house cleaner

housekeeper

cleaner

intendente

dependiente comercio

Merry Maids

My overall experience at Merry Maids has been a mix of good and bad experiences. The girls were all easy going, friendly, and for the most part, nice to work with. Management on the other hand, was not as smooth sailing. It's nothing personal towards them because they truly are nice people..but their communication skills were awful. Not only with the girls in the field trying to reach them, but between themselves as well. Sometimes I would get to a customers home and even get yelled at for either showing up at the wrong time, or not performing a task that they specified to management. We are only to perform the duties that appear on our service reports...but if management neglects to add a task or note, it doesn't get done. In their defense, management is severely understaffed, but the employees will always suffer for their mistakes because we deal with the customers directly.

This job is definitely a team effort. Even if you clean solo, you have to do your part. That means being reliable and showing up for work. When you don't show up, you screw everyone because now they have to clean your houses. Management does everything in their power to never have to "reschedule" a customer. So they saddle those extra houses on employees who already have full days, in order to meet their quota. Thus over working their employees..So yea, calling off is a good way to get on everyone's bad side.

The best part about this job is being able to drive around in your own car from place to place, especially in the summer. That sense of freedom and mobility is why I stayed as long as I did. The cleaning is straight forward and simple, but if you don't like to clean and can't handle gross things, this isn't the job for you. If you aren't willing to clean properly and work hard, or plan on doing a half baked job in oder to finish faster, don't apply. When you do a rush job, someone else has to go back (for free) and clean everything you missed. But if you can stick to the training videos and use the proper equipment, you're golden. 

The pay here is ok, but it could be a lot better. It's great for someone just entering the work force or in need of some quick cash, but it's not a career position. You don't move up, and even if you do like I did, they still try to keep you cleaning for as long as possible. I advanced to Quality Control Manager almost a full year ago, and was promised a position in the office with no more house cleanings...I was still made to clean 3 (sometimes 4) out of the 5 days I worked a week, all the way up until I left. My title was Quality Control Manager, and yet I was performing not only my regular solo cleaner duties, but the added Quality Manager tasks as well. I was cleaning, responding to emails and complaints, driving all over for in home quality inspections, keeping files and notes on each individuals progress, restocking equipment between stores, training new hires, etc. All for only a dollar more than what I was making as just a solo cleaner...it was infuriating, stressful, and I decided that it was worth it anymore. 

So yea, what ever you do, don't try to move up in this company. Be a solo cleaner for a year, then LEAVE. That is my advice to you. Any longer than that, and you're trapped in a job that leads to nowhere without a shred of transferable experience in a career that actually matters.

A typical day at Merry Maids in Poulsbo begins with driving to the office to receive your supplies, schedule, and team assignment for the day. There is little consistency in scheduling, so employees often do not know their workload or team members until they arrive. Once prepared, employees use their personal vehicles (or a coworker’s) to transport cleaning equipment and travel between multiple homes throughout the day. After completing all scheduled cleanings, employees must return to the office to sanitize their gear in preparation for the following workday.

During my time in this role, I have learned the importance of advocating for oneself in the workplace. The job requires a high level of physical labor, driving, and memorization, yet the compensation does not adequately reflect the workload. At $18 per hour with no benefits and poor mileage compensation, the pay is lower than that of other cleaning companies in the area that offer higher wages for fewer responsibilities.

In terms of management, communication can be a challenge. The owner is only occasionally present in the office, and when she is, meetings often occur and take 30 to 45 minutes, which can delay the start of the workday. Employees are required to arrive at 8:30 AM, but due to these meetings and other factors, work may not begin for an extended period. Additionally, there is no on-site manager available for daily concerns, so all communication must go through the sole office staff member, which can lead to occasional miscommunication between employees, clients, and management.

The workplace culture can feel unstructured at times. Since schedules are not provided until after arriving at the office, it can be difficult to plan and manage the day efficiently. Additionally, while the company states that shifts are from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, employees frequently work past this timeframe, sometimes returning home as late as 6 or 7 PM.

The most difficult aspect of the job is the level of responsibility compared to the compensation. Employees are expected to complete a significant amount of physical labor, drive between multiple job sites, and manage schedules—all without benefits—while other cleaning companies offer better pay for similar or less demanding work.

The most rewarding part of the job is interacting with clients. Many customers are kind and appreciative, and providing them with a service can be a fulfilling experience. However, for those considering employment with Merry Maids in Poulsbo, it is important to be aware of the job expectations, scheduling structure, and compensation before applying.

When a company has to sell themselves to you during the interview rather than expect you to impress them, consider that a huge red flag. In my case, I was desperate for a job.

Merry Maids is able to pay so little because everything is provided for you: supplies, insurance, guaranteed hours. To me it would be worth paying for your own supplies and licensing to run your own housecleaning business.

They give you a time limit on the houses you clean. Granted, a lot of the houses mainly needed minor upkeep, but there were some houses that really took advantage of their beginning quote and loved to make messes for us. I believe there were some locations that the management took on that were too much for our team and we didn't have the proper equipment to complete the job, but of course, typical corporate politics...it all came down to money.

As much as they tried to re-train me, no matter what I did or how hard I tried it never met their expectations. I was either doing too much or too little. It was very difficult to meet the middle. The team leaders were very cliquey and made the other team members (including myself) feel that they couldn't have a friendly work relationship with them.

I was told every day the last couple of weeks I worked there that if they weren't already understaffed they would have canned me. How is that supposed to make me feel? It certainly didn't motivate me to do any better.

My last day working there we were working on a house with VERY high vaulted ceilings. I'm talking 3-4 stories high. There were some cobwebs that our shopvac just barely had enough extensions to get them. It took me almost 15 minutes (too much time) to get all the cobwebs. By the time we were checking our work before leaving, the cobwebs had returned. It IS possible that spiders re-web in a matter of minutes! But I was accused of never cleaning them up. In addition to not dusting a vanity with 1000 perfume bottles in under 10 minutes, I was sentenced to wait out in the vehicle until the team leader was done correcting my mistakes. We don't get paid by the hour, we get paid per house. The less time it took to clean, the more money we made per hour.

I felt dehumanized having to sit out in the truck feeling shamed and useless. I left! I took a bus back home! They call me wondering why I didn't say anything or why I didn't stick around! What they did to me was borderline abuse. 

Unless you like to work your hardest for barely any pay, use your own vehicle for barely any reimbursement, brown-nose in order to feel accepted...then this is the job for you.

The only thing I liked about this job was having weekends and evenings off.

Having come from an abusive sales job when I applied to Merry Maids (and not having prior professional cleaning experience), I was really scared about what I was getting myself into, not knowing how much I would come to love it.

The work is physically demanding, but is satisfying and rewarding in most situations. Management at the time of writing this is supportive and proactive in maintaining a positive, and healthy work environment, and is the only boss I've had that truly and actively valued my mental and physical health-- allowing time off when needed without ever evoking guilt. Management has never asked me to work overtime. Coworkers have always been friendly, cooperative, and fun to be around. I have made some really great friends working here that I intend to keep for a long time.

It is very easy to grow and progress in this job. I was offered the position of team captain only a few weeks into my employment, and while I felt I struggled to fit into the role at first, I was given the time and support to figure it out at my own pace. Mistakes I made were handled with grace and understanding; I was never made to feel guilty even if it cost the business a client. I feel this made me out to be a great captain moving forward, and helped me build a lot of self worth and confidence in my skills as a cleaner, and as a leader. I've also had the pleasure of watching my coworkers go through the same thing, and growing into some of the best captains Merry Maids have ever had.

I love this job, but it's not for everyone. It involves some hard work and expects contribution from every team member whether that be a quality clean, or just a positive and professional attitude. I just know that for me, it was extremely beneficial for my mental health, paid better than the retail jobs I had before, and helped me develop as a person by giving me a strong support group to build me up. I will be moving on to school and finding a career very soon, but I will miss this job along with my coworkers, managers, and clientele very much.

The short of it is: If you are a genuinely kind and friendly person who is good with people and okay with working hard, you will thrive here.

I hope this is helpful for someone who is unsure about taking a chance with Merry Maids.

You're paid hourly, plus commission, and mileage reimbursement.  I was guaranteed $4**/wk. Only time I came close to that was when I worked 5 days, & not my usual 3 days a week.  Be prepared to work a job or jobs for your co-worker if they call in sick.  Everyone is always 'sick' at some point working here.  No one wants to work 5 days a week.  It takes its toll on you physically.  You're promised a bonus, which you won't see until a fellow employee bugs the owner about it.  Co-vid bonuses added a nice and much needed bump up in my paycheck.  The more you bust your bottom, the more you make.  So basically doing 3 houses, 5 days a week will barely bring food on your table or pay your bills.  You're paid weekly which was nice.  No benefits, except for free water during the summer months.  You get pulled from accounts without verbal communication from the owner.  You find out from your co-worker that they are doing the residence you used to do.  Communication and a constant sense of what-in-the-world-am-I doing-this-for feeling is felt right up until you quit.  If you're looking for mind-numbing work, look no further.  It was flexible with my lifestyle, but there also isn't much discipline if you're absent a lot.  I was told that 'they' always need people and that you won't get fired.  So people tend to take that for granted.  The clients you have for the day determines the day for you.  Some are ridiculously unrealistic with what they expect you to do, and others play passive/aggressive games with you, as they avoid you like the plague.  Occasional tips are nice and you get to work alone, which is super nice if you aren't particularly fond of people.  One-time cleans are the WORST!  Be prepared to see a lot of nastiness: old food, bugs, and lots of junk that will take you 2+ hours to complete.  At least with these accounts, you have a teammate.  The owner doesn't know the first thing about cleaning, and takes the longest to do simple cleaning tasks.  Plus, they will show up late after you've already cleaned a decent amount, or leave early...leaving you with a ton left to clean.  I got my life back when I left.  Anyone deserves better than this poorly-run operation.  Best of luck!


Honestly, this has been the worst job I have been in and that says a lot. It wasn’t even about the cleaning; that part was just fine. It’s not hard, just fast-paced and that’s something that comes with time when you learn a routine (but don’t think that it’s light work either). It was about the management and some of the staff.

The benefits under the job listing didn’t even exist… PTO and overtime? When I got there, one of the staff told me that they don’t receive PTO and that they’re lucky to get 40 hours if they can. And as for your performance bonuses, if you go over the time limit to clean a house, they take money out of that to compensate. And yes, you’re off holidays, but it’s not paid. However, you do get paid to drive.

They expect people with no experience to clean just as fast as their counterparts during training. Prior to my training, management reassured me that I would get the hang of it after a few weeks and my team captain said that they’ll understand if we take long because we were new. On the first house, my team captain was disappointed we went over our time and would repeatedly tell us to clean faster over the day. But.. they also needed time for us to stop so they could explain things in further detail. I understand that the captain was stressed and just wanted us to do our best but really… it was our first day. Only on our first house, they were pessimistic and thought we wouldn’t make it to all our houses after seeing us clean the first one. Management is stressing everyone out. 

It’s true that they made some of the staff work too many houses and now it’s only a few. It’s also true that many people leave not long after (🙋‍♀️). My team captain was one of the longest employees there and they were only there for a few months. 

Don’t work here unless you absolutely have to. If you do, you at least get above 30 hours a week and get paid more if you drive. You get a 30 minute unpaid lunch break too, so take all of that as you will. I was actually excited to learn and make people feel better about their homes, but I can’t do that if the company itself makes everyone feel horrible. 

The job requires a lot of labor, time, and patience. 

Sometimes you can have a super simple day while other times, it's really stressful. 

In short, you will come to work in a car (have to have a car) , find out whose house/apartment/business you're cleaning (usually 3 places), you might be with a partner or by yourself. Load up the car with equipment.  A lot of driving is involved. Depending on the place- you can be there for 1 hour up to 6 hours or more. Once, you're done with all the places you clean, you head back to the office, drop off the equipment and you're free to go home and ready to start the whole day over again.  

I think the hardest part of the job is never knowing what your day will be like (sometime you might get off at 1pm- other times, it's 6pm). So if my family ask "what time do you get off tomorrow?", I always say I don't know. 

The most enjoyable parts for me would be meeting all types of people, having the ability to work by yourself and with a partner, not being stuck in a space for too long (like an office or store), and being able to take the things I learned from the job and become faster and better at cleaning my own house. 

They can work with you with scheduling and days off but you must tell them ahead of time and they can only help to a certain degree. For example, if you ask to go from full-time to part time, that's okay but if you're sick, they won't give you that many sick days. Sometimes, it depends on your attitude and how hard working you are. 

If you think this job will be easy and you never worked for a fast-pace  cleaning company before, this job might not be for you.

 Worked at his location for many years. When you first start,  management will treat you so nice, they will put on their best “make them think we care act”. They will “fast track” you through training and make sure  they praise you and remind you how great it is that you’re being fast tracked to that promotion to team captain. After you get your team captain promotion they’ll give you “special houses, jobs, special customers” and make sure you think it’s because they think so highly of you that they’re giving you these great opportunities. They offer bogus incentives that are almost impossible to get or will bribe you to do extra work with gift cards. The insurance they provide isn’t real, it’s like Aflac, in my case the state saw that it was only prescription coverage so I still qualified for public aid thankfully. They will give you more work than you can handle, and expect you to run through homes so you can get 3-4 homes done everyday by yourself. You will make the company between $300-$500 a day and will be lucky to see more than $120 of that and that’s ONLY if you get the work done in a certain time frame to make a bonus, if you don’t make that bonus regularly they will say it’s because your times are slow and expect you to start doing less quality work so you can work faster to be able to clean more homes. It’s all a racket honestly and you will be treated like a robot. You will be guilted into working when you’re sick or told to bring your sick children to the office instead of staying home to care for them. When you don’t stay in line with what they “expect” they will make your job harder and harder with the intention of forcing you to quit so they don’t have to pay you unemployment. They will harass you and exploit you with every opportunity they are given. They will make you sign a non compete contract which is now illegal in the state of Illinois and tell you that they will sue you if you clean outside of their company for a year from your leaving the company. Do not work here. 

My days started at 7 am at the store base. I was hired in being told that I would make $10 an hour plus commission. The $10 an hour is just your first week of training. After that you make ONLY commission. I worked there for 3 months and only had my own houses (typically 3 a day unless one was huge) a handful of times. You don't make any money when you co-clean a house because you have to split the commissions with the other person helping you clean. And when my coworkers had to share a house with me, they were never that happy because that means less money in their pockets. The pay is not fair in my opinion for the amount of work that they require you to do. The workplace tried to encourage us to work together, but due to the little money any of us ever made that was next to impossible. We were all highly competitive, which can be nice in certain work environments. But when you pair that with the customers we were cleaning for, it helped to create an environment where I became concerned for my mental health. It was not uncommon for a customer to call the store after we had cleaned a house to tell our bosses that we had done nothing when we had just spent anywhere from 4 to 8 hours cleaning any given house. And if that wasn't all the worst of it I wasn't even allowed to go find another job in the cleaning services industry for somewhere between 1 or 2 years! Thankfully I had nothing holding me back from getting a better job, but I was concerned for any others who felt like they had no place else to go due to personal histories. There were some good aspects, like the freedom to be done as soon as you were done cleaning, i.e. if you finished all your houses by early afternoon you could go home and be done for the day. There was also the freedom you had between jobs where you could stop for as much food and drinks as you needed or if you needed a smoke break. But that freedom was the only god thing about this job in my opinion.

For owning a CLEANING company, who never cleaned before or took the time to go out to a house and do it themselves to get an idea of what it’s like to clean and how long it takes had a lot to say about how long it takes certain people to clean a certain house. Some are slow and some are fast. Some houses are easy some houses are hard to clean. It all depends . But owning a cleaning company and not even doing that is just messed up when it came down to them critiquing us employees time in houses. 
NO EMPATHY TOWARDS EMPLOYEES. 
Doesn’t matter what you’re going through in your life. The only thing that mattered was the job getting done. 
Poor communication , there was never communication what so ever. Through not only the employees but through the clients as well. Which not communicating with clients made myself look bad . 
There’s never feedback, good or bad. I want to know good or bad feedback from clients. Bad feedback the most cause I want to fix the problem not go back to their house not knowing and keep making the same mistakes? 

  Gossip is a big one at this place. Management and employees. But management taking part of the gossip and pulling team members aside and doing the same should be the ones setting an example and making sure gossip isn’t a thing In the work place. But maybe I’m wrong who knows . If you’re not comfortable going to your employer for something because they might pass along your personal information you provided in confidence says a lot about the work place if you ask me.
 The driving between houses a lot of the time never made sense? And your stuck going back and forth and getting off at a later time because of it while management goes home early. So that kind of sucked and was very frustrating 
Unless you don’t pay attention to detail and can work super fast cleaning a house not caring how much the client is paying then yeah work here cause you might get paid a decent amount. But the work environment here is not worth it. You’re better off anywhere else. 



Top Job Titles	Average Salary
House cleaner 918 salaries reported	$18.22 per hour
Housekeeper 366 salaries reported	$17.23 per hour
Cleaner 75 salaries reported	$17.49 per hour
Intendente 236 salaries reported	$16.95 per hour
Dependiente comercio 8 salaries reported	$525 per week

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