Maid, housekeeper, househelp, domestic staff, cleaner, steward… Many times we use these terms interchangeably without realizing or paying extra attention to the fact that they mean different things. Ok…! so what are the differences? Below are some descriptive and unique attributes of the bearers of some of the aforementioned terms:

1. Maid – A maid is an individual who helps out with cleaning and other projects around the home. Maids can be hired on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The products, equipment and supplies they need to get the job done are provided by the family employing the service(s) of a maid. The maid does light cleaning around the home and generally keeps the home organised and neat. Specific examples of the chores of a maid include sweeping, dusting, mopping, washing dishes, doing laundry and folding them away, changing bed linens, preparing meals, running errands for the family, restocking personal care products and toiletries; picking of toys or clutter around the house just to name a few. Maids are not handy men therefore may not required to move around furniture or display pieces or deep clean. Tasks referred to as Deep Cleaning could include cleaning nooks and crannies of the house, deliberate removal of moulds/mildew/grime that build up behind kitchen appliances, toilets,
etc.

2. Cleaner(s) – This is a person or a team of people who come at a scheduled time to clean a house and it environs. It’s really not their job to tidy the surface areas before or after they clean. It’s the homeowners’ responsibility to do that before they arrive so cleaning can be achieved without distractions. Although, most professional cleaners would go the extra mile of tidying and re-arranging; it certainly isn't the norm. While Maids or housekeepers are considered as domestic assistants to specific employers; Cleaners work for multiple clients at locations such as offices, newly built structures and residential areas. Professional cleaners oftentimes bring along their own cleaning equipments, and consumables in the bid to execute a cleaning job. They are expected to deep clean but it must be within the confines of the agreement between the cleaner’s employer and you- the client.
After professional cleaning has taken place, it most likely becomes easier for the client to maintain the work done effectively. Services of a professional cleaner could be requested for as the need arises- daily, weekly, monthly once in a quarter or bi-annually and so on. Their duties include but are not restricted to moving furniture to clean underneath it, scrubbing and sanitizing the kitchen and bathrooms top to bottom, interior window cleaning, taking out the garbage, etc.

3. House Keeper – A housekeeper can be deemed as more senior to the maid that works in your home for longer periods of time. In the medieval times, they were seen as Chief of household staff – a very grand position. In recent times, the role of a housekeeper isn't too different from that of a maid’s. House keepers usually live in the house so they can work daily yet based on the employer’s preference in modern times, they could be “live out” housekeepers (lol, not sure the term exists but we coin it anyway). While people hire maids for specific menial tasks like kitchen work, catering to the needs of the children, etc., a housekeeper could be found to have a more generic role. The house keeper’s job description spans beyond caring for the state of the house but also includes cooking and caring for the kids/pets and any other arrangement you both agree on.
Now you know, finding the right person for your home will be less stressful because you can decide with a bit of ease, the exact kind of domestic staff you need and the right term to call them.

All in all, never lose sight of what you need as that would guide you in the decision of the best staff for you.

Dont forget that you deserve the absolute best of services. Keep smiling!

From: http://maidgist.com.ng/2018/12/is-there-any-difference-between-a-maid-cleaner-and-house-keeper/