“That’s Where It Hits Off-Limits”: Housekeepers Are Revealing The Things They'll Never Do After Years In The Industry

“After being a housecleaner, the main thing that I would not do is cross the line from treating a client like friends or even family.

“I have had some really bad experiences before that. Because they treated me like family or friends, they felt that they were entitled to certain benefits, almost as if my work was no longer valued the same because I had to give them a deal.

“Also respect was no longer there, which led to several occasions where because those boundaries were crossed … there was no clear line of ‘This is the list of things I do and no more,’ it was like ‘Can you also do … ? Etc.’ The list can go on and on. I feel that it can be like this in many jobs, but I feel more so in a housecleaner situation as it is very personal as you are in their home.” — Ileana Cabrera, a Los Angeles-based housecleaner

5. Have Blinds And Carpeted Stairs

Lisa Sosa of Clean Happy Company posted a TikTok explaining what she would not want in her own home after working as a professional cleaner for nine years:

“I am not going to have blinds in my future home. Those things just collect dust and they are a pain in the ass to wipe, so I’m going either to have the Roman shades or no blinds at all, just really good curtains,” she said, adding later that carpeted stairs are her other big no-no because they are a “pain in the butt.” 

6. Use Chemical Or Strongly Scented Cleaners

“I won’t use strongly scented cleaning products, even if they are marketed as natural, because they give me headaches for two or three days after the job.” —Gail, a New York City-based housecleaner and member of We Dream in Black, an initiative of the National Domestic Workers Alliance that centers the voices of Black, Afro-Latina and Afro-descendant domestic workers

“After working as a housecleaner for so many years, the main thing I do not do anymore is use cleaners with chemicals in my own home. Many of my clients insists on using toxic cleaners in their homes and as I get older, I am getting very concerned about breathing all those chemicals in as well as them absorbing through my skin.

“I now wear gloves at those clients’ houses if I use anything with bleach in it or other harsh ingredients, and make sure to use them in a ventilated area.

“In my own home, I basically make my own cleaners using vinegar, baking soda and maybe a little Dawn dish detergent. You really don’t need cleaners that can take the chrome off a bumper to keep your house clean.” –– San Angelo 

7. Stay At A Privately Owned Vacation Rental Like Airbnb

Tiffany Williams, a Granger, Indiana-based housecleaner, said on TikTok that one of the biggest things she will not do after working as a housecleaner is to stay at a privately owned vacation rental, like an Airbnb. 

“I’ve been in a lot of Airbnbs over my sixteen years of doing this. I’ve seen a lot of neglected Airbnbs, I’ve seen a lot of mold in dishwashers, coated ceiling fans, vent fans barely functioning, gross stuff on walls, boogers on bed skirts,” Williams said. “I’ve seen it all, and I personally would never stay at a vacation rental.”

8. Have Grout With Small Tiles In The Backsplash Of My Kitchen

Housecleaner Alyssa, who works in the Oakland, California, and Macomb County, Michigan, area, shared that after working as a housecleaner, she would not have many small tiles with a lot of grout in her ideal kitchen backsplash, because of how hard they are to clean. 

“Grout is annoying, it requires maintenance, and it’s in your kitchen. It’s going to get a lot of buildup and grease,” Alyssa said, “I would opt for a slab … There’s no grout and you could match it with your countertops. That’s what I would opt for.” 

9. Get Paid Unfairly