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With packages, technique, and digital presence, housekeepers transform cleaning into a specialized service, while the drop in formal employment exposes the cost of being outside the CLT
In April 2026, in São Paulo, the rise of premium housekeepers drew attention by repositioning cleaning as a technical service, with uniforms, their own equipment, and detailed contracts, with prices that can reach R$ 1,000 for an eight-hour day and monthly earnings above many formal occupations.
In practice, housekeepers who migrated to this model report full schedules and above-average income, but experts, unions, and consultants warn that the revenue jump does not mean stability, because outside the CLT there are no guarantees like FGTS, vacation, and 13th salary, and the transition requires planning.
How premium housekeepers transformed cleaning into a specialized service
Standardized uniforms, technical schedules, specific products for each surface, and more personalized service have become the trademark of a group of housekeepers who began selling cleaning as a specialized service. In this model, the logic shifts from speed and low price to method, organization, and professional presentation.
This repositioning is strongly evident in high-end neighborhoods and also on social media, where content about technique, routine, and pricing helps attract clients and influence other housekeepers seeking to increase their income.
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The income jump that went viral on social media
Cláudia Rodrigues is one of the cited examples of this change. She reports that she used to earn R$ 120 per day and, after expenses with transportation and food, would return home with about R$ 80. Today, she sells packages for R$ 250 for four hours, R$ 280 for six hours, and R$ 330 for eight hours, plus extras depending on the type of service.
According to her account, Cláudia claims she does not earn less than R$ 8,000 and keeps her schedule always full, an income that exceeds average income references presented in the text, including the national average and the remuneration of public servants, which fuels the narrative that housekeepers can earn more than in formal employment.
Packages of R$ 600 and R$ 1,000 and professionalization as a business
Another highlighted trajectory is that of Gabriela Valente, who left formal employment, invested in professional cleaning, and began charging R$ 600 for four hours and R$ 1,000 for eight hours. In addition to her services, she acts as a mentor, speaker, and content creator and has even developed her own product.
The central point of these stories is that cleaners do not describe a new profession, but a new perspective on the same activity, focusing on technique, method, positioning, and quality delivery to support higher prices.
Fall of formal employment and why the market has changed
The text points to a parallel scenario that helps explain the expansion of daily services. Between 2016 and 2025, the number of domestic workers with formal contracts fell by 21.1%, according to data from the Executive Summary of RAIS and eSocial from the Ministry of Labor and Employment. In less than a decade, Brazil lost nearly 347,000 formal ties.
Undersecretary Paula Montagner states that there is not a single reason, but cites milestones such as the expansion of rights from the Domestic Workers PEC in 2013, which brought advances but raised formalization costs for families. The pandemic also intensified the trend, with loss of income, isolation, and risk of contagion, leading many workers to leave the formal market, and some of them not returning.
What cleaners lose outside the CLT and why this is concerning
The specialists’ warning is direct: cleaners outside the formal link do not have FGTS, paid vacation, 13th salary, or notice period.
The president of Sindoméstica, Janaina Souza, summarizes the risk as a confusion between high earnings and security, stating that many earn more but give up important guarantees.
Even with formalization as MEI, cited as a recommended path by the union and Sebrae, the social security contribution is lower, which can result in lower pensions.
The text also emphasizes that MEI, in practice, does not apply to continuous domestic work, although many cleaners provide services up to two days a week in the same household.
Planning, invisible costs and the care before charging more
The recommendations highlight that repositioning requires caution and management. Among the precautions, points such as calculating real costs of transportation, food, equipment maintenance, physical wear, product replacement, advertising, and digital tools appear.
There are also guidelines for building a professional digital presence, avoiding competing solely on price, strategically setting prices, formalizing service contracts, and creating a financial reserve to get through periods of low demand.
The message is that charging more requires delivering more and sustaining the operation as a business, something that directly impacts the routine of cleaners.
Do you think the rise of premium cleaners is a real opportunity for valuing the profession or a risk of precarization without guarantees for those leaving the CLT?
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