Power
You might not think "power" and "housekeeper" go hand in hand, but think again. No, you won't be negotiating corporate mergers or inventing something that'll provide a gazillion jobs. That's not the kind of power we mean.
Housekeepers help make life easier for the families they work for. Think about it. A housekeeper who comes by once or twice a week to scrub the bathrooms, change bedding, do a little laundry, vacuum, and dust adds that all-important flexibility to the schedule of the client family. Instead of having one parent going to ball games and karate while the other is at home cleaning, you've taken that load off their shoulders.
A good housekeeper becomes a member of the family. You're there sharing their lives on a weekly, maybe even a daily basis. Sure, you're getting paid, but there's a lot of trust that's placed in a person who comes into someone's home to work. Just like a nanny or a tutor, the housekeeper can have an important role in a family.
Let's put it this way: a housekeeper knows a lot about a client family, and may see them...less well put together than the family would generally wish to present themselves. If you have an early morning cleaning appointment, you're more likely to see sleepy, wild-haired zombies having breakfast than the actual humans you remember from last week when you cleaned for them mid-afternoon.
No big deal, right? Since you're part of the family, they'll probably offer you some coffee and share their breakfast with you. Is it generosity or buying your silence? Who cares? Pass the biscuits.