Do I Clean for Wealthy People As A Solo House Cleaner?
Updated: Oct 7
When I tell people that I’ve had a house cleaning business for the past 18+ years, one of the first things they want to know is:
“Do you clean for wealthy people?”
Then comes:
“Are they rude?”
“What do they do for a living?”
And I always tell them:
Yes, I clean for wealthy people.
But let me explain what I mean by wealthy.
My clients are wealthy with kindness.
Wealthy with niceness.
Wealthy with lovingness.
Wealthy with understanding.
Wealthy with appreciation.
And wealthy with respect toward me and my hard work.
That is the kind of wealthy I pay attention to.
Who Do I Actually Clean For?
Over the years, my clients have included:
teachers
nurses
business owners
business managers
public workers
Caltrans workers
military families
retirees
firefighters
police officers
office workers
and many others
Some had more money than others.
Some lived in larger homes.
Some lived very simple lives.
But money was never the main thing that made someone a good client to me.
What mattered was:
How did we treat each other?
Did they respect my work?
Did they communicate with me?
Did they appreciate what I did?
Did they respect my time?
Could I trust them?
Could they trust me?
That mattered much more.
Some of My Clients Stayed With Me for Years and Years
I have cleaned for some clients for:
8 years.
10 years.
15+ years.
You do not build relationships like that without mutual respect.
Many of my longtime clients trusted me inside their homes when they were:
at work
on vacation
running errands
handling their everyday lives
And I never took that trust lightly.
I showed my appreciation by giving their homes the best cleaning I could every time.
No cutting corners.
No lazy cleaning.
No halfway work.
If I am charging someone to clean their home, I want them to feel good about the service they are paying for.
Are Wealthy Clients Rude?
Some people will tell me:
“House cleaning must be hard because rich people are mean and rude.”
And my answer is:
Some people are rude. Some people are not.
Money does not automatically make someone kind.
And it does not automatically make someone rude either.
Over the years, some of my coolest, nicest and most down-to-earth clients had very comfortable lives.
They treated me with respect.
They appreciated the cleaning.
They trusted me.
They were easy to communicate with.
And some of them stayed with me for many, many years.
So I do not walk into a large house and automatically think:
“Oh boy. Here comes a difficult client.”
No.
I pay attention to the person.
A Good Client Is More Than a Big House and a Big Bank Account
To me, a good client is someone who:
respects the work
communicates clearly
treats me like a professional
respects reasonable boundaries
understands that I am running a business
appreciates good cleaning
and allows the business relationship to work both ways
That is my kind of wealthy client.
Because a beautiful house means very little to me if every cleaning visit makes me miserable.
I would rather clean for someone in a simple house who treats me with respect than chase a big house just because I think the client has money.
But You Have to Carry Yourself Like a Professional Too
This goes both ways.
I cannot expect clients to respect my business if I am:
showing up whenever I feel like it
forgetting appointments
changing prices all the time
ignoring their instructions
doing sloppy work
not communicating
or cutting corners
I have responsibilities too.
That is why I tell my students:
Your work speaks volumes.
Communicate clearly.
Be honest about your price.
Be clear about what is included.
Be clear about what costs extra.
Respect the client’s home.
Respect their privacy.
Keep your word.
And do the best work you can.
Good clients notice those things.
Do Not Label Someone a Bad Client Too Quickly
This is important.
If a client asks:
“Can you do it for a little less?”
that does not automatically mean they are a bad client.
If they have a preference?
That does not automatically make them difficult.
If they point out something you really missed?
That does not make them rude.
We already talked about this in my lesson on handling difficult clients.
You have to look at the pattern.
Ask yourself:
Can this be fixed with communication?
Did I make a mistake?
Is this simply their preference?
Are they asking a reasonable question?
Or:
Is this person repeatedly disrespecting my time, work, boundaries or business?
That is different.
If you keep communicating clearly and the relationship still does not work, then it may be time to accept:
We are simply not a good business match.
That is a much better way to look at it than dropping every client after one uncomfortable moment.
You Do Not Have to Hold On to the Wrong Client Forever
There are a lot of good people out there.
Sometimes the mistake we make is holding on to a bad business relationship too long because we think:
“Well, this is just part of house cleaning.”
No.
Constant disrespect is not something you have to accept just because you clean houses.
If a client repeatedly:
disrespects you
ignores your boundaries
changes agreements
makes you uncomfortable
treats your time like it does not matter
even after you have tried to communicate clearly?
That may not be the right client for your business.
And it is okay to make room in your schedule for clients who are a better fit.
The Way You Present Your Business Can Affect Who Calls You
This is one thing I want to mention briefly.
The way you:
market
price
describe your services
can influence the type of clients who contact you.
That does not mean every bad client is your fault.
Absolutely not.
But your business message can help people understand:
who you serve
what you provide
what you charge
and:
how you work.
We will talk much more about that in Days 4, 5 & 6 — Marketing.
For now, I just want you to remember:
Clear businesses tend to attract clearer conversations.
Not Perfect Clients — Good Clients
I do not want you looking for some magical client who:
never asks a question
never changes anything
never negotiates
never has a concern
and agrees with everything you say
😂
That person probably does not exist.
I want you looking for good business relationships.
People who can communicate.
People you can work things out with.
People who appreciate what you do.
People who respect your work.
And people you can respect too.
That is the kind of client worth building your business around.
Final Thoughts
So when somebody asks me:
“Do you clean for wealthy people?”
My answer is:
Yes.
But wealth, to me, is bigger than money.
A wealthy client can be someone who is:
kind
respectful
understanding
appreciative
trustworthy
and:
someone who values the person helping take care of their home.
Those are the clients I am grateful for.
And those are the kinds of client relationships that helped me stay in this business for more than 18 years.
You do not need every client.
You need the right clients for the way you run your business.
And remember:
Be the kind of professional that good clients want to keep too.
Happy Business! You Got This!
Stay Bonafide — keep growing and glowing.
Quick Questions. Clean Answers!
1. Do house cleaners only clean for wealthy people?
No.
House cleaners work for all kinds of people.
My clients have included teachers, nurses, business owners, public workers, military families, retirees, firefighters, police officers, office workers and many others.
2. What makes someone a good cleaning client?
For me, a good client communicates, respects my work, respects my time and allows the business relationship to work both ways.
3. Are wealthy clients rude?
Some people are rude and some are not.
Money does not automatically determine how somebody will treat you.
I have had many comfortable or financially successful clients who were kind, respectful and down-to-earth.
4. Should I stop cleaning for a client after one problem?
Not automatically.
First ask whether the problem can be solved.
Maybe there was a misunderstanding.
Maybe you made a mistake.
Maybe the client simply has a preference.
Look for patterns before deciding the relationship is not a good fit.
5. When might it be time to let a client go?
When there is repeated disrespect, constant boundary problems, changing expectations or ongoing situations that still do not improve after clear communication, the client may simply not be the right fit for your business.
6. Does the way I market my business affect the clients who contact me?
It can.
The way you describe your services, pricing and business can influence who responds to your message.
We will go deeper into that in Days 4, 5 & 6 — Marketing.
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