Maid Service Isn’t What It Used To Be

Maid service is quite common around the world, as it is commonly found in hotels and private residences alike. In years past, however, it was more than just common, it was standard.

Maids in the 21st century aren’t typically live-in servants. While some cultures and more affluent individuals and families around the world still do hire live-in servants to perform maid service, they are more typically hired for periodic work around the house. These types can work for themselves and hire out their services individually or work for an agency that contracts work out to clients in need of periodic work done at their residence.

In hotels, maid service is standard for all rooms and establishments typically maintain a staff that handles all cleaning and laundering duties on a regular basis. These are standard employees who report for work on a regular schedule and typically do not take up residence in the hotels they work in.

For many centuries, none of these practices were common. Much to the contrary, maid service as it existed in the past was often defined by servants who were hired by an individual or family and acted almost as a de-facto member of the family at times. He or she lived in the house or on the grounds of an estate and was responsible for regular cleaning duties and other responsibilities on a full-time basis.

This type of arrangement, which is rare today, was so common in years past that maids were often hired for a specific specialty or rank that gave them a fixed position within the house. These positions not only outlined duties, but also status.

Lady’s maids were senior servants who worked specifically for the lady of the house, sometimes even accompanying her wherever she went. From there, additional house maids were of a lower status and were more specifically resigned to various tasks, but still typically ranked higher in terms of status than other hired help.

The parlour servant typically cleaned living rooms and other areas where visitors might be seated before serving afternoon tea and refreshments each day. They were also often charged with maintaining the cleanliness and order of studies and libraries within the home.

The chamber servant was entrusted with the bedrooms, ensuring fires were lit in fireplaces to keep them warm and that all necessary sundries were prepared for members of the household to wash up before bed.

The laundry servant did exactly that, ensuring laundry services were completed and that bedding and towels were cleaned and prepared for use.

Other servant types that made up standard maid service in past years were trusted with additional responsibilities such as tidying up children’s areas, maintaining the kitchen, preparing food, washing dishes and sometimes a combination of all of these tasks. Nonetheless, however the duties were divided up, these services were far and away more standard and common than they are today.