14 Pros and Cons of Being a Maid

What was once a lowly profession – maid services or housecleaning – is rapidly growing into a high-demand industry in modern times.

Today there are entire companies offering maid services for both private homes and commercial entities, such as hotels, motels, B&Bs and resorts.

If you enjoy cleaning, organizing and assisting others in maintaining a neat, tidy environment, a career as a maid could be a good fit for you.

Here are some of the pros and cons of this noble profession.

Table of Contents

Pros of Being a Maid
Cons of Being a Maid
14 Pros and Cons of Being a Maid – Summary Table
Should You Become a Maid?

Pros of Being a Maid

There are many aspects of being a maid that make it a positive, productive career choice.

Here are just a few:

High Demand

Dependable maid services are in high demand from both the private and commercial sectors.

If you’re qualified for the job and are diligent in your profession, you’ll not lack for gainful employment.

With good reviews and referrals from satisfied employers, you’ll have no trouble finding jobs that meet your specifications and provide the income you seek.

Your commitment to excellence can help you establish a solid career that will not go unnoticed in this field.

Provides an Invaluable Service to Others

By improving the cleanliness standard of a person’s home or business, maids provide an invaluable service to others.

Your diligent housecleaning services can make it easier for a working mom or senior to maintain a clean, comfortable home environment.

Your thoroughness in cleaning offices can help local businesses run more smoothly by creating a safer, more productive work environment.

Your help and support as a maid can go a long way toward improving the quality of life of your clientele.

Flexible Schedule

If you’re working for the private sector, you have greater leeway in choosing your hours of employment.

A flexible schedule is one of the greatest advantages of being a maid.

If you prefer daytime employment, you can select jobs that allow you to work morning or afternoon shifts so you can be free to spend time with your family in the evening.

If you prefer evening work, you can consider office cleaning jobs after business hours.

You can work part-time or full time to suit your lifestyle and meet your financial needs.

Being Your Own Boss

By establishing your own cleaning company, you can be your own boss and not have to take orders from others.

You set a schedule conducive to your needs that includes time off for fun, rest or travel.

Running your own maid service gives you greater control to establish your customer base, choose a work ethic and determine what services you’ll provide.

You’ll have the freedom to create a positive, stress-free work environment for yourself and any employees you hire in the future.

No Degree Required

If you’ve ever had trouble finding a job due to the lack of a college degree, you’ll be glad to hear that becoming a maid requires no formal education.

Many cleaning companies, hotels, resorts, etc. offer training services for their maids to impart essential skills required for the job.

As you gain experience, you’ll also pick up valuable tips and tricks of the trade that can enhance your career and make you a vital asset to any employer.

Opportunities for Growth

A career as a maid offers room for growth as there are diverse directions you can take in this field.

With experience come opportunities to expand your horizons.

You can set up your own business, offer specialized services or break into new industries that can benefit from the services you provide.

Your career is what you make of it, as the demand is great for responsible, industrious professionals in this field.

Good Exercise

Working as a maid can keep you in shape as there’s so much physical work involved.

You can count on good exercise on the job.

Unlike secretaries or receptionists that sit at a desk all day, maids are constantly on the go sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, washing, polishing and more.

In addition to physical exercise, housecleaning also stimulates you mentally as you’re planning and organizing your work on the go.

Many maids find the hands-on work challenging, productive and stress-free as you see the positive fruits of your labor instantly as the job gets done.

Cons of Being a Maid

On the flip side, there are also disadvantages to choosing maid work as a career.

Some of the cons are as follows:

Strenuous Work

Cleaning a house, B&B or business can be strenuous due to the amount of work that needs to be done.

Not everyone has the stamina to climb up and down stairs carrying laundry or cleaning supplies.

You may also need to carry heavy objects or move hefty furniture to get your work done.

Before accepting a cleaning assignment, make sure you know what’s expected of you to ensure you’re up to the task.

Otherwise, you risk overdoing it, which could lead to an accident, strained back or other health problem.

Fast-Paced Environment

Some cleaning jobs require that you work quickly to keep up with your responsibilities.

This is particularly true of working in hotels, nursing homes or other businesses where there are numerous rooms to clean and organize before new people move in.

Some employers give you a specific timeframe for completing tasks like stripping and remaking beds, sweeping and mopping, sanitizing bathrooms, etc.

If you’re not used to such a fast-paced environment, it can put you under a lot of stress.

Health Risks

As a maid, you’re exposed to harsh chemicals in disinfectants and other cleaning products daily.

These products could cause your skin to break out in hives or trigger respiratory problems.

By using protective gloves, masks and clothing, you can reduce these risks and protect your health.

Hotel work can put you at risk of contracting infectious diseases due to handling soiled towels and linens or other intimate items left behind by hotel patrons.

If you’re required to work long hours or take on extra shifts, you could suffer from fatigue, which increases your risk of accidents.

Low Salary

New maids or those with little experience often start at lower salaries than they’d like.

As you gain experience and prove yourself worthy of the job, you can request higher wages for the services you provide.

With every job, you have the opportunity to build a good reputation that will earn you excellent reviews and recommendations for the future.

The quality services you provide your customers today will pay off with repeat customers in the future.

Over time, you will establish a solid customer base that values the services you have to offer and will pay to keep you on.

Lack of Prestige

Maid work isn’t exactly looked upon as a prestigious profession.

If you’re looking for a job that’s held in high regard by society at large, housecleaning may not be the best choice for you.

Although maids provide an essential service for homeowners, businesses and other commercial establishments, many people tend to look down on the work and those who do it.

The lack of respect for this vocation could hold people back from trying it.

If you’re called to be a maid, however, enjoy the work and feel fulfilled in the services you provide, lack of prestige won’t matter.

Difficult Employers

When you first start out as a maid, you may be less picky about who you work for as your main focus will be establishing your career.

As a result, you may get stuck with a difficult employer that can cause all kinds of problems.

A bad employer may criticize or interfere with your work, make you repeat certain tasks or make unwelcomed sexual comments or advances when they’re around.

You may be “just the maid,” but you don’t have to suffer abuse from an immoral employer.

You can give notice and look for a better job.

Loneliness/Monotony

If you work alone cleaning private homes, your job as a maid may get monotonous or lonely after a while.

Most maid work is done when employers are at work or out of the house.

Even if you work in different households, there’s still little interaction with others and you may miss having people around.

One solution would be to partner with someone else, even if you have to split the profits.

Partnering with others provides companionship and lightens the load to make your work more pleasant and fun.