FACTS ABOUT MAIDS

In my first year at the Hotel School, I had an internship period where I shadowed people with different roles in a hotel, so I knew how things worked in each department. I get it, makes sense. But for a week, I had to iron dish towels for the kitchen brigade, the following week I got a vacuum cleaner and mop in my hands every day to clean the lobby, and I also got to spend a few days cutting the weeds between the stones at the entrance with a potato peeler.

I can tell you: in the evenings when I came home, I did shed a tear or two, because it really wasn't fun work. But okay, fair is fair, someone has to do it, and it's good to experience what an incredibly tough job that actually is. Being a maid was still somewhat amusing. For a week, that is, because seriously, that's quite heavy work. But I did retain some fun facts from it.

• You get a certain number of minutes per room to clean it. Usually, that's between 30 and 45 minutes.
• Being a maid is hard work, especially because you often stand bent over cleaning or making beds. In the more expensive hotels (where the working conditions are also better), you have beds that you can lift up. In the same way as when you change a tire. Then you can make the bed with a straight back.
• All the soaps and gels that are in the bathroom are always taken.
• Towels and bathrobes are quite often stolen.
• There can sometimes be some shuffling among the staff about who cleans which room, because some guests are known for their mess. Maids do not like mess.
• The more the guest leaves for the maid, the better the girl will do her best.
• There is absolutely never ever any snooping in someone else's belongings. Of course, there can sometimes be gossip among the staff because Mrs. had such a beautiful dress hanging in the closet.
• The number of condoms (used!) that are found cannot be counted on one hand.