There are many potential reasons that people pick the careers they pick. Some for love of the career, some for money, others for the ability to pick their own schedule. That last consideration, schedule flexibility, is one of the main reasons a person might consider becoming a housekeeper. 

If you love to keep everything in order, enjoy making things sparkle and shine, and you need to control your own schedule, being a housekeeper may be the career for you.

 

Unfortunately, dust bunnies are nowhere near as cute as this guy. (Source)

Anyone who's ever done much housework will tell you there's an art to efficiently cleaning a home. You must be organized and economical; you need to know how to scrub stubborn stains into submission, and fast. Housekeepers know where the dust bunnies like to hide, and they hunt those bunnies down with ease.

Flexible hours are great, but the salary might leave a bit to be desired. The average housekeeper makes about $20,000 per year (source). 

Still, that could be the perfect way to pay some bills and make it to all your kids' ball games and dance recitals, provided you build up a solid client list and keep their houses squeaky clean. Or it could be the perfect way to pay some bills and work in the evenings at something you love—like community theater, painting, or photography. A little flexibility can go a long way.

Many housekeepers work for themselves, often charging an hourly fee and cleaning several houses in a single workday. Other housekeepers work for businesses and clean offices, apartments, and hotels. If you enjoy working nights, housekeepers who clean offices generally do so at night when they won't disturb the flow of work. 

Also because they won't have to come face to face with the guy who leaves a sloppy trail of crumbs from the break room back to his desk. They hate that guy. But...they hate him from afar.

 

Your work uniform is pretty much anything you feel comfortable in. (Source)

Most housekeepers spend their days visiting three or four clients and doing a set list of chores for each one. Vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, ironing, and scrubbing bathrooms are the most common duties for housekeepers—so you'd better have a strong back and plenty of energy. 

The good news is, you won't need to spend any of the money you earn on a gym membership. You'll get quite a workout just doing your job. No need to count reps or wear yoga pants. Hooray.

Aside from the obvious cleaning and organizational skills a housekeeper needs, it's also helpful to build a good rapport with your clients so that you might professionally resolve any issue that arises. 

People can be quite sensitive about their personal belongings; if your 3:00PM client has a five-year-old son who wants his teddy bear put back in front of his pillows...y'know, try to make a note of that. A little consideration goes a long way in this business.

Being a housekeeper means being an important part of your clients' lives. It also offers the chance to make your own schedule, little worry about your job being shipped overseas, and no college assignments or expenses. We'd call that a clean sweep.

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