Cleaning Service vs. Hiring My Own Housekeeper

Bliss can help you find the best cleaning service option for your needs

I say it all the time, “I never imagined that my idea of teaching women to clean would birth a non-profit organization and a for-profit cleaning company.” Though the idea was very simplistic, it was the way I knew I could support the women who worked as Housekeepers in Chiang Mai. It was the way to love my neighbor as myself.

Since the opening of the Bliss Mae Baan Network (BMBN) non-profit project in 2014, almost 600 women have attended our housekeeping training course and about 550 of those women have received employment. In 2017, I knew that the number of women seeking employment as a Housekeeper was quickly exceeding the pace that the BMBN network was creating jobs. It was a decision of faith, with expectation, to open The Bliss Clean + Care Co. in order to create a greater number of housekeeping jobs so that any woman seeking a job would have that opportunity.

Our experience assisting women from nine different ethnicities to gain employment as a Housekeeper has given us a wealth of information about their employment needs and expectations that can provide great benefit to employers looking to hire Bliss-trained housekeepers. This means we can help you find the best cleaning service options to meet your needs.

Many people ask me about the pro’s and con’s of hiring a Housekeeper on their own rather than using a cleaning company service. The answer to this question is really based on your cleaning needs and on the amount of time and resources you have to invest in being a cross-cultural employer. Both options have the best results when you have clear communication.

If your greatest need is for a hassle-free, detailed and professional cleaning of your living space–meaning, you are a little picky about how cleaning is done–I would recommend you choose a cleaning company. Hiring a cleaning company for your service will provide clear communication about your cleaning needs through their Customer Service Representatives.

If your cleaning needs are very general–meaning you are not particular about the cleaning method and you are willing to put in the time and effort to communicate clearly with your employee, then you might enjoy the more personal option of hiring your own Housekeeper.

When hiring your own Housekeeper it is important to include someone in the interview process who can clearly communicate in the language of the potential Housekeeper. If you are not able to speak the language (there are several languages used by Housekeepers in Chiang Mai) then I strongly recommend you find a service or a friend who can assist you in the interview process and in the early weeks of her employment. The need for clear communication will be an ongoing part of being a cross-cultural employer and is the most important consideration in this decision. I have seen the impact miscommunication can have on both the employer and employee. It is the single greatest reason the employment doesn’t work out and both sides feel disappointed and frustrated with the relationship.

Bliss is here to make a difference by providing training for the Housekeepers and communication assistance to the Employer so that more and more employment opportunities become stories of joy!