Maid Service House Cleaning as a Lifestyle Change

From 1960 to 2012, dual income households grew from 25 percent of the households in the U.S. to 60 percent. This change to the family dynamic has had some major impacts on our society, especially concerning our home lives. Fast and convenience food industry has grew and shopping online is the preferred approach. House cleaning and maid service aren’t reserved for just the wealthy anymore. Two-income households routinely hire others to clean their homes.

Women have long shouldered the responsibility for keeping the house clean and tending to the family’s personal needs. But with more of them in the labor force, they have far less time to clean and cook, hence the rise of house cleaning and maid service, primarily in large, thriving urban areas like the Chicago metro area.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keeps track of people employed in the cleaning professions, which includes house cleaners. They estimate that there were 5.49 people employed in the greater Chicago area in cleaning services for every 1,000 total workers in 2017.

By comparison, Alaska’s ratio of cleaning service workers to the total employed was 1.30 per every 1,000. This means that families in Chicago are much more likely to use a cleaning service than those in Alaska.

Who Does the Work

Women have always had the responsibility of keeping the house clean. It’s no wonder that as female participation in the labor force has increased, the number of employees in the home deep cleaning and maid service sector has grown at a rate that tracks consistently with the rise of two-income households.

An article from the 1988 Chicago Tribune quoted the original owners of Merry Maids who said that demand for domestic cleaning services started in the early 1970s and blossomed in the 1980s. More married women took full-time jobs out of economic necessity or to achieve personal fulfillment.

As family incomes grew, time-strapped women turned to house cleaning services, and since then, cleaning services have thrived. Between the demands of the job, the time spent commuting and raising children, having a trusted house cleaning service frees up time that’s better spend elsewhere.

Current State of the Housecleaning Industry

The cleaning industry has adapted its practices to today’s lifestyles. People have the option to use their services on an ongoing basis or for special events or whenever they don’t have the time or the ability to clean something.

• Carpet cleaning. This is a cleaning service that requires special soaps and equipment to both clean and protect the fibers.
• Party preparation and cleanup.
• Special cleaning projects. Deep cleaning after a home accident like a plumbing leak often takes a good deal of time and tools. Relying on a professional service means the job will be done properly with little risk of permanent damage to your home. Window washing is another seasonal task you may want to delegate, especially if you live in a multi-story home.
• Move-in and move-out services. It’s a lot of work to move, and if you need to clean your home before you vacate or move in, it’s much easier to have a house cleaning and maid service do the work for you.

House Cleaning, and Health, and Safety

When house cleaning and maid service started to grow in the 1980s, little was known about the cleaning supplies used to clean homes. The 1970s and 80s were a period when people started to associate the environmental effects of products used for everyday living with human, animal and the planet’s health. Since then, scientists have identified commercial cleaning products as hazardous, although they’re still in wide use today.

Euro-Maids of Naperville stays current with health and indoor air quality (IAQ) issues and avoids using cleaning products that produce pollutants. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the most common causes of indoor pollution associated with many products, especially those used for cleaning and home remodeling. Fortunately, alternatives are available for house cleaning and maid service that are natural.

Health isn’t their only concern. Euro-Maids of Naperville runs complete background checks on everyone it hires. It also uses a foolproof system for home security in both our office and your home. Our company is fully bonded and insured.

Bottom Line

If you’re stressed for time, give EuroMaids of Naperville a call. We’re bonded and insured and use the safest cleaning products for your home. Whether you need a hand keeping your home clean on a regular basis, have an emergency cleaning project, or need a special service, EuroMaids can help you.