Housemaids – what to look out for before you hire

It’s great to have a little help around the house. And that’s where our housemaids come in - to end our woes.

But when they’re the cause of our headaches, then it becomes a bigger problem.

After hiring housemaids for 8 years now, one local homeowner says there is no such thing as a ‘perfect housemaid’.

 “After my experience, I can say there isn't a really good one out there, and if there is, then she will steal, so never expect them to be perfect,” Fatma A told Emirates 24|7.

She added, “No matter how well you treat them, I've had maids steal from me more than once, and I also discovered one that had multiple affairs and a mobile phone with more than 10 male contacts on it!”

So what’s her advice to others?

“Always treat them well BUT you must keep your valuable items in a strong safe box and place cameras around your home if you have children, no matter how long the housemaid has been employed by you.”

In light of those words of wisdom, we've spoken to eight members of our local community who shared their advice and experiences on the subject at hand – a list that may strike a chord with many.

1 – Hire someone honest

Brad H said his parents trust their housemaid so much to the point that she doesn't really perform any chores when they’re not around.

He added, “I see it, and I tell my parents but they don’t believe me. That’s a big problem when the maid becomes sneaky like that especially when she’s being paid.”

2 - Get ‘average’ lookers if you’re insecure

“Get someone who isn't pretty!” said Noura K, “because they can behave very funny around male visitors.”

She explained that this had become an issue and also caused a few arguments between her and her husband. She had the housemaid replaced after complaining to the agency.

3- Let her know she isn't the boss

Anjali P says her family had hired a few maids in the past and they were pleasant to work with, but there was one she could never forget.

“There was one with a serious attitude problem and actually answered back whenever we asked her to do something. Imagine that! I don’t know why she even decided to become a maid, she acted like she was the boss and she was so rude. We couldn't keep her.”

4- Make sure she hates chillies

Although she’s quite happy with her help, Mariam AH says she makes the whole household cough and sneeze nearly everyday!

“She cooks for herself sometimes which is fine but the big problem with that is everything has to be cooked with strong chillies.”

She added, ”Whatever time of day, it makes us cough and sneeze a lot! So now we insist that she shuts the kitchen door tight whenever she cooks them.”

5- Get someone who isn't overly chatty

Alia M says her family is satisfied with the current help apart from one constant annoyance.

She explains “My housemaid is on the phone a LOT mostly during the week. So you hear her chat away loudly the entire day but on her day off she totally switches off her mobile and it drives me crazy because sometimes we can’t find things and when we have unexpected guests. At least text!”

6- Go cheap on home appliances

One homeowner suggests not to splash out on electronic appliances since they’re going to be used mostly by your housemaid.

Noel B explains “I have shown my maid several times how to use things at home but I really do not know how she ruins them.”

He adds, “I had to replace a few things, like my vacuum cleaner twice, my coffee maker, rather expensive by the way and the iron looks like it’s about to go soon. Now I’m waiting for her contract to end very soon. She’s made me waste a lot of money.”

7 - Get a maid who understands you

Diana S remembers a housemaid from the past that brings a frown upon her face.

“There was a major communication problem. I’ll give you an example of one thing she did that drove us all crazy. If any of our clothes had stains, she would throw them away! She would keep the others in the machine but the stained ones had to go!”

But surely, after explaining it to her, the problem was solved, right?

She explained, “When I told her off, she cried! So I took over that chore. She was a nightmare to deal with!”

8 – On a lighter note, hire someone who isn't a bad liar

Khalid S hired someone who came in during the day to clean up while he was at his office.

But he says whenever he checked the furniture, he still found “dust on certain places even though she’s sure that she cleaned and dusted everything! AND she smashed the corner of my favourite vase, and when I confronted her, she claimed that it was like that already! What’s the point of me getting help when I can do a better job myself? And she was a really bad liar!”

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