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PORTAGE PARK — A longtime Portage Park cleaning company has a new owner and a new mission.
American Maids, 5024 W. Irving Park Road, started in 2005. For two decades, the cleaning company has tidied up residential and commercial spaces throughout Chicago.
Matt Myers bought the business at the end of December and has rebranded and revamped the entire operation, renaming it Myers Clean. All of the cleaning products have been replaced with non-toxic, biodegradable alternatives, he said.
“Ensuring that both our customers and our cleaners aren’t exposed to toxic cleaners was really important to me,” Myers said.
Though Myers spent the past 17 years working in data analytics, he grew up watching his mom run her own small cleaning business, he said. After he and his wife had their second child, Myers wanted to find a job that had more flexibility, he said.
“I’m a pretty clean and organized person,” Myers said. “Plus, I think I’ve always just wanted to be my own boss.”
Nancy Bosques, the office manager, started at the business under the previous owners, and they typically used bleach cleaning products in the work, she said.
In recent years, a growing number of studies have found regular exposure to some traditional cleaning products can harm human health. Some products release volatile organic compounds, which can contribute to chronic respiratory problems, according to the American Lung Association. Traditional cleaning products can also irritate skin and harm aquatic wildlife, according to the EPA.
Using non-toxic products was a top-priority for Myers because he lost his mom to gastric cancer and his wife is a Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, he said.
All of Myers Clean’s products are EPA Safer Choice-certified and Green Seal-certified. Vendors include Diversey, Ecolab and Bona. Myers also buys products in bulk to reduce unnecessary plastic packaging, he said.
Myers Clean retained most of American Maids’ staff and clients under the rebranding, Myers said.
Over the next year, Myers wants to grow from a team of nine cleaners to 18 or 20. He is also upgrading all of the businesses’ technology, he said.
The business offers a wide-range of cleaning services, starting at about $100 and going up to $800 for larger jobs. Myers Clean recently launched a referral program where customers who refer a friend get $30 off their next service. Customers who refer three friends will get 50 percent off their next clean.
Myers Clean also partners with Cleaning for a Reason, to give two free house cleanings to cancer patients every month.
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