What Does a Maid Do in a House?
If you are considering hiring a maid service to help keep your home clean and neat, you might just be wondering what is typically included. While specific duties can change depending on the maid or service, there are some typical responsibilities that most maids will tackle in the home.
Light Living Area Cleaning
Among the major responsibilities of a maid is light cleaning of the living areas of the main house. This typically includes the dusting of such surfaces as coffee tables, shelves, and TV stands, vacuuming of carpets and rugs, sweeping and then mopping hard floors, and picking up general clutter. This is done in order to assure the rooms you are in the most look neat and clean.
Kitchen Cleaning
One of the most used rooms in the home, the kitchen, generally needs to be cleaned on a consistent basis. Typically a maid will clean the outside of major appliances such as the stove and refrigerator. They clean the countertops and cabinet doors. A sink and fixtures will be cleaned as well as sweeping and mopping the floors. Some may even load the dishwasher or hand wash dishes. If you want the insides of your oven or fridge cleaned, be sure to ask for that when booking in advance.
Bathroom Cleaning
Bathrooms are also one of the most visible and essential areas that the attention of the maids is focused, and common bathroom cleaning tasks include: cleaning toilets, wiping down sinks and counters that are laden with hygiene products, mirrors, fixtures-also replace toilet paper and towels; and mop the floor. Some may include a tidy shower and bath but scrubbing of tiles and grout can be considered as an add on in most cases.
Laundry and Linens
Many maid services also will do laundry and linens-that is, wash, dry, iron, and fold-them during the visit. This may include bedsheets, pillowcases, towels, and even your clothes if you so wish. Some maids might, however, charge you extra for such laundry services or even limit the number of loads that they will do, so discuss this in advance.
Other Cleaning Work
Depending on the maid service or individual, there may be other cleaning tasks they can take care of for you as well. Some common ones include:
Cleaning interior windows
Wiping down baseboards and door frames
Cleaning ceiling fans and light fixtures
Organizing closets or cupboards
Washing throw pillows or blankets
Watering houseplants
If you have specific requests when it comes to cleaning that are outside of the norm, it's always best to ask up front if those are tasks the maid can accommodate.
What Maids Generally Don't Do
It's also a good idea to set realistic expectations for what a maid won't do. The vast majority of maids clean and tidy up but don't deep clean or completely organize the home. Some of these things most maids won't do are listed here:
Wash exterior windows
Clean garages, attics, or unfinished basements
Perform any home repair or maintenance chores
Lift heavy furniture to be able to clean underneath
Clean up after pets
Provide childcare for your kids.
Every cleaning service or maid will have a certain scope of work so it's good to confirm what is and is not included before hiring.
Green Cleaning Options
One trend that has been growing in the industry is the use of eco-friendly and non-toxic cleaning products. If you are looking to reduce the environmental effect of your home, seek out a maid service that does green cleaning. Seattle Green Cleaning Fairy, for instance, is a company that uses only natural and organic solutions when it comes to cleaning. It will keep your house and planet healthy.
Finding the Right Fit
But outsourcing to a maid service can be a good way to take some of that stress and time commitment out of keeping the home clean. At the same time, it's very important to find a maid you feel comfortable with, one who understands what you need and your priorities. Do not be afraid to ask questions, get quotes from multiple providers, and even do a trial cleaning to see whether the service is a good fit before committing long term.
With clear communication and the right maid, you can reap the benefits of a clean home without the hassle of doing it yourself.