Households are now coming to realise the advantage of having a live-in housekeeper. Finding the time and the motivation to keep the house clean, sanitary, and organised is increasingly tricky as families’ lives become busier.
With more families giving their time to social activities, raising children, or running their businesses, time for housekeeping is becoming increasingly scarce and an added chore. Most people would admit that cleaning their home is the last thing on their minds, especially if they are involved in one of the activities above.
Coming home from work or a business trip, especially for those with children, or coming home during the school holidays when your young ones are at home all day for six weeks making mayhem, is simply the worst feeling. Everyone wishes they could hire a housekeeper to keep their house in order and provide a pleasant, clean atmosphere in which to live.
History Of The Housekeeper
From the beginning, Norland Nannies were set apart from other nannies, which necessitated the creation of a uniform to make them stand
Domestic service, after farm labourers, was the second most common kind of employment in Britain during the Victorian era. In those days, housework was extremely labour demanding, and both Edwardian and Victorian housekeepers in London and the countryside worked long hours.
In the large homes of London and the countryside, housekeepers used to be one of the most important members of a domestic household hierarchy.
The main female servant was the Housekeeper. She would have been in charge of the household accounts, tradespeople’s bills, the house’s orderly operation, cleanliness, and being in charge of the servants’ quarters. She’d also manage those who would rank below her in the household hierarchy. Fast forward to the 21st century, housekeeping can be undertaken as a profession regardless of gender.
What Exactly Does a Live-in Housekeeper Do?
Cleaning
One of the key vital responsibilities of a live-in housekeeper is to maintain the house according to your family’s needs. This covers daily chores such as dishwashing, vacuuming, and dusting.
Cleaning the bathroom and doing a deep or seasonal clean are larger-scale cleaning tasks. You and your housekeeper will decide on the specific cleaning duties.
It is critical to maintaining a clean house, especially for the elderly or small children who are more susceptible to infection — the more you can do to keep germs away, the better.
Laundry
Clothes may be a physically demanding activity for the elderly with age-related ailments like dementia, and memory loss can cause some individuals to forget to do their laundry. Even those with highly demanding jobs requiring them to be working at all hours and those with newborns who feel fatigued or run down.
Live-in housekeepers will be able to assist you with your laundry needs. They can assist with everything from bed stripping and making to washing your bedding and clothes.
While some people prefer to do their own laundry, a housekeeper is always available to help. They may also assist with ironing and other laundry activities. Laundry should be done on a regular basis to ensure that there are always clean towels, shirts, and linens – all of which contribute to looking and feeling well.
Keeping clean bedding and linens is vital for persons with restricted mobility to reduce the chance of developing sores and ulcers and creating discomfort to sensitive skin.
Pet Care
Having a pet in the house has several advantages. It can aid in reducing stress, the reduction of blood pressure, and the increase of your overall physical activity.
However, when a person becomes older or becomes ill, caring for a pet can become overwhelming. Looking after pets with little ones running around can add extra stress to your life.
A live-in housekeeper may assist with pet care, from walking your dog to ensuring your pets are fed, happy, clean and ensuring they’re not making a mess of your home!
Errands
A live-in housekeeper will also assist with a variety of chores and errands, such as going to the supermarket or the post office. Anything that you’re not able to do in your day to day life due tofor whatever reason.
Entertaining
Having guests over may be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work. When entertaining, there are so many different areas that will need to be organised to consider that it’s easy to get caught up. When you employ a housekeeper, they can massively help you get your home ready and clean so that you can focus on more essential things when entertaining.
Keeping the Peace
An unkempt house is known to lead to increased bickering among family members. When items go missing, become misplaced, or when the house gets disorderly, it can cause significant tension in the home. Employing a housekeeper will help defuse that tension. You’ll notice that your home’s atmosphere has become quieter and more pleasant.
Hiring Tips
Set your standards: It’s crucial to spell out your needs and expectations when putting out your advert. This way, you’ll be sure to only attract qualified candidates who match your requirements, making sorting through applications much more straightforward.
Be Detailed: Include a detailed explanation of all your criteria and as much information as possible regarding the tasks you’re seeking.
- Is the employment mainly focused on daycare with some cleaning and organising thrown in on occasion, or is it primarily a cleaning position with a minor amount of weekly childcare?
- Will you need someone with experience in taking care of the elderly?
Be as specific as possible, and if you’re not sure what the position will involve just yet, be open about it. You never know what you’ll learn while discussing your situation with applicants.
References: It’s always good to double-check that the individual you’re employing has solid, verifiable references to back up their past work experience. They’ll potentially be in your home more than you, and around your loved ones, you want to make sure that they are the best fit for you. Ask for character references from other areas of an applicant’s life, such as educators or past employers, especially if they have no prior experience in this field of work.
