Wait, that sounds counter-intuitive – isn’t the whole point of booking a domestic cleaner to get rid of the housekeeping chores? It is, but you also have to recognise the limitations of the service. Your housemaid’s job is to keep your home in good order and take care of the regular sanitary tasks. Domestic cleaners, however, are not trained to perform specific tasks that require specialised equipment. If you expect them to be efficient doing the latter, you are setting up yourself for a disappointment.

Here are the top chores I can think of that you should remove from the to-do list you give to your house cleaner:

  1. Rug cleaning. Your housemaids will vacuum your rugs, but they are not equipped or trained to do much more. If you want top-notch results, you should hire a specialist for the job.
  2. Upholstery and furniture cleaning. Pretty much the same thing applies to your furniture. I have received countless complaints that after a visit, the sofa or armchairs still look beat-up. I have news for you – vacuum cleaning will not remove the stains or years of wear and tear. You need something more powerful and specialised.
  3. Laptop cleaning – or any domestic electronics for that matter. Your housemaid looks at your computer or laptop as just another object that needs dusting and polishing. If you are not OK with the idea, you should specify it beforehand.
  1. Organising your home working space. If you have a study or a working desk at home, it would be a good idea to take care of it on your own. I know from experience that the primary impulse of any maid is to throw away any wayward piece of paper that looks like garbage. Do not risk losing important notes – set the rule that your desk is out of limits when it comes to housekeeping.