Your helper's housework never quite matches what you had in mind? One photo of it “done right” beats saying it ten times
“That's not how you hang clothes”, “the bed isn't made properly”, “the stove isn't clean”: usually the problem isn't that your helper (maid) is careless — it's that she's never seen what “done well” looks like in your head.
The quickest fix:
- Pick the 3 jobs that most often get redone;
- Take a photo of each one done right, with one line saying what “done well” looks like.
Why a photo works better than words
- Every home does things differently. Her last employer folded clothes; you roll them. Neither is wrong — they just don't match.
- Once words go through translation, “neat” and “clean” get even vaguer. A photo needs no translation.
- Some cleaning software for holiday rentals (for example Breezeway) attaches a reference photo of the expected result to each cleaning job, for cleaners to follow.
How to do it
1. Pick the 3 jobs most often redone
Think about what you said “not like that” to most often last month. Common ones:
- how clothes are hung, folded, and which shelf they go on;
- how the bed is made and the blanket folded;
- how clean the stove and sink should be;
- where the dishes go back;
- how the shoe cabinet and fridge are arranged.
Pick only 3 at a time — more than that and she can't remember them, and you can't photograph them all.
2. Do it once yourself, and take a photo
- Do it yourself until you're happy with it, then take a photo.
- Take a wide shot so the overall result is clear; add a close-up for any important detail.
- Don't include people in the photo.
3. Add one line: what “done well” looks like
One photo, one line, describing something you can see. You can also put it straight into your house guide template:
| Job | What “done well” looks like |
|---|---|
| Hanging shirts | On a hanger, top button done up, not pegged by the collar |
| Making the bed | Sheet corners tucked under the mattress, pillows standing against the headboard |
| Wiping the stove | No oil spots on the stove or the wall tiles, cloth rinsed and hung up |
4. When it's not right, mention just that one thing
- “Hang the collar up, don't peg it” is much easier to fix than “the clothes are hung wrong”.
- Mention one thing at a time, then ask her to say it back in her own words — see Helper says OK but gets it wrong?.
- When it's fixed, say thank you.
Yiru makes this easier
- Every step of the house guide can have photos: the “done right” photo sits right next to the instruction, so she sees it every time before she starts.
- The text is translated into her language — Burmese, Indonesian and Filipino all work.
- When she does well, you can give her a little red flower and say thank you.
FAQ
Will taking photos make her feel watched?
You're photographing what “done right” looks like, not her. You take the photo after doing it yourself, as a reference for her — not as a check.
Do I need to photograph everything?
No. Only the few jobs that most often get redone; once you're on the same page, you don't need more photos.