Throughout the course of time, domestic workers have always been present, in one form or another. This makes it very hard for us to decide where to begin our timeline, but two relatively recent events -the First and Second World Wars- dramatically changed the way the domestic service industry functioned.

It has been suggested that even before the first World War began in 1914, there was a growing shortage of people available for domestic service, as the population of the UK grew and the number of middle & upper class families (who, typically, were the employers of domestic staff) expanded. Jenny Webb is an author, home economist, and appliance historian. She explained how war brought about a shift in employment of those in service:

As far as employment within the domestic service industry is concerned,  the second World War was merely a repeat of the first. But with domestic workers already at a premium, when World War II ended in 1945, fewer people than ever were engaged in domestic service. This introduced a significant change in the way households were managed; this time the middle-class and upper-class housewife found herself having to run her own home.

Although many electrical appliances had been available for several years, they were expensive to purchase, and as long as servants and domestic staff were on hand, the wealthy didn’t need to concern themselves too much with how the work was carried out. To that end, the presence of labour-saving appliances was rather limited, as was, in many cases,  the number of homes with an electricity supply.

But now that the wealthy housewife was responsible for doing the bulk of her own housework, she was not prepared to simply ‘put up’ with the apparatus which her staff may have used; she wanted the electric iron and the washing machine, a modern cooker and a vacuum cleaner. Because of this, sales of appliances increased dramatically. In turn, prices fell, making appliances more accessible to all, and in doing so,  sales grew further.

By 1955 the number of British homes with mains electricity had risen to 88%.  (source: Electricity Gallery, Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester). It was in this year that Jenny Webb began working as a trainee demonstrator for the London Electricity Board.

Two of the many people we interviewed for this article are Mr & Mrs Williams of Sutton Coldfield. In 1955, they were celebrating their first wedding anniversary. When asked what appliances they had when they married, Mrs Williams -who describes herself as middle-class- fondly listed a number of items:

Despite moving house, the suite in question still takes pride of place in their current dining area. Interestingly, whilst vacuum cleaners were a must-have purchase for those whose budget could stretch to it, neither Mr nor Mrs Williams could recall owning one at that point in time. But one thing the Williams do very much remember having is a lady to help out with the cleaning.

As time progressed, a number of changes were made which compensated for the lack of domestic workers.  Coal and open fires left the house filthy and in need of  thorough, daily cleaning, but were soon to be replaced by ‘clean’ gas and electric heating devices. Rooms stayed cleaner for longer, and there was no need to spend time clearing & preparing the fire each day.

Cornices and ornate mouldings, panelled doors, and picture & dado rails gradually became old-fashioned and unnecessary,  indeed often being seen as little more than a dirt-trap. Modern homes were built without them, and as ‘Do-It-Yourself’ became an increasingly popular activity, many eager homeowners were encouraged to remove such features. As well as this, materials such as hardboard and plywood were widely used to cover over old panelled doors, sides of staircases and baths, and in front of unused fireplaces. Once fitted, they were coated in contemporary gloss-paint and considered to be both fashionable and very easy-to-clean.

Attitudes towards cleaning were also changing, and people became more relaxed about the amount of housework they actually needed to do.  Fewer households seemed to be using domestic workers, though the process of finding someone to help remained as difficult as ever. Yet whereas employing  domestic staff had once been a proud sign of great wealth, in a twist of perception, it has been said by some that having a cleaner at this time was possibly an indicator that the housewife could not cope with running a home.

Although she does not recall any specific prejudice or negativity towards those who had help, Mrs Williams did report that -up until quite recently- she never had another cleaner following the eventual retirement of Mrs Crowe. She says this was partly due to finances, given that she had two growing children and was no longer working. But again, it was partly because of not being able to find someone.

Once more, we see how  the increased  availability of appliances played a role in replacing staff, as by now the Williams were owners of an automatic washing machine, tumble-dryer, and dishwasher.

By the end of the 1970’s, entire companies offering packaged domestic cleaning services were beginning to emerge. They were potentially less personal and contractual than employing a cleaner or staff directly, and perhaps eased some of the guilt which those who engaged their services might otherwise have felt. By treating it almost as a transaction, there was less moral obligation on the part of the end user.

However, many of those who hired domestic staff still felt perfectly entitled to do so, even if others  had a different view. As one lady told us:

If the mother-in-law had been upset at the prospect of a member of her family having a cleaner, she was positively outraged when she inspected the home during a visit:

With more & more households having both adults out at work, and as people live longer, cleaning companies and services providers of all sizes have continued to flourish. Some have grown into international franchises, whilst many more have stayed local to the area where they were first set up. People who have help with the housework often consider it to be a basic necessity of the modern lifestyle, with many working class families now taking advantage of a cleaning service too.

At the time of writing, attitudes towards domestic staff have changed for the better, with many domestic workers commenting  on how respectful their clients are towards them. Frequently they are told just how vital their role is to the running of the household. Indeed, of those service users interviewed, the warmth and appreciation they had for many of their cleaners past & present was always apparent.

Certainly we are living in an era of greater equality and opportunity for all. Cleaner operatives aren’t looked upon in the way they might have been a hundred years ago, because today everyone -no matter what their class position- seems to understand the complexities of running a home.

For all of the gadgets, products, and appliances on sale, ‘elbow grease’ is by far the most valuable commodity. Domestic staff are often treasured by those who they ‘do’ for, and in the absence of a reliable cleaning personnel, the homeowners know the alternative. At best, they have to do all the cleaning themselves. At worst, no one cleans at all.

Today’s client knows only too well just how much focus and physical effort it takes to maintain their home and they certainly appreciate what has been done for them. What could be better after a long, hard day at work to find the house clean, fresh, and tidy?  As anyone who hires domestic help will tell you, it’s a process which can cost a lot of money, but as the saying goes, the quality remains when the price is long forgotten.

Sadly, not all domestic workers are fully aware of the much deeper impact of their role. To quote one we interviewed: