"Tired After Work, 'Please Take Out the Trash and Do the Laundry'... 20s and 30s Paying for Cleaning Services"

Office worker Mr. A (33) uses cleaning services about twice a month.

He entrusts not only cleaning the floors, kitchen, and bathroom but also sorting recyclables and disposing of food waste.

Mr. A said, "At first, I hesitated at the thought of someone else cleaning my house, but after using the service, it became much cleaner and I felt much more at ease." He added, "Spending money on cleaning is a rational consumption that saves my time and energy." Photo by Pixabay.

Recently, there has been a rapid increase in people in their 20s and 30s paying for someone else to clean their personal spaces.

However, there are ongoing disputes over responsibility for damages to appliances and furniture, and concerns have been raised about the unclear identities of cleaning helpers.

According to the cleaning agency Cleaning Research Institute on the 12th, 45% of users as of last month were in their 20s and 30s. This represents a 5 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year.

Additionally, the number of cleaning requests for one-room apartments, mainly inhabited by single-person households in their 20s and 30s, surged by 80% compared to the same period last year.

On online communities, posts such as "Looking for someone to clean a simple one-room apartment for 30,000 won" and "Looking for part-time help with dishwashing and laundry" are continuously being posted.

One poster wrote, "My one-room apartment is a complete mess, so I am looking for a woman to help clean together," adding, "You would need to clean the bathroom, wash dishes, and sort the trash. A small compensation will be provided." ChatGPT generated image.

As the use of cleaning agency services increases, disputes between companies and customers are also rising.

Damages related to service quality, such as broken appliances, furniture, or household goods, are among the most common issues.

Mr. B (39) said, "After I hired a cleaning service, my furniture got scratched. When I complained to the company, they avoided responsibility by saying the damage could have already existed, which was absurd."

As the use of cleaning agency services increases, disputes related to service quality, such as damage to home appliances, furniture, and household goods, are also rising. Pixabay

There are also concerns that cleaning helpers' identities are not clearly verified on cleaning intermediary platforms.

One platform's terms and conditions even specify a clause stating, "The identity of members (cleaning helpers) is not guaranteed."

There have also been some unusual complaints.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, one user demanded compensation, claiming that a cleaning worker transmitted a cold virus. However, the agency determined that it was difficult to recognize a causal relationship. The company responded by offering two free sterilization and disinfection services worth 300,000 won.

Outsourcing of housework is increasing. Pixabay

This trend of outsourcing housework is receiving both positive reviews as a "rational consumption" that saves time and energy, and concerns about the tendency to entrust even basic tidying up to others.

On this issue, Heo Changdeok, a professor of sociology at Yeungnam University, commented, "Young people are using cleaning agencies not because they are lazy, but because the nature of work has changed. In modern society, where most of the day is spent at the workplace or outside, outsourcing housework can be seen as a natural trend."

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Byun Seonjin sj@asiae.co.kr
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Kim Inwook kiminuki@asiae.co.kr

"Tired After Work, 'Please Take Out the Trash and Do the Laundry'... 20s and 30s Paying for Cleaning Services"

"Tired After Work, 'Please Take Out the Trash and Do the Laundry'... 20s and 30s Paying for Cleaning Services"

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