Services large and small are offering specialized cleaning to homes and businesses throughout the Southland. The Maid Brigade, a company with locations throughout the United States, Canada and Ireland, has been cleaning homes and small businesses for four decades.
Maid Brigade Southwest Suburbs vice president William Agnew said the cleaning service, which has a central office in Chicago Ridge, serves Tinley Park, Orland Park, Chicago Ridge and neighboring communities when contacted.
The service operates with a staff of licensed and bonded maids who have clear criminal backgrounds and distinct Maid Brigade uniforms. "All of our rags are color-coded so there's no cross-contamination and our work is guaranteed," Agnew said. "If the customer is not satisfied, it'll be re-done."
More than just a spray bottle
Customers are given a "report card" to fill out and send in after the Maid Brigade visits. While Maid Brigade must have been doing something right since its beginning in 1979, Agnew said the local branch, which started a few years ago, has adopted a modern cleaning philosophy. "We offer green cleaning," he said. "It's eco-friendly and it has brought us a whole new clientele."
Agnew said the company has left bleaches and ammonias behind without impacting costs. "Some of the perks with green clean products are that they're healthier for the home and healthier for the maids working in the home," he said.
"Some people don't realize that sometimes when they clean (their home), they're polluting it with toxins in cleaning products. "The green cleaning is beneficial for women, children, pets, the elderly and people with respiratory problems."
Maid Brigade specializes in full-house residential and small commercial cleaning, with pricing based on square-footage.
Although the Southwest suburban branch may not cover every area community, more Maid Brigade branches are available through the company's Web site: www.maidbrigade.com. With a more local, personal touch, Maureen Haisten of Palos Hills has a cleaning troupe of her own called Krystal Kleen. She operates throughout the entire Southland area, from Palos Hills, Orland Park and Tinley Park west to Burr Ridge, north to Evergreen Park, south to Mokena and east to Homewood and Flossmoor.
Know the business
"I've done this for the last nine or 10 years," Haisten said. "I got divorced 10 years ago, and couldn't work a regular schedule with my children, so I started a cleaning service where I could have more flexibility. My kids are grown now and I'm still doing it."
Haisten does everything from small commercial and real estate eviction cleanings to more personal jobs that can include laundry and linens. While she started this business on her own, Haisten said Krystal Kleen is a legitimate business that files taxes and provides clients with an expertise that other individuals may not.
"A lot of people now are unemployed and they're looking for housecleaning jobs to pay the bills," she said. "But they don't necessarily know how to work with the cleaning chemicals." Her expertise comes from basic cleaning, dusting and vacuuming to maintenance, sanitizing and custom window cleanings at homes and extensive cleaning to commercial sites.
"I do a mix of commercial and residential, from construction move-in and move-outs to garages," she said. "I once worked with a 1,000-plus mobile home park. Whenever there was an eviction I'd go in and clean up, even get rid of mold. It was a lot of hard work."
Haisten said she also takes on regular housecleaning tasks, where she visits residences once or twice a month for a more thorough cleaning than some homeowners have the opportunity to do. Haisten has a regular client base including average home owners and real estate agents, but she's always looking for more. The recent downfall in the economy has cut part of busy season.
"Clients shouldn't be afraid to request anything," Haisten said. "Sometimes people want their refrigerators or ovens cleaned. I do that." Her work is also guaranteed and Haisten said Krystal Kleen's highest priority is customer service. "Some people don't like cleaning and just do the jobs for money," Haisten said. "But I like doing it. I like making people happy and a lot of people are happy coming home to clean house."
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