How to Hire a Maid

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 7, 2021 References

If you're thinking about hiring a maid, there are some simple ways you can make sure to pick the best one for your needs. If you know other people who have a maid, ask them for recommendations, or go online to read the reviews of maid services near you. Make sure your maid is bonded and insured and check their personal references to be sure they're the right fit. Be clear and polite when telling your maid which services you're looking for so both of you are happy with the experience.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing a Reliable Maid

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Hire an independent maid for a less expensive option. An independent maid works for themselves, not a company. Since they're only responsible for themselves, independent maids are often cheaper than maid companies, but they do have downsides too. It may be more difficult to find out the details about an independent maid's training or background, so you'll want to look at their reviews more heavily to see if they come recommended.^{[1]
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- Type "independent maids near me" or something similar into an online search bar to find maid options to look through.
2
Choose a maid company for better accountability. Maid companies have multiple maids working under one supervisor, meaning they've likely gone through an application process and have been vetted. Maid companies are often more expensive and might not be as flexible in regards to your cleaning wishes as an independent maid.^{[2]
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- Look for maid companies near you online to find out the prices of each one.
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3
Ask friends and family members for a referral. If you have friends, family members, or coworkers who have a maid, ask them who they use if they like how they clean. They’ll be able to tell you details about the maid like how much it might cost and how good of a job they do.^{[3]
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- Post on social media asking friends and family members for maid recommendations, or talk to your coworkers about a maid service they’ve used and liked.
- Some maids may even offer you a discount if you are referred to them by someone you know.
4
Go online to view reviews for maid services near you. Another way to find great maids is to do an online search. Type in something like “maid services near me” to pull up a list of results, and pay careful attention to the reviews to see if the maid service comes recommended.^{[4]
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- Look at the reviews on their own company page, on their Facebook page, or even on websites like Yelp to see whether they do a good job or not.
5
Pick a maid that’s bonded and insured. This helps protect you as well as your maid. Choosing a maid that’s bonded and insured makes sure that your possessions are protected from theft and accidental damage. Check the maid’s website to see if they’re bonded and insured, or call to ask them if you’re not sure.^{[5]
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- It also protects your maid if they have an injury while cleaning your house so neither of you have to pay out of pocket.
6
Find out about their training and references before hiring them. Since you’re letting this person into your home, it’s important to figure out beforehand if they’re trustworthy and reliable. Ask the potential maid about their training and past experiences cleaning, and consider doing your own background check on them. Ask for the contact information for a couple of their professional references so you can talk to their past employers.^{[6]
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- If you’re hiring your maid through a company, they’ve likely already done a background check on the maid.
- There are websites you can use to conduct background checks on people, though some of them will require a fee. For a more informal background check, try typing their full name into Google to see what comes up, such as their social media pages.
- Call or email the maid's professional references, telling them why you're calling and asking questions about whether the maid was on time, the quality of the cleaning, and so on.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Deciding on a Price and Services

1
Look to see which cleaning services they provide. While most maids will offer the general cleaning services like vacuuming or cleaning bathrooms, some won’t do things like wipe down windows or clean things involving heights. Check their list of services online, or call to ask questions about the specific services you’re looking for.^{[7]
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- For example, some maids will do your laundry and fold it for you while others won’t.
- This is also a good time to check whether they bring their own equipment or if you need to provide certain things depending on which services you’re asking for.
2
Check to see how much it costs to hire them. Some maids charge by the hour while others have a flat rate depending on the size of your home and which services you’re requesting. Call the individual maid or maid company, or visit their website online, to find out the details about their pricing.^{[8]
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- For example, a maid might charge $50 per hour to clean, or $90 for 800 square feet.
- Price out several different maids to find the best option for your needs.
3
Have the maid do a walkthrough of your house to get a price estimate. This is the best way to get an accurate idea of how much it will cost you to hire a maid for your specific house or apartment. Schedule a time for the maid to come look at your home, and while you’re walking through, point out the rooms you’d like cleaned as well as the specific services you’re looking for.^{[9]
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- The walkthrough is also a good time to bring up anything you’re concerned about, such as being super gentle with the china cabinet or making sure the kitchen sink is extra clean.
- Once the walkthrough is over, the maid will have a better idea of how many hours it would take to clean your home as well as what the price would be.
4
Choose how often you’d like the maid to clean your home. If your house tends to get dirty quickly due to pets running around or children playing, you might ask the maid to come every week. Otherwise, having the maid come once every 2 weeks, or even once a month, will give you a deep clean when it’s needed.^{[10]
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- How often the maid comes will also depend on your personal cleanliness preferences as well as your budget.
5
Ask which cleaning supplies the maid uses and see if they bring their own. Talk to your maid about which type and brand of products they use on different surfaces to make sure they have a product for each thing you'd like cleaned, such as floors, windows, and bathroom counters. This will give you an idea of which products will be used throughout your house when the maid comes.^{[11]
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- Most maids bring their own supplies, but some might need you to offer your own, which is why it's important to check beforehand.
6
Offer your own cleaning supplies to reduce the price. While most maid services bring their own supplies to use, feel free to ask yours if you can provide the cleaning supplies if you’d like. This is a good idea if you have certain products you like to use in your house, and it often makes the cost of the maid service go down since they’re not having to use their own supply of products.^{[12]
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- For example, if you only wanted to use bleach-free products in your home, it would be a good idea to tell your maid this and provide the cleaning supplies for them to use.
- Before deciding on a set price that you’ll pay the maid, ask them what the different in cost would be if you supplied your own cleaning products, if desired.
7
Decide whether you'd like the maid to do a deep clean or a basic clean. Choose whether you'd like a basic clean, including things like vacuuming and wiping down the kitchen, or a deep clean, involving dusting, mopping, and a more thorough cleaning of your home. Talk with your maid about exactly which rooms you'd like cleaned and if you're looking for extra things like washing and folding the laundry.^{[13]
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- You might write out a list for your maid of which rooms should be cleaned and what services you're asking for in each room. For example, a bedroom might need vacuuming, dusting, and the bed to be made.
- The more services you ask your maid to complete, the higher the price will likely be.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Figuring out the Logistics

1
Create a contract with your maid to put everything in writing. If you hire your maid through a large company, it's possible that they will already have a contract that you can help create and sign. If you're hiring an independent maid, consider writing up a contract detailing which services the maid is expected to complete, how much you'll be paying them, and protocol for different scenarios like the maid not showing up or damaging a piece of furniture.^{[14]
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- Go online to find examples of maid contracts, as well as contracts you can even fill in with your own information to make the process easier.
- Some maids may have created their own contracts for you to sign.
2
Communicate with the maid if they're late or don't show up. If your maid is late or doesn't show up at all, try calling or texting them to see what happened. It's possible that they got stuck in traffic or held up in some other way, so avoid jumping to conclusions and try to communicate with them first. If you can't reach them, refer to your contract for the proper protocol.^{[15]
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- For example, maybe in your contract it says that if your maid doesn't give notice that they're not coming when they're supposed to, they'll be charged a small fee.
- If you hired your maid from a company, try contacting the company to tell them your maid hasn't shown up and see if they know where they are.
3
Pay your maid on the day they clean your home. Once your maid has finished cleaning, it's customary to pay them right then, most often using a check. If you won't be home when your maid is finished, leave their payment on a kitchen counter or some other visible place and let them know to take it.^{[16]
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- If you and your maid have agreed that they'll be paid in cash or through an app, this is fine too.
- If you hired a maid through a service, they may have a certain way they'd like the maid to be paid, so check with them before your maid starts working for you.
4
Give your maid a W-2 form for them to help fill out their taxes. As an employer of the maid, you'll need to keep track of how much you're paying the maid and how often to compile a W-2 form. This will help both of you when it comes time to do your taxes.^{[17]
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- If you're using a maid company, ask them for details regarding taxes so you're sure to do them properly and according to their protocol.