Household help and safety
MOM restricts helpers from cleaning the exterior of windows above ground level unless the windows have locked grilles and a physically present adult supervises. This applies whether or not the helper is willing. Interior window cleaning and ground-floor exterior work are not subject to the same restriction, but still require safe working methods. Plan each window and outdoor task by location, then decide whether specialist help is needed.
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By APEX Maids Agency Pte. Ltd. · MOM EA Licence 25C3180 · UEN 202547196H. Based in Jurong West and serving households across Singapore. Our website is apexmaids.sg and our phone is 8405 6661.
The restriction applies to cleaning the exterior surface of windows above ground level. Wiping the inside of a closed window from within the room is not the same task and is not subject to the exterior-cleaning restriction. However, interior cleaning still requires common-sense precautions: no leaning out, no climbing on furniture, and stable footing.
Ground-floor exterior windows (where the helper is standing on the ground outside) are also not subject to the above-ground exterior restriction. Confirm which windows are above ground and which can be reached safely from outside at ground level.
MOM’s 14 October 2025 parliamentary answer confirms the locked-grille and adult-supervision requirements for exterior window cleaning. The December 2021 safety circular reinforces that an adult family member must be physically present and the grille must be locked when the helper cleans the exterior of windows above the ground floor.
Both conditions must be met at the same time. A locked grille without supervision does not satisfy the requirement. Supervision without a locked grille does not satisfy the requirement. If either is missing, the task should not be assigned.
If your home does not have window grilles, or the grilles cannot be locked while the window is being cleaned from inside, exterior cleaning above ground level should not be done by the helper. Saying she is careful or willing does not change the physical conditions.
MOM’s employer safety pamphlet states that helpers must not stand on raised platforms, chairs or stools when cleaning windows, and must not lean out of windows. This applies regardless of floor level. Do not provide a stool to reach higher panes. If a window section cannot be reached safely while standing on the floor with feet flat, either use an appropriate extending cleaning tool from inside or arrange specialist help.
An appropriate long-handled tool may help reach a surface while keeping feet on the floor. Neither a long handle nor a magnetic cleaning device exempts above-ground exterior work from the grille and supervision requirements. Stop if the task still involves leaning, climbing or another unsafe method.
Hanging laundry on external poles or racks near windows involves reaching out. Apply the same principles: if the laundry point requires leaning out of a window or reaching past a safety barrier above ground level, assess whether the arrangement is safe. The helper should not climb on anything or lean her upper body past the window frame.
Bamboo pole laundry systems common in HDB flats require reaching out to place and retrieve poles. Confirm that the helper can manage the poles without overbalancing, and supervise the first few times. If the poles are heavy or the angle is awkward, reconsider the arrangement.
Safety instructions are only useful if the helper understands them. Explain the rules in the language she is comfortable with, demonstrate the correct method, and ask her to repeat what she understood. This is especially important if she has worked in a household with different rules or in a country where the building type is different.
After the first week, check back: does she follow the method? Does she understand why? Has she encountered a window or task she is unsure about? A one-time instruction on day one is not enough if the arrangement is not reviewed.
Under MOM’s safety agreement guidance, a first-time helper signs after attending the Settling-in Programme and before starting work at your home. Other helpers sign before deployment to you. MOM states an exception when renewing your existing helper’s contract. The employer, employment agency and helper sign, and each keeps a copy. The helper’s signed copy must be in her native language so she understands it. The agreement records the window-cleaning restrictions; signing does not waive them.
If any exterior window above ground level cannot be cleaned safely with locked grilles and an adult present, plan specialist cleaning for those windows. This is a cost and scheduling decision, not a failure. Decide which surfaces can safely be assigned and leave the rest out of the helper’s task list. Check a professional’s competence and safe method before engaging them.
Print this page (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P) and go through each window and outdoor task in your home. Record the answers before assigning cleaning duties.
| Window or task | Location and floor | Locked grille? | Adult present? | Safe to assign? | Alternative plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ________________ |
| ________________ | ________________ | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ________________ |
| ________________ | ________________ | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ________________ |
| ________________ | ________________ | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ________________ |
| ________________ | ________________ | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ________________ |
| Laundry poles | ________________ | N/A | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ________________ |
Swipe sideways on a phone. All columns appear when printed.
Decision rule: if any above-ground exterior cleaning row has a No for grille or supervision, the safe-to-assign answer is No. Write the alternative: specialist cleaner, clean from inside only, or skip that surface.
This planning guide is not a safety qualification or permission to attempt unsafe work. Before requesting a helper shortlist, explain the actual housekeeping duties and which tasks will need other arrangements. Being willing to clean does not establish that a person can safely perform every task in your home.
Source check: 23 October 2026. MOM 14 October 2025 parliamentary answer (exterior window cleaning restrictions, locked grilles, adult supervision); MOM employer safety pamphlet (no raised platforms, no leaning out, laundry precautions); MOM December 2021 safety circular (adult family member present, locked grille for above-ground exterior); MOM contracts and safety agreement (signing timing, copies). Check current official guidance and the safety agreement for your arrangement.
If exterior cleaning above ground level cannot be made safe with locked grilles and a physically present adult, do not assign it.
Questions
Only if the windows have locked grilles and a physically present adult supervises at the same time. If either condition is missing, do not assign exterior window cleaning above ground level. Plan specialist help for those windows.
MOM requires the employer, agency and helper to sign and each keep a copy. First-time helpers sign after the Settling-in Programme and before work starts at home; others before deployment. MOM states an exception for renewing your existing helper’s contract. The helper signs a native-language copy.
No. An extendable tool is an aid for reaching glass from inside. It does not remove the requirement for locked grilles and an adult present when cleaning the exterior of windows above ground level.
Leave unsafe tasks out of the helper’s duties and plan competent professional help where needed. Locked grilles and supervision are necessary conditions for above-ground exterior cleaning, not a guarantee that every window or method is safe.
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