House cleaning services are bustling to welcome the New Year.
As Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches, house cleaning service groups become busy during peak season. These service providers are mostly women, with a small number being students taking advantage of their school breaks to earn extra income.
After just a few minutes on the phone closing a deal with a regular customer, Ms. Tran Thi Phuong (Truong Vinh ward) hurriedly arranged the schedule for her team of workers. With over four years of experience in the profession, Ms. Phuong understands better than anyone the intense demand in this market.
Ms. Phuong shared that the period 1-2 months before the Lunar New Year is always the busiest and most stressful time. The demand from families surges, causing her phone to ring constantly. On average, she receives 4-5 calls a day requesting cleaning services, but due to limited manpower and to ensure quality, she only dares to accept about 1-2 orders.
Starting out as an employee, Ms. Phuong has now boldly taken on contracting work and organized her own team. Her role as a team leader is not only to connect with clients and find orders, but also to provide a complete package of supplies, from vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbers, and dry cleaning machines to specialized cleaning chemicals and protective equipment.
Ms. Phuong's cleaning service group currently has about 10 members, who have been working together for over 3 years. The members mainly come from the former Nam Dan and Hung Nguyen districts. Most of them are in difficult circumstances, such as Ms. Le Thi Uy (from Kim Lien commune), who is currently raising her child in 8th grade alone. On weekdays, Ms. Uy works in the fields and raises chickens and pigs to make ends meet. After the planting season is over, she joins the cleaning team to earn extra income.
"Everyone has their own circumstances, but we all share the desire to earn extra income through our own labor, so that our families can have a more comfortable Tet holiday," Ms. Uy confided.
Having worked in the cleaning service industry for many years, Ms. Duong Thi Huong in Thanh Vinh ward currently maintains a group of nearly 20 female members.
Ms. Huong said that in the two months leading up to the Lunar New Year, her group was almost fully booked. In February 2026, the group only had three days left to accept new orders. They haven't adjusted prices upwards compared to normal days, maintaining them at 16,000 VND per meter.2.
Ms. Huong's team not only provides house cleaning services for Tet (Lunar New Year), but also operates professionally with a variety of services such as: hourly house cleaning at 60,000 VND/hour/person; industrial cleaning after renovations and handover of premises; sofa, curtain, carpet, and mattress cleaning; mold removal from ceilings and walls; termite extermination and mosquito spraying services, etc.
Besides working in teams, many women also choose to work independently, doing house cleaning jobs on a daily or hourly basis, mainly focusing on maintaining a base of regular customers.
Ms. Tan Thi Kim Oanh, residing in Vinh Loc ward, stated that she currently works as a cleaning lady under contract at a government agency in Thanh Vinh ward, with a work schedule from Monday to Friday during office hours. Therefore, she takes advantage of her free time to offer house cleaning services on Saturdays and Sundays, mainly for regular families, at a rate of 200,000 VND per session.
Cleaning service teams typically start work at 6 AM and finish at 6 PM. The hard work of house cleaning is rewarded with a relatively attractive income compared to farming. For each completed "job," team members are paid between 400,000 and 500,000 VND per person per day, which can be adjusted depending on the actual situation.
During the period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), in addition to the agreed-upon wages, group leaders will receive extra bonuses. Furthermore, many clients and homeowners, upon being satisfied with the quality of the cleaning, will also give additional tips to the cleaning staff.
Ms. Phuong, acting as the "contractor," said that in the month leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), if they work diligently and consistently, each woman can earn between 10 and 20 million VND. As for organizers like herself, after deducting depreciation costs for machinery and materials, their income can reach 15 to 25 million VND. Not only are the wages fair, but the benefits are also very humane.
Ms. Phuong said: "Some of the women have to go home early to take care of cooking and housework. But for those who stay to finish the work, past 7 PM, I will pay them extra overtime from 100,000 to 200,000 VND." Outside of the peak Tet season, these cleaning groups still operate but with fewer orders, mainly cleaning post-construction sites, offices, or cleaning by the hour depending on demand.
House cleaning today is not simply manual labor but requires both skills and professional ethics. According to the workers, to maintain long-term reputation, they must continuously improve their skills, uphold honesty, and be careful with the homeowner's property. Beyond its economic value, this job also brings spiritual joy.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga (from Hung Nguyen Nam commune), a long-time member, said that the working environment helps women socialize and expand their circle of friends. Although each person has their own circumstances, the sharing during work has created a bond and solidarity among the members.
