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People today live such busy lives, and it can so often feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Between work commitments, family, social lives and so much more, finding the time to keep your home as clean as it should be can be tough to do. It’s no wonder more and more people are deciding to get a little help.
Getting someone in to clean can ensure that your home remains pest-free and take a load off your mind, but should you be looking for a maid or a housekeeper, and what precisely is the difference? Here we will take a look at the different tasks you can expect from each and help you find the right helping hand today.
What is the difference between a maid vs a housekeeper?
When it comes to maids and housekeepers, the main difference tends to be in the services they provide. Traditionally the roles of maids and housekeepers were rather different, but here we will look at the more modern and typical definitions. In general, a housekeeper will provide a far more in-depth service than a maid, and this will therefore be reflected in the salary that they should earn.
You may get a maid in every day, once a week or whenever you need to carry out certain tasks. They can be paid by the hour, day, or job, but these tasks tend to be a little lighter than those of a housekeeper. Your housekeeper may live in, visit more often or still only come when you need but tends to do many of the jobs of a maid and more.
That being said, in some cases the terms can be almost interchangeable depending on your cleaner’s preferences and where you are. You should always carefully check the services on offer from a company like Enjoy Life Services to make sure that you get the level you require to suit your house cleaning needs.
What does a maid usually do?
If your home is in need of a thorough cleaning you can hire a maid to do a deep clean or rigorous spring cleaning with professional house cleaners offering a top-to-bottom service that can get you back to a manageable level. The general tasks you can expect from most maids are to stay on top of the typical day-to-day cleaning needs of your home. This can include a number of tasks such as:
- Dusting
- Sweeping the floors
- Wiping surfaces
- Mopping
- Vacuuming
- Emptying bins
- Cleaning bathrooms
- Cleaning windows
- Changing linens
All in all, your maid will keep up the levels of sanitation and cleanliness necessary to avoid pests like ants and other issues. If you are wondering, are ants a major problem? Then the answer is yes, they most certainly can be if you don’t act to prevent them and get rid of them if they do occur. The right maid can really help with that.
What does a housekeeper usually do?
A housekeeper often will do many of the same jobs as a maid, as well as extra tasks that have to do with the running and upkeep of your home. For instance, as well as cleaning the sides in the kitchen they may also do your washing-up or put away clean pots. Some common tasks for housekeepers include:
- Folding laundry
- Changing light bulbs
- Sweeping
- Mopping
- Ironing
- Making beds
- Preparing meals
- Household upkeep
- Washing dishes
- Cleaning each room
As you can see, a housekeeper may well do many of the same jobs as a maid but may also do pretty much everything to keep a household running. This can include preparing and serving meals, washing up and could even mean taking on tasks outside the home.
Some housekeepers will also carry out errands like grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning and so on. It really does depend on the company or individual that you hire and the jobs that you want doing.
What do maids not do?
You may find that a lot of maids can be a little flexible if you really want something done like ironing, so before you hire someone it is best to make a list of what is it that you require. You will usually do much of the daily chores like washing dishes yourself unless otherwise agreed. If you find that a lot of your list is laundry and tidying, a housekeeper may be a better fit for you.
Some jobs that you might need to negotiate, or that maids today don’t tend to do are:
- Tasks outside the home like getting dry cleaning or groceries
- Laundry
- Cooking meals
- Caring for children
- Caring for pets
- House maintenance
You may also find that if you have serious problems like cockroaches in your house you will need to get professionals in to eliminate the issue before a maid will get to work cleaning and preventing a repeat infestation.
What do housekeepers not do?
Again the exact duties that your housekeeper will do and not do should be agreed upon before hiring them, and will vary from person to person and place to place. Some housekeepers may be happy to look after your pet, for example, while others absolutely would not. Here are some areas that should be agreed upon and may be refused:
- Pet care
- Child care
- Deep cleaning
- Using certain products that may be caustic or otherwise dangerous
- Carrying out chores that put them in dangerous situations like being up a ladder
Some cleaners may be happy to iron while others might not have time, it is a case of prioritizing what you want and agreeing specific tasks ahead of time.
Final thoughts
In general, the main difference between a maid and a housekeeper is that the former will perform light cleaning tasks while the latter will clean and also do other chores and tasks that you require if both parties agree.
To prevent pests and keep your home to the right standard you may need a deep clean first, and then routine cleaning from a qualified and experienced company after that. This will give you peace of mind, give you back your free time, and leave you with a sparkling clean house to return home to.
