What's the Difference Between a Maid and a Housekeeper?

Are you out there to hire a person to take care of your home's cleanliness but are confused between hiring a housekeeper or a maid? Well, even though the terms seem interchangeable, there are definitely differences between housekeeping and maid services when it comes to work setting, scope of work, and services performed. So, in this post, we look at what makes them different-so as to establish which one best meets your home needs.

Maids Focus on General Cleaning

If by 'maid' you mean someone who does general, occasional cleaning, most likely in a commercial setting like a hotel where the rooms need to be prepared for the next guest. 

Normally, maids perform general cleaning and maintenance that involves the following tasks:

• Dusting surfaces

• Vacuuming and mopping floors

• Cleaning windows

• Scrubbing bathrooms

• Changing linens and making beds

So if your primary need is really just for routine cleaning of your home's living spaces, then a maid service may be the best fit. Many maid services also offer deep cleaning options for when you want to get really deep into the nooks and crannies during periodic cleanings.

Housekeepers Provide Complete Home Management

A housekeeper, however, is a more regular feature in a domestic environment and while participating in a wider range of housekeeping activities that extend beyond cleaning alone. 

Apart from the maid cleaning services, a housekeeper may be involved in: 

• Making laundry and ironing 

• Washing up plates and kitchenware 

• Grocery shopping and supply delivery 

• Preparing meals 

• Feeding pets 

• Supervising other house staff 

• Overseeing maintenance and running of the house

So a housekeeper is more of a manager of the house, making sure that daily operations in a house run hitch-free. If you want not just your house cleaned but also your meals cooked, your grocery shopping done, and a whole lot of other chores completed, then a housekeeper is probably a better bet than a maid.

Other Factors that Separate the Two

There are a couple of other factors that separate these two domestic workers:

Maids more commonly work for some type of cleaning company, and housekeepers are more likely to work directly for the household.

Housekeepers are more personally involved with the homeowners on a working basis, as they are more directly involved in the operation of the home.

Housekeepers tend to get a higher hourly wage than maids do, simply because their job description is a little bit more involved.

Ultimately, it just depends on what your particular household needs and what you can afford. For some busy households, a once-a-week visit from a maid service such as Seattle Green Cleaning Fairy is enough to keep the place presentable; others want - or need - the continuity and depth of support that only a live-in or full-time housekeeper can offer.

Most importantly, clearly communicate your expectations about tasks, schedule, and pay from the word go. With a view to getting you and your maid or housekeeper on the same page, you should give a detailed list of duties and a cleaning checklist.

A good maid or housekeeper can keep your living space very neat and tidy, thus saving abundant energy and time to focus on more important things in life for you and your family. In this way, a priority and budget should be the underlying principles of whether a maid or housekeeper is best fitted for your house or not.