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Anderer Leute Dreck. Die gewissenhaften Aufzeichnungen einer Putzfrau.
After earning an M.A. in Comparative Literature, Louise Ratkin, facing a career choice, took the road less traveled. She became a housecleaner. The money was better than teaching, the lifestyle intriguing for someone with an insatiable curiosity about her fellow human beings. And while she quickly became an expert on the best vacuum cleaner in the world -- and the most efficient paper towels -- she also saw the unseen parts of people's lives.
In this fresh, funny strikingly original memoir, she talks about her invisible status as a domestic worker in a world of illicit sex and secret lives, of closet alcoholics and binge eaters, unlikely spiritualists and revealing celebrities.
In this fresh, funny strikingly original memoir, she talks about her invisible status as a domestic worker in a world of illicit sex and secret lives, of closet alcoholics and binge eaters, unlikely spiritualists and revealing celebrities.
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First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Louise Rafkin
12 books3 followersLouise Rafkin is the author of Other People's Dirt and the editor of Different Mothers. She has been a commentator for NPR's All Things Considered and has written for Out Magazine. Her articles and essays appear frequently in the New York Times, Health Magazine, and Metropolitan Home. She lives in Oakland, CA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
April 21, 2021
Although I read this book the year I joined GR, I remember it well. I've just read Stephanie Land's Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive which was also about a house cleaner, but read like one long entitled whine from a person with very bad judgement and no insight at all and it reminded me of this book.
Louise Rafkin had a Masters in Comparative Literature but decided she'd rather clean than teach and said it paid more too. She enjoyed cleaning and, as did Stephanie Land, snooped into the private possessions of her employers. Unlike Stephanie, she approached them glee and wrote entertaining stories in this book. The book is also a selective investigation of cleaning around the world.
The one that most interested me was the men who, quite naked, clean for women, for their mistresses! How do I find one of them? Also when on the floor on hands and knees (they like this), don't they have to wear panties to protect their danglies from cleaning products?
Rafkin has left the world of professional cleaning. She is a journalist and writes children's, women's and books about her lesbian experience. I wonder if she now employs a cleaner, or a 'treasure' as they are sometimes called in the UK, of if she still does it herself?
Reviewed 20 April 2021, read in 2008, this review took a looong time to surface!
Louise Rafkin had a Masters in Comparative Literature but decided she'd rather clean than teach and said it paid more too. She enjoyed cleaning and, as did Stephanie Land, snooped into the private possessions of her employers. Unlike Stephanie, she approached them glee and wrote entertaining stories in this book. The book is also a selective investigation of cleaning around the world.
The one that most interested me was the men who, quite naked, clean for women, for their mistresses! How do I find one of them? Also when on the floor on hands and knees (they like this), don't they have to wear panties to protect their danglies from cleaning products?
Rafkin has left the world of professional cleaning. She is a journalist and writes children's, women's and books about her lesbian experience. I wonder if she now employs a cleaner, or a 'treasure' as they are sometimes called in the UK, of if she still does it herself?
Reviewed 20 April 2021, read in 2008, this review took a looong time to surface!
August 8, 2018
Louise Rafkin has written and interesting and most amusing book about the life of a cleaner.
We are literally taken in to the corners of other peoples’ houses and shown all their little eccentricities and foibles. People who horde or collect, those who are obsessively tidy and those who never seem to actually live in their house at all.
Louise also talks to many other people in the cleaning business from all over America and even from as far away as Japan, I found her visit to Japan fascinating!
It seems to be for Louise a labour of love and she take such a pride in leaving a home in a pristine state but it is such hard, backbreaking work to do for the whole day, every day. I take my hat off to the ladies (and gentlemen) who do this for a living.
We are literally taken in to the corners of other peoples’ houses and shown all their little eccentricities and foibles. People who horde or collect, those who are obsessively tidy and those who never seem to actually live in their house at all.
Louise also talks to many other people in the cleaning business from all over America and even from as far away as Japan, I found her visit to Japan fascinating!
It seems to be for Louise a labour of love and she take such a pride in leaving a home in a pristine state but it is such hard, backbreaking work to do for the whole day, every day. I take my hat off to the ladies (and gentlemen) who do this for a living.
May 10, 2018
Mai fidarsi delle recensioni dei giornali e dei pezzi di colore. Presentato come una serie di aneddoti sulle case dei ricchi in realtà è una colta dissertazione sulle pulizie come filosofia di vita* (sic) con qualche aneddoto sparso.
*una filosofia che non mi attrae neanche per un granello di polvere, essendo le faccende domestiche la cosa più inutile del mondo: appena hai finito di farle potresti reiniziare visto che lo sporco (o l'interpretazione** dello sporco) si riproduce in modo esponenziale e spesso del tutto disgiunto dalla mia volontà. Oltre a sottrarre tempo prezioso alla lettura.
**l'interpretazione dello sporco è una cosa che mi ha sempre lasciato perplesso fin dall'infanzia, là dove mia mamma vedeva cumuli di polvere, io vedevo superfici da disegnare (non che in presenza di mia mamma fosse concesso alla polvere di accumularsi), e comunque non avrei disturbato la polvere (o i ragni*** se per questo), dalla sua attività quotidiana di accumulo.
***basta eleggere i ragni ad animali domestici, posto che se ne stiano nella parte più alta delle pareti e non si azzardino a scendere, e non siano troppo grandi e pelosi, et voilà, non c'è bisogno di "dare i ragni" (frase idiomatica romagnola, che significa sterminare con un oggetto atto alla bisogna le bestiole, che peraltro si mangiano le mosche e quindi hanno il mio beneplacito).
*una filosofia che non mi attrae neanche per un granello di polvere, essendo le faccende domestiche la cosa più inutile del mondo: appena hai finito di farle potresti reiniziare visto che lo sporco (o l'interpretazione** dello sporco) si riproduce in modo esponenziale e spesso del tutto disgiunto dalla mia volontà. Oltre a sottrarre tempo prezioso alla lettura.
**l'interpretazione dello sporco è una cosa che mi ha sempre lasciato perplesso fin dall'infanzia, là dove mia mamma vedeva cumuli di polvere, io vedevo superfici da disegnare (non che in presenza di mia mamma fosse concesso alla polvere di accumularsi), e comunque non avrei disturbato la polvere (o i ragni*** se per questo), dalla sua attività quotidiana di accumulo.
***basta eleggere i ragni ad animali domestici, posto che se ne stiano nella parte più alta delle pareti e non si azzardino a scendere, e non siano troppo grandi e pelosi, et voilà, non c'è bisogno di "dare i ragni" (frase idiomatica romagnola, che significa sterminare con un oggetto atto alla bisogna le bestiole, che peraltro si mangiano le mosche e quindi hanno il mio beneplacito).
October 4, 2014
I almost always enjoy these "slice of life" books and this was no exception as Rafkin relates some of her best housekeeping stories and also does stints with Merry Maids and a person hired to clean up crime scenes, just for additional information. Rifkin's voice is lively and, if you are lucky enough to have someone who cleans your home or office, you'll look at him/her in a new light. It is a bit dated (published in 1999) so the money doesn't work - she's generally making $5-$7 an hour and if she delve into what it's like to live on those kinds of wages, you can go read Nickled and Dimed for that. My only complaint is that it ends incredibly abruptly - I actually checked my table of contents thinking my copy must be missing a chapter.
If you are interested in these types of books, well worth your time.
If you are interested in these types of books, well worth your time.
July 6, 2009
This books starts out being somewhat glib & strange. The author is a person I don't really relate to, yet, I found I wanted to keep reading this book. Toward the end the is a more interesting person being shown to us than at the beginning & the last chapter was worth reading the whole book for. In the last chapter we are let into the authors heart much more than in the rest of the book. This is a small book & worth reading.
July 8, 2018
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Louise Rafkin, possessing a Master's degree in Comparative Literature, chucks it all and takes up cleaning other people's homes. Told with a wry sense of humor, it was quite interesting to read what you can infer about others when you are cleaning their abodes. Some of her clients are the rich and famous (she does not break any confidences) and you realize quite quickly that they are just people too.
January 12, 2014
I almost gave up on this book after the first chapter--because the author was trying way too hard to be funny. After she the writing relaxed a bit it was fine. Not a great book, not horrible, a very quick read.
But really, I think she cleans houses because she is meticulous and it pays well enough--and there are no journalism jobs out there. After this? I bet she no longer cleans houses.
But really, I think she cleans houses because she is meticulous and it pays well enough--and there are no journalism jobs out there. After this? I bet she no longer cleans houses.
March 1, 2014
It ended rather abruptly, but on an interesting note. I liked the whole thing--blew through it in a day--though it felt a little outdated and I don't think I'd want the author cleaning my place (she'd hate us). Still, an interesting look at a job that is often underappreciated and work that's underrated.
July 29, 2016
This is such a great book!! I love being in someone else's life and I love reading this amazing book. The memoir author was so likable and so interesting. I love this book and if you are looking for a book to take you away from life and but you in others for a while, this is a great book for you! Put yourself in other people's shoes:)
January 25, 2022
Fun. Quick. Not very illuminating.
May 10, 2012
When Louise Rafkin was a child, she wanted to be a spy. Instead, she grew up to become a housecleaner, which allows her to snoop into the lives of other people, without the risks that come with espionage. Like most people, Rafkin didn’t set out to make a career of cleaning, but found it to be a quick and easy way to make money, and almost before she knew what had happened, it had become a career.
This book is partially a memoir of her experiences as a cleaner, and partially an exploration of the world of cleaning. Not only does she dish the dirt about her own work and the lives of those for whom she cleans, but she also investigates the wider (and sometimes weirder) industry that works to make the world more tidy. From the sweatshop conditions of a corporate cleaning franchise to a Japanese cult that cleans as a religious practice, Rafkin travels far and wide to see how other people take on the job of cleaning up after others. She also checks out the strange niche of nude cleaning and investigates those who clean up crime scenes.
The result is a fascinating glimpse at what the world looks like to those whose job it is to clean up after the rest of us. The stories here are conveyed with wit and humor, and actually make for a compelling read.
This book is partially a memoir of her experiences as a cleaner, and partially an exploration of the world of cleaning. Not only does she dish the dirt about her own work and the lives of those for whom she cleans, but she also investigates the wider (and sometimes weirder) industry that works to make the world more tidy. From the sweatshop conditions of a corporate cleaning franchise to a Japanese cult that cleans as a religious practice, Rafkin travels far and wide to see how other people take on the job of cleaning up after others. She also checks out the strange niche of nude cleaning and investigates those who clean up crime scenes.
The result is a fascinating glimpse at what the world looks like to those whose job it is to clean up after the rest of us. The stories here are conveyed with wit and humor, and actually make for a compelling read.
Read
July 9, 2021"In this fresh, funny, strikingly original memoir..."
Fresh? Maybe.
Funny? Barely (see below)
Strikingly original? I suppose, having not read another memoir about a housecleaner.
VERDICT: Overall, passing grade. Perhaps 2.75 stars, not a full 3. But thanks for the one LOL. With a dose of editing Ritalin, could've been a 3.5 star affair. I got my money's worth (52 cents, thrift shop book).
* Overall, not bad, but not as intriguiging as I hoped.
* One laugh-out-loud (page 68; no spoilers). Other than that, not a single grin for me.
* Author jumped from story to story, often stopping one just as it started getting interesting.
* A latter part (about author's visit to Japan) was pretty good.
RECOMMENDED for: anyone fascinated by tidbits (nothing deep) about filth, OCD, and toilets. Or haters of a certain "happy" maid company.
NOT FOR: readers expecting a totally hilarious or in-depth memoir, or any sort of detailed tips on housecleaning (there are plenty of other books that cover that).
Fresh? Maybe.
Funny? Barely (see below)
Strikingly original? I suppose, having not read another memoir about a housecleaner.
VERDICT: Overall, passing grade. Perhaps 2.75 stars, not a full 3. But thanks for the one LOL. With a dose of editing Ritalin, could've been a 3.5 star affair. I got my money's worth (52 cents, thrift shop book).
* Overall, not bad, but not as intriguiging as I hoped.
* One laugh-out-loud (page 68; no spoilers). Other than that, not a single grin for me.
* Author jumped from story to story, often stopping one just as it started getting interesting.
* A latter part (about author's visit to Japan) was pretty good.
RECOMMENDED for: anyone fascinated by tidbits (nothing deep) about filth, OCD, and toilets. Or haters of a certain "happy" maid company.
NOT FOR: readers expecting a totally hilarious or in-depth memoir, or any sort of detailed tips on housecleaning (there are plenty of other books that cover that).
August 22, 2013
Read this at a time where I was dying to write a feature about housekeepers. (I never did.)
August 30, 2023
Oh my! What to say about this book! It was published in 1999 so I don't know if the author still reads reviews. I hope she does because there are several things I would like to tell her. She claims to have an M.A. in Comparative Literature and the writing is o.k. The book was not so fascinating that I could not put it down. It took me a while to read it because I would get bored with it and read something else for a while before coming back to it. It is described as being funny. I didn't see much in it that was amusing.
This book was recommended to me by a woman I met who cleans houses. We started talking about books, and I asked her if she had read "The Maid" and she recommended this book. "The Maid" was a much more interesting book than this one, which is basically an autobiography.
The author says that she is a fabulous housecleaner. I can't believe that anyone who read this book would ever hire her to clean their house. She admits to having sex with a random lover on the bedspread in the master bedroom of one of the houses she was supposed to be cleaning, she tries on the clothes of the women whose house she is cleaning, and she snoops in their Rolodex and contacts influential friends of theirs to ask for favors. No wonder she prefers that her clients not be home when she is cleaning!
She complained that one of her clients fired her when she found Cheerios in her kitchen sink. If I had ever made the mistake of hiring her, I would have fired her for the same reason. I am very particular about my kitchen sink and counters. Since that is where we prepare our food, and we usually sit on the stools at the counter to eat, I sanitize my kitchen sink and counters all the time. I tell everyone who has ever helped me with cleaning to please not put their cleaning bucket in my kitchen sink to fill it. They can fill it in the bathtub. I also ask that they not pour dirty cleaning water down my kitchen sink. They can pour it down the toilet or throw it out in the yard. The Cheerios in the kitchen sink would tell me that she had poured her dirty cleaning water in my kitchen sink. Yuk!
Another tip she gave for people who hire cleaners is to leave treats and beverages for the cleaners. I worked most of my life, starting as a server when I was 14 until I retired from a professional job 50 years later. No employer ever provided food for me, nor did I expect them to do so. I took my snacks and lunch to work, or I bought something to eat at a nearby restaurant or snack counter. This book was written before everyone started bringing their own Yeti containers with water or whatever they want to drink. Of course, anyone who is working at my house is welcome to fill up their container.
Since I will be 80 years old this year and we entertain a lot, I have hired a woman to help me clean once a month. When I clean myself, and I often do extra things, like changing the decorations for the seasons, it takes me two hours. My husband does the floors so between the two of us it takes about 3 hours. When the woman who helps me clean comes, it takes her four hours or longer and my house is pretty clean when she gets here. Although I am in the house, I do not watch what she is doing. I can't imagine what takes her so long. She does not change the sheets on the bed (that would creep me out), do laundry or clean out the refrigerator. In fact, she does nothing in the kitchen other than cleaning the floor. Before we agreed to have her clean, she came for an interview and gave me a price, which we both felt was fair. That is what I pay her. I do not give her a tip. She set the price and we both agreed to it.
I'm sorry to say that I would not recommend this book. I thought it was going to be the humorous experiences of a housecleaner. There was way more about the author's personal life than I was interested in reading.
This book was recommended to me by a woman I met who cleans houses. We started talking about books, and I asked her if she had read "The Maid" and she recommended this book. "The Maid" was a much more interesting book than this one, which is basically an autobiography.
The author says that she is a fabulous housecleaner. I can't believe that anyone who read this book would ever hire her to clean their house. She admits to having sex with a random lover on the bedspread in the master bedroom of one of the houses she was supposed to be cleaning, she tries on the clothes of the women whose house she is cleaning, and she snoops in their Rolodex and contacts influential friends of theirs to ask for favors. No wonder she prefers that her clients not be home when she is cleaning!
She complained that one of her clients fired her when she found Cheerios in her kitchen sink. If I had ever made the mistake of hiring her, I would have fired her for the same reason. I am very particular about my kitchen sink and counters. Since that is where we prepare our food, and we usually sit on the stools at the counter to eat, I sanitize my kitchen sink and counters all the time. I tell everyone who has ever helped me with cleaning to please not put their cleaning bucket in my kitchen sink to fill it. They can fill it in the bathtub. I also ask that they not pour dirty cleaning water down my kitchen sink. They can pour it down the toilet or throw it out in the yard. The Cheerios in the kitchen sink would tell me that she had poured her dirty cleaning water in my kitchen sink. Yuk!
Another tip she gave for people who hire cleaners is to leave treats and beverages for the cleaners. I worked most of my life, starting as a server when I was 14 until I retired from a professional job 50 years later. No employer ever provided food for me, nor did I expect them to do so. I took my snacks and lunch to work, or I bought something to eat at a nearby restaurant or snack counter. This book was written before everyone started bringing their own Yeti containers with water or whatever they want to drink. Of course, anyone who is working at my house is welcome to fill up their container.
Since I will be 80 years old this year and we entertain a lot, I have hired a woman to help me clean once a month. When I clean myself, and I often do extra things, like changing the decorations for the seasons, it takes me two hours. My husband does the floors so between the two of us it takes about 3 hours. When the woman who helps me clean comes, it takes her four hours or longer and my house is pretty clean when she gets here. Although I am in the house, I do not watch what she is doing. I can't imagine what takes her so long. She does not change the sheets on the bed (that would creep me out), do laundry or clean out the refrigerator. In fact, she does nothing in the kitchen other than cleaning the floor. Before we agreed to have her clean, she came for an interview and gave me a price, which we both felt was fair. That is what I pay her. I do not give her a tip. She set the price and we both agreed to it.
I'm sorry to say that I would not recommend this book. I thought it was going to be the humorous experiences of a housecleaner. There was way more about the author's personal life than I was interested in reading.
March 6, 2021
Picked this up from a pile of books one of my daughters was getting rid of. A fun read.
Louise Rafkin is a housecleaner. She also has an MA in literature, has been a teacher and is a published writer, besides this book. She chose tho be a housecleaner for better money, better hours and the idea intrigued her. This is her memoir.
It is a humorous view from her perspective of the cleaning world. The different clients and their preferences she has dealt with based on what she has seen and experienced while cleaning up. Clues found in trash baskets, laundry, cupboards and counter tops, can add up to interesting tales.
She also came to know which is the best vacuum, cleaning products, paper towels and other cleaning supplies to use and that clients don’t always agree. It isn’t really a book of cleaning tips, but there are a few.
She also has studied some of the various styles of housecleaning and interviewed people who work in these various s tyles. “Exotic” — nearly naked and lingerie-clad cleaners, sexy male cleaners, cleaners who work for services: she even went to Japan to learn about Ittoen, a group of cleaning people who live in a commune and have dedicated their lives to cleaning. Who knew what a variety can be found among cleaning services!
A fun and interesting read from an inside view.
Louise Rafkin is a housecleaner. She also has an MA in literature, has been a teacher and is a published writer, besides this book. She chose tho be a housecleaner for better money, better hours and the idea intrigued her. This is her memoir.
It is a humorous view from her perspective of the cleaning world. The different clients and their preferences she has dealt with based on what she has seen and experienced while cleaning up. Clues found in trash baskets, laundry, cupboards and counter tops, can add up to interesting tales.
She also came to know which is the best vacuum, cleaning products, paper towels and other cleaning supplies to use and that clients don’t always agree. It isn’t really a book of cleaning tips, but there are a few.
She also has studied some of the various styles of housecleaning and interviewed people who work in these various s tyles. “Exotic” — nearly naked and lingerie-clad cleaners, sexy male cleaners, cleaners who work for services: she even went to Japan to learn about Ittoen, a group of cleaning people who live in a commune and have dedicated their lives to cleaning. Who knew what a variety can be found among cleaning services!
A fun and interesting read from an inside view.
October 18, 2020
An enjoyable insight into the lives of cleaners. As a housekeeper, Louise Rankin writes with wit and humor about the unseen heroines keeping our homes and offices in order, clean and hygienic, showing the comic side in her various cleaning job. The fact that she gained her housekeeping badge as a young girl in which she took great pride and her research into cleaning ladies in a variety of settings.
There are some poignant moments, describing the lot of the cleaner employed by her parents and the cleaner whose child had been left brain damaged, but who was raising her children as well as travelling to her cleaning jobs, cleaning efficiently and with compassion for her clients.
I have done cleaning work myself in people's homes, in factories and in pubs, but I learned a lot from reading this and can recommend this to any reader who enjoys reading unusual and quirky books.
There are some poignant moments, describing the lot of the cleaner employed by her parents and the cleaner whose child had been left brain damaged, but who was raising her children as well as travelling to her cleaning jobs, cleaning efficiently and with compassion for her clients.
I have done cleaning work myself in people's homes, in factories and in pubs, but I learned a lot from reading this and can recommend this to any reader who enjoys reading unusual and quirky books.
October 8, 2018
Smart, funny and poignant memoir of a woman who decided to become a professional housecleaner. Perspectives on how we as Americans feel about dirt and those who we pay to clean up after us. Rafkin interviews the woman who cleaned her own family's home, those who have cleaned up after the rich and famous, the dying and the dead. The author even travels to Japan to stay in a spiritually based community of those who clean as service to humanity. A sensational and yet authentic inquiry into a topic that in American society is often swept under the rug.
August 10, 2018
I enjoyed this audiobook. It got a few laughs out of me. Toward the end, my interest began to wane, like when she went to Japan. I wasn’t quite clear on why she went there. But in any case, I did enjoy her stories about her clients, especially the different nicknames. “The Shedders”, “The Cheerio Lady” lol. I would have loved more of those stories.
November 4, 2020
More, later, but for the moment:
This memoir held my attention for the couple of hours required to finish.
Upon re-reading it, I sent my copy to a friend who cleans houses.
The author grew into servant-hood.
A blessing.
This memoir held my attention for the couple of hours required to finish.
Upon re-reading it, I sent my copy to a friend who cleans houses.
The author grew into servant-hood.
A blessing.
October 26, 2021
I was honestly in it for the nosy stuff. Do maids peek in diaries? (Some do. Yes.) Do they try on clothes in the closets? (Some do. Yes.) Do they care what books are on the bedside table? (Some do. Yes.) Do they judge you by your mess? (Absolutely.)
Aside from that stuff, it’s mostly a sad monologue on how this is not a very financially rewarding career. It is a story of one woman who actually enjoys the cleaning and would be much happier if it weren’t for the clients, themselves.
Aside from that stuff, it’s mostly a sad monologue on how this is not a very financially rewarding career. It is a story of one woman who actually enjoys the cleaning and would be much happier if it weren’t for the clients, themselves.
March 9, 2022
A fun, easy read. Gives interesting insights about what it’s like to clean houses. A couple of gross things mentioned (obviously) but good to be aware of if you’re bothered by discussion of bodily fluids.
July 28, 2023
back cover says "investigative detail and remarkable depth" -- hardly. Though early chapters when she’s really writing about her own experiences (as opposed to seeking out and talking with whatever diverse types she can find: Japanese meditative, cleaners for sex, etc) aren’t so bad
August 5, 2023
This book was such an enjoyable read. The author’s likability and relatability shine through every chapter. With a remarkable combination of wit, insight, and storytelling, Rafkin offers a fresh perspective on a profession often overlooked and underappreciated.
May 8, 2018
An interesting look into the mindset of somebody who actually likes to clean.
July 30, 2018
Surprisingly engaging insight into human nature as magnified by our living space.
July 1, 2019
Funny stories and interesting way to make a good, clean living!
July 27, 2019
A brief audiobook read by the author—perfect to listen to while cleaning windows!
October 25, 2022
It was okay. Amusingly salacious at times, but she was uncomfortably judgey and she seemed to lack any kind of boundaries with the personal possessions of the people she was working for.
July 4, 2024
I truly enjoyed this book and I am glad I Read It audiobook style. Very nicely done and enjoyable :-)
February 12, 2017
Collection of essays - one about her trip to Japan as the best.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews