Paying someone to clean my house used to make me feel guilty. I'm done apologizing.
A mother of four shares her personal journey of overcoming the guilt associated with hiring professional house cleaners. She explains how life circumstances, including a cancer diagnosis and the demands of parenting, shifted her perspective on domestic help.
Why it matters
The piece highlights the intersection of socioeconomic perceptions, gender roles in domestic labor, and the necessity of support systems for working families.
The author (not pictured) once thought house cleaners were only for a certain type of person, one that she wasn't. Maintaining a house with four kids changed her mind. sankai/Getty Images I grew up thinking that people who had house cleaners were a certain type of person — one that I wasn't. Then, life happened. I became a mom of four and went through some medical issues. Having a house cleaner is a privilege, but it's one that I don't want to give up any time soon. I grew up in a low-income community. To me, families with house cleaners were considered wealthy and bougie. I frankly didn't understand how anyone would have someone else clean their home. After all, scrubbing a shower or wiping down surfaces with dusting spray and a rag wasn't difficult.
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