I clean houses too. I also have a college degree. Having lost my job in April 2008 and not finding another job until October, without any benefits of any kind, cleaning houses saved my life, literally. I also taught school as a substitute in the Spring of this year. I have the option of going back to teaching or continuing housecleaning. Housecleaning is very physical labor, but teaching school made me want to withdraw from society and never speak to another human being again. I think I'll stick with housekeeping.

But Rebecca, your descriptions of cleaning up other people's messes are perfectly rendered. You're a good writer, hang in there, things will change. They always do.

Louise Rafkin has a fine little volume titled, "Other People's Dirt" in which she describes what it was like being a housekeeper for all manner of other people. It's at turns sardonic, hysterical, wry, sad, maddening, even philosophical. Excellent little volume.

At least the ones who don't think the work is beneath them and do their level best to do a good job.

I certainly don't think housecleaning is beneath me I only wish I had more clients who recognized that when they ask something extra of me, like waking up at 6:30am in order to get their house cleaned before noon so they can have a party, or asking me to move furniture, or noticing that all on my own I gave them extra time because of an important affair I knew they were having, I wish that more clients would honor my extra effort by putting a little something extra in my pay envelope. You'd be surprised how completely oblivious people can be to that, especially the rich. So it leaves you wondering just how much THEY value your work.

You tip the maid when you stay at a hotel, right?

I was telling a wealthy friend how happy I was with the service, which led her to complain about how all "the girls" she had hired started out okay but how lazy they got. I asked her how much she tipped them. "Tip? Tip? I don't tip them, it's their own business!".

See what I mean? BTW, I'm a big middle aged man. My clients love my work and don't want to do without me. If for some reason I'm not available, they will wait until I am.

But I've never heard of TIPPING a housekeeper at home

Well, now you have. Going forward, whenever your housekeeper does that extra thing that you've requested them to add on to their routine work, like getting up earlier than usual to meet their request, moving furniture, doing the added detail, please keep that in mind. And tell your rich friends.

So I don't deserve a tip for my extra effort because you get up at 5:30 and I don't? You have got to be a teabagger.

I don't always tip the hotel maid. It depends on the hotel...generally not in large chain hotels, usually yes in bed and breakfasts, etc.

You're thinking stinks and you should clean it up.

MOST PEOPLE WHO HIRE HOUSE CLEANERS ARE JUST SPOILED AND LAZY.

Oh Laurel, please, enough with the self-righteous moralizing. That's like so not true.

(earlier post: It's YOUR, not YOU'RE!)

Oh, oh, oh, sebapril, I could hug your neck! I didn't know about the Scumbuster. I just checked it out online. Wow, no more getting down in the floor to clean the tub! Your other suggestions are great too. You should write a book!

I can't do much about the pricing. I'm an independent contractor that contracts with a cleaning service that keeps me pretty busy. I've been toying with the idea of finding my own clients.

But, if you and the rest of your profession start to think of yourselves SERIOUSLY as professionals, you will charge accordingly, and tipping will be an insult to you.

At this point in my housecleaning career, I am a contractor with a cleaning service. I do not set prices. Rarely are extras planned and communicated from the client before you arrive to do the job.

I don't agree with the mentality that says I have to be making barely minimum wage to be deemed worthy of a gratuity for a job well done, or for the occasional extra. The level of your income should not enter into the equation. Let me be clear, I don't expect a tip every time I show up, in fact, I don't really "expect" a tip at all. I give the same level of service to my clients who do not tip as I do those who do, except I don't mind doing the little extras for those who do. My point about tipping? I have noticed the richer they are, the less likely they are to ever tip. Their sense of entitlement is truly appalling.

Tipping an insult? What hogwash.