Housekeeper duties: a complete practical checklist

Daily presentation and cleaning

Identify the rooms used daily and the level of presentation required. Kitchens, bathrooms, family living areas and entrances usually need clear priorities. Specify products, finishes and any valuable objects that require specialist instructions. The person should not have to guess which surfaces can tolerate which treatment.

A sensible daily list should fit the working hours. Distinguish routine cleaning from deep cleaning and specialist maintenance. If a task needs a professional contractor or equipment, say so. A housekeeper should be given the products and safe working instructions necessary for the agreed work.

Before deciding, translate the guidance into a short list for your particular home. Record the essential responsibilities, a normal weekly timetable and what happens when the family travels or has visitors. Identify the person who gives instructions and any other staff already involved. This prevents a general article from being mistaken for a complete job description or a set of terms that suits every household.

Laundry and wardrobe care

List washing, drying, ironing, bed linen and wardrobe organisation separately. Explain delicate fabrics, specialist cleaning services and storage preferences. A large family’s laundry can be a substantial responsibility, so assess the volume honestly rather than treating it as a minor addition.

Agree how garments are sorted, when items are sent out and how any damage or uncertainty is reported. Provide care instructions where needed. Valuable clothing or unusual materials may require specialist advice rather than an assumption that every private housekeeper has the same technical experience.

Use questions to clarify uncertainty rather than making promises that neither party can realistically keep. A candidate should be able to explain relevant experience and ask about the role, while the family should be able to describe the work accurately. Confidentiality matters on both sides: private details about previous or current households should not be shared simply to make an interview or brief more interesting.

Bedrooms and guest preparation

Identify bed-change schedules, towels, guest rooms and the standards required before visits. A rarely used bedroom may still require planned attention. Tell the candidate how much notice is normally available and who confirms guest arrangements.

Guest preparation may include checking supplies and making shared areas ready, but it should not silently expand into event planning or butler service. Define the boundaries and coordinate with other staff. A clear checklist makes handover and temporary cover easier when regular staff are absent.

The guidance here is general information, not individual employment, tax or immigration advice. Check current GOV.UK guidance and take appropriate professional advice where necessary. Rates, statutory thresholds and the legal treatment of a working arrangement can change. The agency’s recruitment assessment and introductory process are distinct from the employing household’s own responsibilities before and during employment.

Kitchen duties and cooking boundaries

Cleaning and organising the kitchen does not automatically mean cooking meals. If everyday food preparation is required, describe a housekeeper-cook role and explain dietary preferences, allergies, shopping and meal timings. Private chef work is a distinct level of responsibility.

The time needed for meals should be reflected in the housekeeping workload. Specify who plans menus, orders supplies and deals with special occasions. Safe food handling and suitable equipment matter. Avoid combining elaborate cooking with a full housekeeping programme without reviewing whether the hours are achievable.

Before deciding, translate the guidance into a short list for your particular home. Record the essential responsibilities, a normal weekly timetable and what happens when the family travels or has visitors. Identify the person who gives instructions and any other staff already involved. This prevents a general article from being mistaken for a complete job description or a set of terms that suits every household.

Household supplies and errands

Agree who checks consumables, orders replacements, receives deliveries and handles household shopping. Specify any budgets, authorisation limits and records needed. Driving or handling money should be discussed explicitly, with suitable arrangements rather than informal assumptions.

A short errand can take longer at busy times or where a property is remote. Include journeys in planning the schedule. Household purchasing should follow a clear process, particularly when there are several principals or properties. The housekeeper should know whom to ask when a decision is outside their authority.

Use questions to clarify uncertainty rather than making promises that neither party can realistically keep. A candidate should be able to explain relevant experience and ask about the role, while the family should be able to describe the work accurately. Confidentiality matters on both sides: private details about previous or current households should not be shared simply to make an interview or brief more interesting.

Childcare and pet-related tasks

Childcare should only be included in an agreed nanny-housekeeper role with a realistic split. Children’s supervision takes priority when the employee is responsible for them. Household tasks should fit around that responsibility rather than compete with it.

Pet duties also need clarity: feeding, walking or arranging appointments may have different time and skill implications. Discuss allergies, animal behaviour and who is responsible for specialist attention. Do not expand a housekeeping appointment by treating every family need as an automatic part of the role.

The guidance here is general information, not individual employment, tax or immigration advice. Check current GOV.UK guidance and take appropriate professional advice where necessary. Rates, statutory thresholds and the legal treatment of a working arrangement can change. The agency’s recruitment assessment and introductory process are distinct from the employing household’s own responsibilities before and during employment.

Weekly and occasional work

Group weekly tasks such as cupboard organisation, deeper room cleaning or seasonal linen changes into a schedule. Occasional tasks should have realistic notice and a clear priority. They should not simply be added on top of a full week without adjusting other work.

Discuss family travel, guest visits and the use of secondary properties. When instructions change, explain what can wait. A duties list is a living working document, but material changes to the role should be agreed and reflected in employment terms rather than imposed through an expanding checklist.

Before deciding, translate the guidance into a short list for your particular home. Record the essential responsibilities, a normal weekly timetable and what happens when the family travels or has visitors. Identify the person who gives instructions and any other staff already involved. This prevents a general article from being mistaken for a complete job description or a set of terms that suits every household.

Using the checklist in recruitment

Use the list to ask candidates for relevant examples and decide whether the duties fit the hours. A practical interview can explore organisation, safe cleaning and communication. Any trial should have an agreed purpose, duration and payment arrangements; work may attract minimum-wage obligations.

Register a vacancy with the essential tasks, location, schedule and gross salary budget. We interview, take previous household references personally and check right to work and DBS before presentation. We introduce suitable candidates, typically within five working days, with clear fees and no charges to candidates.

Use questions to clarify uncertainty rather than making promises that neither party can realistically keep. A candidate should be able to explain relevant experience and ask about the role, while the family should be able to describe the work accurately. Confidentiality matters on both sides: private details about previous or current households should not be shared simply to make an interview or brief more interesting.

A practical checklist before you proceed

Prepare a one-page summary before speaking with an agency or candidate. Include the home’s practical layout, regular occupants, the normal working week and the outcome you want from the appointment. If there are pets, steps, access restrictions or several properties, explain them in useful detail. Separate household preferences from essential duties and make clear which responsibilities already belong to someone else. A concise, accurate summary helps avoid changes later in the process.

Discuss the proposed arrangement with everyone who will give instructions. A candidate should not receive incompatible priorities from different members of the family. Agree a main contact and a way to ask questions when the plan changes. Consider a written weekly routine that can be adjusted sensibly, rather than a list that grows continuously. Review what is achievable during the agreed hours before interpreting a delay as poor performance or a lack of commitment.

When comparing candidates, ask for relevant examples rather than relying on confident language or a familiar job title. Explore the actual responsibilities in previous posts and how the person approached practical issues. References should be taken appropriately and discreetly; confidential identities and personal household information are not interview entertainment. The candidate’s questions also help reveal whether the role is clear, and whether the working arrangement is realistic for both sides.

Before an offer, confirm the important points again: gross pay, duties, hours, location, accommodation if any, leave and notice. Check the appropriate employer responsibilities using official guidance and professional advice. If a trial is used, define its purpose, tasks, duration and payment arrangements. Keep a record of agreed changes and avoid relying on a casual conversation to settle matters that affect the person’s employment or the household’s responsibilities.