In Spain, the cleaning sector has about 500,000 professional workers, according to the latest data from the National Statistics Institute, of which approximately three out of four people employed (74%) are women. This makes cleaning work essential, but instead it is a very sacrificed and poorly paid trade, since salaries are excessively low.
On this subject, Jaime Gumiel, creator of content and nephew of María José, who has been working on cleaning. To do this, he has accompanied her to a working day, where she explains in the first person how hard this trade is, mostly occupied by women and still very undervalued.
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Behind statistics, personal stories reflect reality: early schedules, physical wear and salary that barely compensates for effort. “I charge right now about 300 euros per month for the three portals, but it is very little,” explains María José.
Early risers, physical effort and lack of recognition
His day begins at nine in the morning and, depending on the day, ends between twelve and one. The rhythm varies according to the number of stairs, bathrooms or garages that have to be cleaned. “The average will be in five euros an hour, or even less,” he says, making clear the precarious situation. Making overtime is almost impossible, and in the best case they barely reach 7 euros an hour.
To this is added the constant exposure to chemicals such as bleach or ammonia in little ventilated places, with the consequent health damage. “Even if you wear gloves, the hands are crushed over the years,” he confesses.
Wear is not just physical. Monotony and lack of recognition make a dent: “Every day the same, and there are times that you don’t feel like.” Only at specific times, such as that gratitude poster that he received during the pandemic, finds an emotional reward in his work.
An undervalued sector
The social perception of the trade does not help. For decades, being a cleaner was considered one of the least prestigious jobs. “In the 80s and 90s it was the worst thing you could do in life,” he recalls. Pandemia served to make visible the importance of cleaning, but still remains a sector marked by precariousness.
In addition, many times they have to deal with the lack of respect of society. From dirty portals to hotels turned into authentic “pigsty” due to the lack of civility of some clients, the emotional burden of confronting the dirt of others also weighs. “There are people who behave very well, but others think we are machines.”
“You have to increase salary”
If I could choose an improvement, María José is clear. “The salary, especially the salary. Because for all we do it is too low.” To the precarious salaries is added the lack of stability and the social perception that anyone can do this work, when in reality it requires organization, technique and resistance.
At 60, he acknowledges that he feels quieter than in other jobs he had, such as when he was a cashier for almost two decades. But he insists on the need to value and dignify a work without which everyday life would be unsustainable. “If nobody cleaned, everything would become a pigsty.”