If you are living and working in Bangkok, you may have considered hiring a maid. Of course, many of us that come from the west may have had little experience with maids and aren’t totally sure what roles they should perform.
Although the cost of a maid is considerably less in Thailand than in Europe for example, it is still a relatively well-paid job, so you want to be confident that you are getting your money’s worth, while on the other hand, not taking advantage.
One of the best things that you can do as a first step is to contact a company such as ourselves, who specialise in providing professional maids in Bangkok.
If you are looking for a maid in Bangkok, we have all the connections required to help find someone suitable for you, someone that suits your family life and how you like your home to be run.
It will take a lot of the stress away from trying to find an independent maid, possibly without references and someone that you have no idea with regards to their reliability or quality of their work.
At Kiidu, we can help find the perfect maid for you, one that suits your home, your cleaning requirements and household needs as well as your budget.
At this point, we would like to make sure that you understand the roles of a maid and someone who is purely a cleaner are very different although a maid will take on the roles of a cleaner too.
What tasks does a cleaner conduct?
As the name would suggest, the role of a cleaner is almost entirely focused upon cleaning your property.
Depending on how often you require a cleaner to visit, will determine if all tasks are completed in one day, which could be too tiring if you live in a large property, or if roles should be timetabled.
During the cleaning of a domestic property, a cleaner will be expected to complete the tasks outlined below.
- The cleaning of all bathrooms including toilets and shower units
- The cleaning of the kitchen, including hobs and ovens (if applicable)
- Sweeping up internally and, where appropriate, externally such as balconies or terraces
- Mopping of all floors throughout the property
- Dusting and polishing of cabinets, shelves, pictures frames etc.
- The dusting of both low and high-level areas, including removal of cobwebs
- If required, vacuuming of rugs or carpets
- A cleaner should also clean up after herself!
Additional roles sometimes performed
Some cleaners will also be prepared to perform the following functions. However, many of these tasks would more commonly be associated with the services carried out by a maid.
- The washing of dishes and cutlery and putting away in drawers
- Changing of bedding
- Emptying of bins in the kitchen and bathrooms
- Ironing of clothes
- Putting children’s toys away
The Role of Maid
A maid will be expected to perform all of the tasks outlined above, including the additional services. However, she will also be expected to take on other household activities.
Some people will have maids that “live in” while others will visit a few times a week. Often, her living arrangements will determine what other jobs she is expected to do. All maids should be expected to do the following:
- Clean or polish ornaments that may be silver or brass as well as items that may require special attention
- Regular cleaning of internal windows
- Do the families washing and ironing including, where required the putting away of clothes
- To help with occasional additional cleaning such as to clean and de-clutter a room or area
- Clean up after “accidents” in the home
- Inform their point of contact within the family if anything needs ordering (in plenty of time) that they need to perform their role
Should a significant amount of extra work be required, something very different from their regular schedule, your maid may need to forfeit some of that week’s roles or requested additional financial compensation.
It is something that you can discuss with us at Kiidu or with your maid directly. It is vital to remember that your maid is human and will only be physically capable of performing a certain amount of daily tasks!
Additional roles of a visiting maid
There are several roles that you may ask your maid to perform that will also fit within her remit. You may pay extra for these services, or they may be part of her contract. It is crucial that all parties are happy and satisfied with the arrangement, and no one feels like they are being abused.
The additional roles may include:
- Visiting shops or markets to buy for the household such as food or cleaning products
- The preparing and/or the cooking of meals
- Assisting with moving items or objects within the home
- The tendering for plants in the house, on balconies or terraces
- Ad-hoc roles that are required from time to time
Additional functions of a live-in maid
The services of a live-in maid are often far more complex as the person has been welcomed into your home and has almost become one of your family.
However, there must be boundaries to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and gets their own independence, freedom and privacy. There will be a great deal of trust required from both parties to make the professional relationship work.
The additional roles that you would expect a live-in maid to perform include:
- To prepare and cook meals
- To conduct the household shopping
- To repair or alter clothes or get them adjusted (at your expense)
- When required, to care for family pets including feeding and walking
- Clean barbeques after use
Roles our Maids won’t Perform
It is essential that you both understand the roles that your maid is employed to perform. As a professional connector, Kiidu would never accept our maids being asked to do any of the following things:
- Perform tasks that are too heavy
- Do anything dangerous
- Do work for which they are not qualified, for example, electrical work
- Wear “skimpy” or “sexy” clothing to perform their role
- Perform massages
