A SHort History of PRofessional Housecleaning Part 1

Being a professional housecleaner for over thirty years, I’ve seen a lot of changes in the profession.It’s interesting to think about those changes, which are a reflection of changes in the culture.

When I was a boy in the 50s and 60s there were no housecleaning services. Middle class homes had maids, mainly African-Americans or other minorities, who were employees of the households they cleaned for. Rates were much lower and it wasn’t uncommon for a maid to work in a home 5 days a week. This is part of the history of race relations in our country.

Next installment: the 1970s.