How to Hire a Housekeeper You Can Trust: The Complete Guide

A housekeeper works inside your private life — your wardrobe, your documents, your daily routines. Hiring well is less about cleaning skills and far more about trust, standards and verification.

Where to look

Online platforms offer volume without verification. Referrals offer trust without choice. A specialized agency offers both: a pre-screened pool where every candidate has already passed reference calls, background checks and in-person interviews before you ever meet them.

What to pay in 2026

• Housekeepers: $55,000–$85,000 full-time in major markets
• Executive housekeepers (fine finishes, wardrobe, art): $75,000–$100,000+
• Hourly arrangements: $30–$50 depending on market and scope

The interview questions that matter

• Walk me through how you would care for a marble bathroom.
• Tell me about the longest household you served — why did it end?
• How do you handle discovering something private by accident?
• What cleaning products would you never use on antique wood?

Every Elite Swiss housekeeper passes the full screening — identity, references, background and personal interview — and every placement carries our 12-month guarantee. Tell us about your home, and we introduce candidates you can trust with it.