him to keep the house as clean as he likes," she says. "I was already fully loaded with chores in my own house, so the housekeeper was a lifesaver for us. And now my dad always has a clean apartment."

If your aging parents need more help than just cleaning, who can take care of them, run errands and do some light housework.

7. You have a newborn baby.

The baby in the house, along with joy, brings additional cleaning and mountains of laundry. And sometimes parents feel exhausted. A housekeeper can help with cleaning while you get used to your new routine. Family or friends want to give you a gift in honor of the newborn? Instead of flowers, offer to help pay for housekeepers. This can greatly help you out during the first weeks.

8. You deserve pleasure.

Sometimes you just need a break. Manicures and massages are great, but you can also indulge yourself by hiring someone to clean your house from time to time or do some errands. This is a useful luxury that will give you some extra time for yourself.

Come on, you deserve it!