With butlers in isolation, the wealthy learn housekeeping

WEALTHY households are taking online housekeeping classes as their butlers and nannies are in self-isolation, a domestic staff company has said.

Polo & Tweed, in Mayfair, London, recruits and trains staff including housekeepers, butlers and chefs for professionals, royalty and celebrities alike.

But families are struggling to keep up with the demands of maintaining their homes during the lockdown as 50 per cent of Polo & Tweed staff live offsite and many are having to isolate.

In their absence, Lucy Challenger, founder and CEO of Polo & Tweed, said there has been a huge rise in owners of properties, known as “principals”, asking for advice and training – including how to change bedsheets, iron and clean.

Ms Challenger said: “We’re getting calls day in, day out from the principals themselves saying, ‘I’ve never had to change the bed – what do I do? What’s the best way of laundering it?’

“People are having to launder and iron and fold for the first time, and everyone wants to know tips for keeping the house clean and being aware of cross-contamination.”

Those left to manage listed properties on their own are faced with the mammoth task of maintenance and upkeep or risk the homes falling into decay, said Ms Challenger.

She added: “One of our clients has one of the largest properties in Henley with a team of 10 housekeepers – that’s not including the groundsmen, the PAS, the estate managers and the chefs.

“People might think, ‘Hang on, why can’t the person who owns the house pick up the Hoover and off they go?’

But simply picking up a Hoover in a property that has 30 bedrooms would take you a month to complete.”

In response to the demand, Polo & Tweed is launching e-learning classes. Participants will be able to sign up for a specific task – such as ironing or wardrobe management – and will be tested, graded and receive a certificate if they pass. Clients can speak to trainers oneon-one for more tailored advice, such as how to clean their chandeliers.

“Principals are rolling up their sleeves and getting more involved and are having a bit more empathy for what their staff do,” added Ms Challenger.

‘People are having to launder and iron and fold for the first time, and everyone wants tips’