Words Matter: Why We Say Housekeeper, Not Maid

There are lots of things that make Vella different. But this post isn’t about a sales pitch, marketing buzzwords, or shiny before and after pictures.

This is our creed.

Comparing our business to other house cleaning services, one of the biggest and most obvious differences is that we don’t use the word “maid.” We call our employees Housekeepers, and that’s not just because of the handy alliteration with “Vella”

Housekeeping is a skill. Any person with a home to clean can tell you that. It requires knowledge of products and protocols, of services and surfaces. Which cleaner should you use where, and why? How do you address pet hair on sofas? Mold in your shower? What about grease in ovens that just won’t budge? And how do you do all of this while still avoiding the use of harmful chemicals in the home?

These are things all of our Housekeepers are trained in. Each new hire goes through an extensive training and vetting process by our expert Housekeepers, who boast years of experience achieving housekeeping excellence. And because of that expertise, we believe our Housekeepers, our skilled workers, deserve to be paid well. That’s why we pay well above the industry average – an average that we believe is unjust given the talent it takes to clean a house well.

That brings us back to why we don’t use the word “maid.” Take a moment and visualize a maid. What do you see? Someone in an old black and white uniform? Maybe the term isn’t as outdated or snooty as “the help,” but it’s not far off. What about a Housekeeper? A Housekeeper is a person with skill, with knowledge — with organization, urgency, and the expertise to match. We’re a female owned and operated business, proud to employ women (and one man!) as Housekeepers. Our Housekeepers deserve a dignified profession with an appropriate title that allows them to support their families and feel proud of the job they do.

So maid? No thanks. We prefer something more elegant. Something honorable. We are Housekeepers.