How to Find Nanny or Housekeeper You Can Trust

Finding a trustworthy and reliable housekeeper is difficult, and it can be confusing knowing where to start.  You want to find someone who has experience, references and will be on time to do some heavy cleaning in your home.  You also want someone your child will get on with – not to mention someone who you’re sure doesn’t have a criminal background or a history of petty theft!  Where should you start looking to tick all of the above boxes?

The first thing to do is talk with your friends and family to see if any of them have a good reference for you.  When you are able to hire someone that has references from people you know and trust, you’ll know what to expect.  Find someone who has a history of cleaning houses, especially places the size of your home, and who has great experience with children (and ideally little ones of her own).

Also, try larger companies that deal in housekeepers for hire, like Molly Maid or Merry Maid.  Many have been in business for decades, and guarantee your satisfaction.  It is often easier to hold them accountable when there are many managers and financial safeguards involved.  You should always make sure that you visit their site or office to see how they screen their employees and what type of background checks they do for housekeeper positions.  Look for testimonials from customers and see if the company will let you contact those people.

While some people choose their housekeeper through newspaper ads, this can be dangerous.  Anyone can start a house-keeping business, write a great-looking ad and make up fake ‘testimonials.’  You have no idea who it is that you are bringing into your home.  Even if they have genuine references, you can’t always trust them, and you’ll have no financial backup if they steal from you or jeopardize the safety of your children or pets. 

When you are putting your children and your home in the hands of someone, you need to be certain that they can be trusted.  Safety and reliability is just as important, if not more, on the quality of work a housekeeper does in your home.