Private Housekeeper Agency:
Services & Job Positions
A private housekeeper’s services and responsibilities can be vast and encompassing depending on the needs of the family or home. A private housekeeper’s tasks are also dependent on additional staff members as they work together on projects or specialize in specific areas within the home.
Job Description of a Housekeeper
Housekeepers are household professionals that specialize in cleaning. They work in a variety of settings, such as private homes, hotels, hospitals, offices, and commercial buildings. Specific to a family’s home, housekeepers expertly handle common household chores that include cleaning bathrooms, scrubbing floors, vacuuming, and mopping. Other parts of a housekeeping services job description may include making beds, stocking bathrooms with supplies, taking out the trash, and cleaning furniture. Of course, there are many other household duties that a housekeeper can handle as well if they are trained for those tasks, open to greater responsibility, and compensated accordingly.
Housekeepers should be able to lift at least 25 pounds, have a strong attention to detail, and dedication to cleanliness. They should be hard-working, self-motivated, able to manage their time well, and work productively without constant supervision. As a household employer, you may choose to include certain requirements in your housekeeping job description, such as a high school diploma and at least three years of relevant experience. It is also important for a housekeeper to be able to communicate well with the family about items in need of repair, be trustworthy around valuable household items, and be knowledgeable about proper cleaning methods and strategies. Key competencies of a domestic housekeeper include honesty, listening skills, high energy, being organized, being reliable, and adaptability. A job description for a housekeeper should also specify approximately how many hours per day or week are needed, the size of the house to be cleaned, and any specific requirements that are pertinent to the cleaning job.
Common Private Housekeeper Services
For those looking for a private housekeeper, we at Household Staffing International, private housekeeper agency, have compiled a detailed list of general services that can be expected:
- Clean rooms, hallways, entryway, lounges, bathrooms, corridors, elevators and stairways
- Clean rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and/or draperies, using vacuum cleaners and/or shampooers
- Transport other trash and waste to disposal areas
- Sweep, scrub, wax, and/or polish floors
- Dust and polish furniture and kitchen equipment
- Keep storage areas well-stocked, clean, and tidy
- Polish silver accessories and metalwork such as fixtures and fittings
- Remove debris from driveways, garages, and swimming pool areas
- Replace light bulbs
- Replenish supplies such as drinking glasses, linens, writing supplies, and bathroom items
- Sort clothing and other articles, load washing machines, and iron and fold dried items
- Sort, count, and mark clean linens, and store them in linen closets
- Wash windows, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, waxing and polishing as necessary
- Assign duties to other staff and give instructions regarding work methods and routines
- Request repair services and wait for repair workers to arrive
- Disinfect equipment and supplies, using germicides or steam-operated sterilizers
- Hang draperies and dust window blinds
- Move and arrange furniture, and turn mattresses
- Plan menus, and cook and serve meals and refreshments following employer’s instructions or own methods
- Prepare rooms for meetings, and arrange decorations, media equipment and furniture for social or business functions
- Take care of pets by grooming, exercising, and/or feeding them
- Wash dishes and clean kitchens, cooking utensils, and silverware
- Answer telephones and doorbells
- Purchase or order groceries and household supplies to keep kitchens stocked, and record expenditures
- Run errands such as taking laundry to the cleaners and buying groceries
Dependent on the specific needs of the family, a private housekeeper may be asked to assist with childcare, animal care or other responsibilities. Additionally, some housekeepers specialize in motor yachts, private aircraft and corporate boardrooms.
Why You or Your Family May Need a Housekeeper
Keeping a home clean involves a lot of hard work, and busy individuals and families rarely have enough time in their days to tackle all the necessary tasks. Having housekeeping services in your home can reduce stress in your home and work life, thereby freeing you up to pursue more enjoyable activities. Housekeepers are experts in their field and will do a much more thorough job of cleaning than the average homeowner. This means you’ll be living in more beautiful, sanitary and hygienic conditions that you can be proud of and enjoy showing off to guests.
Hiring housekeeping services is a smart choice for professionals who work full-time, busy families with kids who often make messes, new parents with young babies, and anyone with pets. Housekeeping services are also beneficial for the elderly in order to prevent injuries and maintain healthy living standards. Many people simply despise the process of cleaning, which is another great reason to hire a housekeeper to do these tedious tasks for you. Hiring a housekeeper is also a way to reward yourself or simply do something nice for yourself in the spirit of self-care. Without having to worry about household cleaning tasks, you’ll have more time to exercise, spend time with kids and pets, and engage in a favorite hobby.
Some families hire live-in housekeepers that work on a full-time basis and are expected to perform cleaning duties on a daily basis. However, other families only employ the services of a housekeeper on a more occasional basis, such as once a week or twice per month. The decision to hire a full-time, part-time, live-in, or live-out housekeeper depends upon the size of your home, how often it becomes dirty, how often you entertain guests, and your personal preferences for cleanliness.
Why Household Staffing International Is the Right Choice for Your Housekeeper Search
At HSI, our favorite housekeeper is Alice from the Brady Bunch. We’d love to find you an Alice of your very own to help clean and maintain your beautiful home.
Household Staffing International is a nationwide leader in domestic staffing and highly experienced in placement for housekeeping services. We have been successfully matching domestic and corporate clients with wonderful housekeepers since 1974, and we’ve learned a lot along the way about what it takes to ensure a positive working relationship in a home.
If you are looking to hire a private housekeeper, browse housekeeping candidates in your area on our website and use our online contact form to inquire about a specific candidate. Or to tell us more about your housekeeping needs and request our expertise in finding well-suited housekeeping candidates, please fill out our application.
For those seeking a private housekeeper job, find out how you can join our team. We look forward to working with you and helping you find an amazing family to work with based upon your training and expertise.