A group of cleaning companies in Tampa Bay, Florida, is uniting to offer their services to local charities that can’t afford regular professional cleaning services.
Recently, the group Cleaning Community Gives Back cleaned the floors at Hope Children’s Home, an orphanage that serves 70 children on a 55-acre campus.
To clean all of the carpet and flooring on a campus this size would typically cost thousands of dollars. “There’s no way we could do it,” said Mike Higgins, the home’s executive director. “We are so grateful for this organization that comes together with groups of professional cleaners to serve the community.”
Cleaning Community Gives Back gathered 10 volunteers from local businesses Gecko Floor Care, Triple C Carpet Care, Tampa Steam Team, and Accent American Inc. to clean the orphanage this past summer.
Cleaners and suppliers teaming up
This is just one of many charitable cleaning projects Lisa Jordan, co-owner of carpet cleaning and disaster restoration company Accent American, has organized. In 2019, she and her husband Ken formed Cleaning Community Gives Back at the urging of some of their suppliers. One supplier donated the money to register the trade name and another offered assistance to create a logo. Lisa serves as volunteer executive director and Ken is one of three program coordinators.
The essence of Cleaning Community Gives Back has been with them all along. The couple—whose mom-and-pop business has been named Gold Winner for carpet cleaning in Tampa Bay Times’ “Best of the Best People’s Choice Awards” for the past three years—has helped local charities serving children and veterans for three decades.
“Both Ken and I have always had giving hearts and getting the crews together to do these kinds of projects lets all of us contribute in a much bigger way than we could on our own,” Lisa said.
The group’s goal is to do at least one project per month. The volunteers clean hard floors, furniture, and area rugs. Many of their suppliers donate cleaning supplies and equipment. Group members also instruct facility staff on how to upkeep their floors between professional cleanings.
In addition to Hope Children’s Home and Tampa Crossroads—an organization providing counseling, housing, and other services to veterans and their families—the group has focused on Ronald McDonald Houses (RMH) in Tampa and throughout the region in Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando, and St. Petersburg.
“Places like RMH need to have professional cleaning of their floors and furnishings on a regular basis,” Lisa said. “Professional cleaning for hard floors can run $1 to $2 per square feet, and with these facilities being 35,000 to 70,000 square feet, that’s a huge expense. That money is better served going to taking care of people.”
The Jordans said they would love to see other cleaning companies come together like this to serve their local community.
“Get in touch with some of your local friendly competitors and ask if they are interested in helping, you will be amazed at the support you get,” Lisa said.
