Holistic Approach to a Green Life
Green Cleaning Seattle — Otium-Maid Services™ provides eco-safe home and office cleaning services. Keeping with the spirit of loving homes, our office itself is a commercial-zoned 1900’s house – located on Aurora Ave N – between 46th and 47th Ave N.
We are THE ONLY cleaning service in Seattle that is REALLLLLY green…
We own a brick-and-mortar office building & yard here in Seattle that has been “greened” to the fullest extent! **SEE BELOW** for more specifics…our office is solar powered, our washers are connected to a laundry-to-landscape system, and more…
What Does “Otium” Mean
Otium is a Latin abstract term. One of it’s meanings define it as “leisure time in which a person can enjoy eating, playing, resting, contemplation, etc”
In the disembodied culture that we live in, making space and time for someone is a movement that feeds the soul. At GCS, we believe that caring for home is related to quality of life and we understand that our clients need our help creating home space; we consider our Green Cleaners to be “Life Givers” and “Time Givers”. Our Green Cleaners provide to our clients “Otium-Maid Services” which allow our clients to regain some of their own leisure time, and allows our clients to have the space and time for peaceful moments in their life
Our business is built on the simple belief that seemingly small choices can have a huge ripple effect for good in our lives and our world. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do from the products we choose, to the business practices we employ, to the community we cultivate.
Our Products:
- Biodegradable & non-toxic
- Do not contain chlorine bleach, optical brighteners, synthetic colors,
or artificial fragrances - We use plant-based products with 100% essential oils (NO fragrances)
- We also (of course) provide our Green Cleaners with all the products they need to clean your home
Our Business Practices:
- We support the Domestic Workers Standards Board for the City of Seattle through the Office of Labor Standards. The Board provides a place for domestic workers, employers, private households, worker organizations, and the public to consider and suggest ways to improve the working conditions of domestic workers. One mission of the Board is to make sure that ALL domestic workers (regardless of immigration status) receive at least minimum wage pay and sick pay
- We recycle our cleaning product containers
- We buy in bulk when possible
- We use Energy Star washers and dryers
- We have a laundry-to-landscape washer system
- We utilize a hybrid water heater
- Our fleet cars are hybrid
- We have a 1300 gallon roof to cistern rainwater catchment system
- We have a rain-garden (installed by Stone Soup Gardens) in the back of our office
- Our parking strip – on Aurora Ave N – is planted with drought tolerate native plants
Our People:
- All our staff are paid above a living-wage
- Our staff receive 100% of tips from our clients
- All of our staff accrue sick pay and paid family leave, as required by law
- All of our staff are insured through Labor and Industries, should they ever be injured on the job
- All our staff are offered a monthly health insurance reimbursement if they are available to work for us at least 35hrs a week
- All of our staff members receive one free weekly yoga class, and one free monthly acupuncture treatment
- We routinely train our team in the best and latest sustainable practices. We train, re-train and constantly support our staff members
- We build community through fun, monthly company-paid staff events – including movie nights w/ dinner, spa nights, Zoo Tunes, Theo’s Chocolate Tours, Mariner games
Award-Winning Green Lab of Innovation
In 2019 we won King County’s Green/Sustainable Small Business of the Year Award.
In 2018 we were nominated for best Sustainable Business in Seattle by the Chinook Book for their Heart of Seattle award.
In 2016 we were the runner up for King County’s Green/Sustainable Small Business of the Year Award.
In 2014 we won the Torch Award from the Better Business Bureau
Our obsession with the question “What does it mean to be green?” drives our success, pushing us to find new and better answers every day. Our office on Aurora is intentionally designed to be a living breathing demonstration site of eco-options for the entire community.