A domestic worker cleans, launders and maintains a private household, and often cooks and helps with childcare. In South Africa domestic work is formally regulated: conditions of employment, working hours, leave, notice and a minimum wage are set by law, and a written particulars of employment is required.
This guide sets out domestic worker duties and responsibilities, the shape of a working day, and what should be agreed in writing. It sits in the Hospitality Cleaning duties and responsibilities cluster, part of the wider job duties guide.
What Does a Domestic Worker Do?
A domestic worker keeps a household running: cleaning the home to an agreed routine, doing the laundry and ironing, and often preparing meals. Beyond the tasks themselves, the role carries a high degree of trust, since it involves working alone in someone’s home among their possessions.
Because the work happens in a private household rather than a managed workplace, clarity matters more than usual. A written list of duties, hours and days prevents most of the disputes that arise in this employment relationship.
Key Domestic Worker Duties and Responsibilities
- Cleaning the home, including sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and dusting.
- Cleaning bathrooms, kitchens and high-touch surfaces thoroughly.
- Making beds and changing bed linen and towels on an agreed schedule.
- Washing, drying, ironing and putting away laundry.
- Washing dishes and keeping the kitchen clean and orderly.
- Preparing meals where this forms part of the agreed duties.
- Managing household waste and recycling.
- Using cleaning chemicals and appliances safely and correctly.
- Reporting breakages, faults and household items running low.
- Assisting with childcare or eldercare only where this has been expressly agreed.
- Carrying out periodic deep-cleaning tasks on an agreed rotation.
- Respecting the household’s privacy and keeping its affairs confidential.
Daily Tasks of a Domestic Worker
- Start of day: check any notes from the household and confirm the day’s priorities.
- Morning: beds, bathrooms and kitchen first, then the main cleaning routine.
- Midday: laundry loads run between rooms, ironing while washing dries.
- Afternoon: the weekly deep-clean task for that day, meal preparation if agreed.
- End of day: put away laundry, tidy down, note anything that needs replacing or repairing.
Domestic Worker Skills and Competencies
- Thoroughness: cleaning the parts of a home that are noticed only when missed.
- Laundry care: sorting, temperatures, fabric handling and ironing to a standard.
- Chemical and appliance safety: correct products, correct surfaces, safe storage.
- Time management: covering an agreed routine within the hours available.
- Trustworthiness: working unsupervised among a family’s belongings.
- Discretion: what happens in the household stays there.
Domestic Worker Duties by Workplace or Industry
Full-Time Household Employment
Working set days for one family, with a routine covering daily cleaning, laundry and a rotating schedule of deeper tasks. The duties are broad but should still be written down.
Part-Time and Multiple Households
Fixed days across several employers, each of whom is a separate employer with separate obligations. Duties are usually condensed into a shorter, more intensive routine per visit.
Live-In Arrangements
Where accommodation forms part of the arrangement, the boundary between working hours and off-duty time needs to be explicit, along with what may be deducted for accommodation and what may not.
Combined Childcare Roles
Where the role includes looking after children, duties extend into supervision, meals and school routines. This is a materially larger job than cleaning alone and should be reflected in the hours and pay agreed.
Domestic Worker Duties for a CV
Give the size of the household, the length of service and what you were trusted with. Long service with one family is the strongest signal on this CV. Use the duties for a CV guide for the method.
- Maintained a four-bedroom household for one family over six years, working unsupervised with keys and alarm access.
- Handled all household laundry and ironing for a family of five alongside a weekly deep-clean rotation.
- Prepared daily family meals and managed kitchen hygiene and grocery stock levels.
- Supervised two school-age children in the afternoons, including collection and homework time.
Related Job Roles and Responsibilities
These guides cover the roles and next steps most closely related to this one.
- Cleaner duties and responsibilities
- Housekeeper duties and responsibilities
- Au Pair duties and responsibilities
- Caregiver duties and responsibilities
- Job description duties and responsibilities
Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Worker Duties
What are the duties of a domestic worker?
Cleaning the home, cleaning bathrooms and kitchens, making beds and changing linen, laundry and ironing, washing dishes, preparing meals where agreed, managing waste, using chemicals and appliances safely, reporting breakages, and periodic deep-cleaning tasks.
Should a domestic worker have a written contract?
Yes. South African law requires employers of domestic workers to provide written particulars of employment covering hours, duties, pay, leave and notice. It protects both sides, and its absence is the most common cause of disputes in this relationship.
Can a domestic worker be asked to do anything in the home?
No. Instructions must be lawful and reasonable, related to the work agreed, within the person’s training, and not unsafe. Tasks that materially change the job, such as adding childcare or gardening, should be discussed and reflected in the agreement rather than simply added.
Are domestic workers covered by employment law?
Yes. Domestic workers in South Africa are covered by the conditions of employment framework, including a minimum wage, working hour limits, leave and notice provisions, and registration for unemployment insurance and compensation for injury on duty. Check the current requirements with the Department of Employment and Labour.
This page is general information about the role, not legal advice. The written particulars of employment and the applicable conditions of employment legislation govern this relationship and take precedence over this guide.
Last reviewed: 2 September 2026