Window cleaning and laundry safety rules for helpers in Singapore 2026: locked grilles, an adult present and fines up to $10,000

Yiru · Updated 1 November 2026

In Singapore, you may let your helper (maid) clean the outside of a window only when both conditions are met: the window has grilles that stay locked throughout the cleaning, and you or an adult you appoint is there, watching. She must stay inside the room, with no part of her body beyond the window ledge except her arms; windows on the ground level or facing a common corridor are exempt. According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in 2025, employers who breach these rules can be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed for up to 12 months, and may be barred from employing a helper.

Cleaning window exteriors: both conditions must be met

From MOM's safety agreement template and the Fourth Schedule of the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations it quotes (MOM safety agreement template):

Condition	Details
Grilles	The window has grilles, locked so they cannot open during the whole cleaning process
An adult present	You, or an adult representative who knows these rules, are physically there while she cleans
Inside the room	She stays inside; no part of her body except her arms goes beyond the window ledge
Exempt windows	Windows on the ground level, and windows facing a common corridor

If you can't meet both conditions, have her clean only the inside. Leave the outside, or use a professional cleaning service.

Penalties

In a written parliamentary reply in October 2025, MOM said employers who breach these requirements can be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed for up to 12 months, and may also be barred from employing a helper (MOM).

The safety agreement: settle it when you hire

From MOM's “Contracts and safety agreement” page (updated 23 April 2026):

When you hire a helper, your agency arranges for you and her to sign a safety agreement (not needed when renewing your current helper's contract);
For a first-time helper, it is signed after she attends the Settling-In Programme (SIP) and before she starts work at your home;
You, the agency and the helper each sign and keep a copy; her copy is in her native language;
In it, you choose: she won't clean window exteriors; only ground-floor ones; only those facing the corridor; or she will, with grilles locked and an adult present.

Hanging laundry: MOM's advice to employers

These come from MOM's May 2019 employer newsletter “Ensuring Your FDW's Safety”. They are advice, not regulations:

Keep both feet firmly on the floor; don't tiptoe;
Hang heavier clothes near the bracket and lighter ones at the far end of the pole;
Hang only a few pieces on each pole, so it is light enough to control;
Ask the employer for help bringing in laundry in heavy rain.

Three things she should never do

The same MOM newsletter says to remind your helper never to:

Stand on a raised platform, such as a stool, at the window;
Lean out of the window;
Climb onto the ledge to retrieve something that fell there; she should tell you instead.

Explain your home's way in her language

MOM says first-time helpers learn safe window cleaning and laundry at the SIP, in their native languages (MOM, 2025). Which windows to clean, where clothes go and how the poles are used in your home still need explaining, ideally in your house guide.

With Yiru, you can:

Write it once: for example “Windows: clean the inside only, not the outside”, and she reads it in her own language: Burmese, Indonesian, Filipino and more, 9 languages in all.
Add a photo to the step: for hanging laundry, add a photo of the pole and how the clothes go.
Let her ask: she taps “I have a question” on an item and asks in her own language; you read it in yours.

FAQ

Can my helper clean the outside of windows in Singapore?

Yes, but only if both conditions are met: the window has grilles that stay locked throughout, and you or an adult you appoint is there the whole time. Ground-level windows and those facing a common corridor are exempt.

Can she clean the outside of a window without grilles?

No. Apart from ground-level and corridor-facing windows, you may not let her clean the outside of a window without grilles.

I'm at work. Can she clean the window exteriors on her own?

No. Cleaning the outside requires you or an adult representative to be there. When no adult can be there, have her clean the inside only.

What happens if an employer breaks the window-cleaning rules?

MOM said in 2025 that employers can be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed for up to 12 months, and may be barred from employing a helper.

Are there rules for hanging laundry?

MOM advises employers: keep feet flat, hang heavier clothes near the bracket, put only a few pieces on each pole and help bring laundry in during heavy rain; she should not stand on raised platforms or lean out.

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Rules may change; MOM's website is the authority.