While working as a maid, Barbara Ehrenreich explains that The Maids requires that their workers use the hands-and-Knees method while cleaning floors. She’s mentions that this method is appealing to customers and I can see why. I think that this happens because the image of someone on their knees and scrubbing one’s floor creates an impression of hard work. It probably makes the customers feel that the maids are genuinely trying to clean their floors. “You’re closer to your work, of course, less likely to miss a grimy patch…” (83). Hard labor = clean.

If the maids were using mops, it would probably seem as if they were not truly maids. The image of a traditional maid consists of hard work, probably sweat, being foreign, not talking, and staying out of the way (being invisible). While maids work, they should be quiet and stay out of their clients’ way. Part of this may because they do not speak English. If a person is cleaning someone else’s house, there should be no problem talking to them. This common relationship that is in place is probably to display the difference in class. It says “I am higher than you, so do not have a relationship with me” and “I am lower so I cannot talk to you”. A part of this way of thinking comes from the difference in income. Poor people are thought of to receive less deserving of sympathy or that they are in their position because they are lazy. I know that this is extreme, but the relationship almost reminds me of the attitudes that were given towards slaves. Either way, it doesn’t make sense to me.

Generally, maids’ uniforms are quite sexual. This does not make sense to me because I do not know anyone who cleans houses in short dresses. The hypersexuality in their uniform supports the idea that maids are poor women, and poor women are to be submissive to their rich clients. This is on top of the fact that they minimize the amount of conversation with the clients, and are also told not to accept a glass of water. I don’t get why maids have to go through such conditions.

I think that maids should get a lot more respect that they do. They are people just like everyone else and they are also cleaning up someone else’s mess which is gross. Most of them literally scrub floors and for them to do so with their hands is worth respect.