I was once a scientist in the field of Aerospace. After some time I grew stagnant, I missed my son. I worked long hours and due to the demand of the industry my hours were long. Often times requiring me to work weekends and miss my son's youth. At the time, I told myself these were normalized items and that "my time" would come. You know the time. Your slice of the Americana dream? When you pay your dues through time, patience, and work effort and some day, your reach your space where you have earned your plot of USA> the house, the fence, the car, the vacation, the happy kid. Well, that never came. The divorce came. The work demands kept coming, overtime piled up and the bills did as well, and I was in a loop. Work, save, pay, sleep, repeat. No time for fun, or love, or me, or son. And slowly I noticed in time. I was.....ignorant. Because I had no time for learning or hobbies, or me, or others. Only the system of work and bills and housing. But unknownst to me during this time I had something, a tad of respect. I had science, my home, a "career." Even thought I was lonely, never home, my yard was tattered, ignorant and my son was a 'latch-key kid', my title of science gave me some ladder of dignity and respect. I felt so empty.
So I left and started a cleaning company. Doing what I spent the least amount of time doing in my own life, but missed and loved doing the most. A one woman show. I went back to school, suddenly I was the 'boss' and had control over my own schedule. I looked at my son and realized after so many lost years, he was now a MAN, almost 17. But something deplorable happened as well. NO ONE WANTS TO PAY ME AND THEY TREAT ME LIKE DIRT. Serious. I research the property rentals I clean on various channels. Most of them make over five hundred a night per rental night, before taxes, and book for days at a time. SO a three night stay is 1500 alone. The cleaning fee? $50. Do I get a tip? NO! Do I take that job? NO! My hourly cleaning rate in my demographic for rental/airbnb units is $37.
What also bothers me about property rental managers and airbnb owners is that you call small business owners/private cleaning companies like myself and think we are desperate for work/available at all hours/ on demand. NO. Do you want someone in your property 'on demand' you are paying $50 to clean it while unattended? I understand that emergencies happen, and the world moves quick and services are needed, but you have to be prepared and have vetted cleaners on hand. Do your dillegence. For instance, I do mine. I research every property I go to before I go on every rental portal. I do not accept a job in a hurry. I have invested a lot of time and energy into my solutions, equipment, insurance, affiliations, and while I may not be so great at websites, social media, marketing, and advertising, I am getting there. Property owners, do you really want to be paying someone $50 when it may take them eight hours to potentially clean up after a messy group of vacationers? Do you think a person who accepts $50 and is a private entity has their own insurance? IF you are paying that price point, I hope you are hiring a commercial company.
Property owners/airbnb owners, if you chose to hire private cleaners to go a money saving route, please properly vet us. Make sure your cleaner is affiliated, background checked, insured, and pay them accordingly. If they are not, the risk is yours, make sure they get applicable tips. We are not a "utility" company so please don't leave the invoice of a private cleaning company in your email or on your desk until the end of the month when you pay your bills. Would you pay your mechanic or waitress for service at the end of the month? No, the bill is due at time of service please.
People, stop treating service workers like undereducated marginilized unskilled workers desperate to make a dollar. We all come to spaces for a reason. I leave you with Mike Rowe. And remember, next time you see a 'maid', she could be me, with a Mustang GT in her garage, listening to Voltaire through her headphones and studying for her MBA at night, and no, I do not scoop cat boxes, handle animal waste, or rush out at 8pm because your other maid did not show up and you need your place cleaned by 9pm, surprisingly so, it does take "no more" than a half hour to clean. Oh, and I charge a 20% differential for weekends, because I am worth it. You are as well.
https://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs?language=en
