House Maid Etiquette: The Do's and Don't of Being a Maid

Being a business owner is a responsibility and if you follow proper etiquette, you will find that you don't always have to walk on pins and needles with your clients. Being a maid has taught me a lot, just because I strive for perfection. I wanted to pass along what I think all maids should practice in their business.

Parking: I tend to park the furthest away as I possibly can. It's not proper to pull in the driveway and take a space or block it. The only way that you should do that is if it is raining or you know for a fact that your client isn't coming home. If they are home, definitely don't block them from leaving.

Pets: Greet the pets like they are part of the family, because they are. Learn their names and even bring treats. Earn their trust and you will make a new friend. There is one pet I just can't make friends with. She is a territorial cat. She keeps her distance from me and I still talk to her and call her by name.

You See the Green: Not so fast! You NEVER get paid until you finish your job. One thing that I never do is pick up my check before I finish cleaning. I have a thing against that. It's just poor etiquette. I don't do it even when I know my clients will not be home to see it, simply because it is against my manners.

Clients are Home: Built a relationship! I have one client who is retired and I enjoy coming over and talking to him. He is a retired Major in the Military and he always has so much to share, whether it be his latest home renovations or a current writing project. He also happens to be a writer and author of two books.

Be sure that if they are home, to be very respectful of their space. My client has his own office in which he spends a lot of his time when I am there. I never just go in there and clean. I wait until he leaves from there and then I make sure that it is ok to dust and clean the floor really quickly before he returns. This is just proper maid etiquette.

Of course I should not even have to mention things like snooping through drawers and dressers. Surely no one does that! Never go into any area of the home unless it is a part of what you need to clean. There are proper ways to clean as well and maybe I will hit on that in another article.