By Minh Hằng

HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Thị Năm moved across the living room, wiping the final windowpane while just a few steps away, the family employing her arranged kumquat trees and stacks of red lucky envelopes.

It was already the third home she had cleaned that morning, and she knew the day would stretch on, with no real break, well into the night.

For Năm, a 56-year-old cleaner from Nam Định Province, this is peak season.

As Tết draws near, major cities are experiencing a familiar year-end rush, not only in supermarkets and flower markets, but inside private homes, where demand for domestic helpers is soaring.

From deep-cleaning apartments to caring for children and elderly parents, home helpers are putting in long hours in the final days of the Lunar New Year (Tết), with many choosing to stay on through Tết itself to meet rising demand.

“On normal days I take one or two jobs,” Năm said. “Now it’s three or four homes a day. Everyone wants their house spotless before Tết.”

Her tasks range from scrubbing kitchens and bathrooms to washing windows and rearranging furniture.

The work is physically exhausting, but Năm said the year-end rush offers a rare opportunity to earn extra income.

“If I work until the 29th day of the lunar month, I can save enough to buy gifts for my parents and new clothes for my children,” she said.

For many helpers, the work extends far beyond household chores.

Nguyễn Thị Nương, 48, from Tuyên Quang Province, is packing a small bag of clothes as she prepares to spend the Tết holiday caring for an elderly client in Hà Nội.

On regular days, she works as a domestic helper for a family with three young children in Vinhome Times City complex, Vĩnh Tuy Ward, earning about VNĐ8 million (over US$300) a month.

From the 27th day of the lunar month, she will move to another household to provide full-time care for an elderly person throughout this year’s Tết break.

“In previous years, I always went back to my hometown to celebrate Tết with my family,” Nương said.

“But this year, I decided to stay after an acquaintance introduced me to a family that needs elderly care during the holiday.”

The family is paying her VNĐ1.2 million a day, an offer she accepted immediately. It means that ten days of work over Tết would earn her the equivalent of nearly one-and-a-half months of her regular salary.

“I really need the money,” she said.

Her husband recently underwent surgery, leaving the family with mounting medical bills. To cover the hospital fees, Nương had to borrow from relatives and friends.

“Now I have to work to repay those debts,” she added.

“I have no choice. Of course I want to go home and be with my family – who doesn’t?”

A similar picture can be seen in households caring for elderly relatives in poor health.

Nguyễn Thị Thảo, 60, from Thanh Hóa Province, has worked as a domestic helper for more than 10 years. She is currently caring for an 88-year-old woman who is ill and has limited mobility, while also handling household chores for this family in Thanh Xuân Ward, Hà Nội.

“It’s exhausting work, but I push on to save a little for the years ahead,” Thảo said.

“I usually return home for Tết, but this year I stayed because the family needed care. They pay VNĐ1 million a day, and just over a week of work during the holiday brings in roughly the same as a month’s salary.”

 

According to domestic service platforms, bookings typically double or even triple in the two weeks before Tết, driven mainly by requests for deep cleaning, childcare and elderly care. At the same time, labour supply tightens as many helpers return to their hometowns early, pushing service fees higher.

Technology platforms are playing a growing role in connecting households with domestic workers.

Ride-hailing company beGroup now offers home helper and cleaning services directly through its app, allowing users to book domestic workers alongside transport and delivery services.

Customers can select time slots, specify tasks and track appointments online – a convenience that has attracted younger families and office workers facing tight schedules at year’s end.

A representative of Be Group Joint Stock Company based in Hà Nội, said demand for household cleaning services would rise sharply toward the end of the year and in the days leading up to Tết.

The company's operational data showed growth of around tenfold, with app users increasing by roughly the same margin, reflecting a clear shift towards convenient services as families seek to ease the burden of housework, particularly during the year-end period.

To cope with the surge, the company has stepped up recruitment and training of home care partners to ensure consistent service quality.

Professional domestic service providers are also expanding their Tết offerings.

Giúp việc cô Tấm (Cô Tấm home care), one of Hà Nội’s household service companies, has rolled out special year-end packages covering deep cleaning, childcare and elderly care. 

Its most popular option is a full-package Tết service, with helpers staying in clients’ homes from the twenty-third lunar day to the sixth day of Tết to handle housework and holiday preparations.

Fees range from VNĐ15 million to VNĐ20 million, rising to VNĐ25 million for longer packages. The company also offers daily and hourly services, with full-day rates during Tết at around VNĐ500,000 to VNĐ700,000, about 30–50 per cent higher than usual.

The company advises families to book at least two to three weeks in advance, noting that prices rise sharply closer to the holiday as demand intensifies.

Despite digital platforms and professional providers helping to match supply and demand more efficiently, operators say seasonal labour shortages persist.

Home service suppliers say some helpers leave the city about ten days before Tết, while customer requests peak during the same period.

Although clients are advised to book early, many still wait until the last minute. They add that more families are now willing to pay premium rates for helpers who agree to work during Tết, particularly for live-in care of elderly relatives.

For many households, rising costs are a necessary trade-off.

Phạm Thu An, an office worker in Cầu Giấy ward, said she hired a cleaner and part-time babysitter this year for the first time.

“My husband and I both have year-end deadlines, and our parents live far away,” she said.

“It’s more expensive than usual, but without help we simply couldn’t manage.”

The year-end surge around Tết underscores changing urban life, where compact families and intense work schedules are making hired domestic help increasingly common.

"For those providing the services, the holiday is no longer just a break, but a key chance to earn extra money and ease financial pressures.

Back on the job, Năm said she planned to return home just one day before New Year’s Eve.

“I miss my family,” she said as she prepared for her next appointment.

“But these extra working days mean a better Tết for them. That’s what keeps me going.” — VNS