It is not common for any but the richest of Dutch people to have live-in domestic help, but some people do hire a part-time cleaning lady (werkster). Most cleaning ladies work cash-in hand or “in the black” (zwart werken), i.e. without making tax or social security contributions on their income, although tax-paying “white” cleaners (witte werksters) can be recruited via cleaning agencies (Schoonmaakbedrijven), for a higher hourly rate. Casual part-time cleaners can sometimes be found by advertising in the local press or on a supermarket noticeboards, or by asking friends for recommendations, but they are usually in short supply.

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