How to Find a Good Housekeeper

If you need a new housekeeper, finding someone you know, like, and trust can be a daunting task. It takes time, research, and a period of adjustment. Here are 8 key things to think about when looking to add a new part-time person to your household.

1. Individual or company?

Before starting to look in earnest, decide whether you want to work with a self-employed housekeeper or a cleaning service company. With an individual, you're going to see him or her each week and you'll be able to have more personalized experience. With a company, you may have different people in your home each week, but they are reliable as they usually have more people to cover work if someone has a dental appointment or wins the lottery. Also, companies are usually licensed, bonded and insured. Individuals may be, but not always. Bonding is important if your housekeeper breaks something and insurance covers them if they get hurt on the job.

2. Get referrals.

The first thing is ask your friends and neighbors if they have a favorite company or person they can refer. Small businesses love referrals just as much as real estate agents do. You can also look online with Angie's List, NextDoor, or homeadvisor.com.

3. Interview candidates.

Find out if they really enjoy their work. Why did they choose to do this? Check references, work history, and do a background check (we like truthfinder.com). If you use a company, much of this work is done for you. You'll also need to ask about cleaning supplies, especially if you want them to use a specific brand or type.

4. Decide on tasks and fees.

You can have weekly, monthly, and yearly tasks. Weekly tasks are things like dusting, sanitizing and mopping; cleaning ovens might be a monthly task; dusting chandeliers might be something that is done twice a year. Walk through your house to create a list and include special instructions or expectations.

5. Talk about how they get paid.

Fees might be flat or by the hour. Some charge by the number of bedrooms or square footage. Expect a little hike in fees if you have pets.

6. Start with a trial period.

You might want to test the waters with a 4-week trial period to make sure you get along, make small adjustments, and to generally get used to each other. It might work, it might not.

7. State your boundaries.

If you don't want them in your office, set that as an off-limits zone or maybe they clean in there while you are home. This goes for drawers, closets, whatever. The more you communicate about your needs and expectations, the better they can meet them.

8. They can't do it all.

Keep in mind that while housekeepers can do some pretty heavy cleaning, certain tasks are really out of their scope of work: cleaning ductwork, oriental carpets, exterior windows, and gutters are all good examples. There are other professionals who do this work and who are great at it.

Those are the basic ins and outs. The level of service you require will depend on your lifestyle, how big and young your family is, and your specific needs. Some people need just the basics while others need a housekeeper who also does the laundry or runs errands. Anyone who has been in the housekeeping business for a length of time will know that every home and client is different and they try very hard to please and delight their clients.