About Seattle's Local & Beloved Green Cleaning Company

About Us

We take a holistic approach to green living

At Green Cleaning Seattle — Otium-Maid Services™, we believe in more than just cleaning; we’re about creating healthy, sustainable homes and workplaces. As Seattle’s only truly green cleaning service, we’re proud to offer eco-safe solutions that go beyond the ordinary.

Otium means “leisure time for rest and reflection.” Our cleaners help you create a clean, peaceful space so you can reclaim your time and enjoy life.

Gea, Founder
Green Cleaning Seattle

Our founder, Gea, started Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium-Maid Services™ in 2008. Gea moved to Seattle in 2004 from Ohio, where she grew up. Gea’s grandmother – who she and her mother (a single mom) lived with – was a Serbian immigrant and a housecleaner for private households in Ohio. Gea’s grandmother fit in housecleaning side jobs as a way to try to make ends meet for their family.

In 2008 Gea, herself, began cleaning for private households here in Seattle. At this time she was finishing her Master’s Degree in Education and raising her toddler son. Housecleaning was a way she could fit in making some money while still being in school full time and raising her child. This was the beginning of Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium Maid Services™.

Green Cleaning Seattle has now been in business for over 15 years as a 100% locally owned and operated Seattle small business. We provide eco-safe home and office cleaning services throughout the City. And we employ over 25 domestic workers as employees.

Respecful - Diverse - Inclusive

Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium Maid Services™ prides itself on maintaining a respectful, diverse and inclusive work culture and providing our city with high-quality home and office cleaning services.

Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium Maid Services™ does not discriminate on the basis of race/ethnicity, color, national origin, immigration status, sex, sexual preference or non-preference, gender identity, disability, veteran status, age, or religious/spiritual preference or non-preference.

Seattle's only truly Green Home Cleaners

Sustainability is woven into everything we do, from the products we use to our eco-friendly operations. We’re guided by the belief that small, thoughtful choices can make a big difference.

Eco-Safe Products

100% biodegradable and non-toxic
No chlorine bleach, synthetic colors, or artificial fragrances
Plant-based ingredients with 100% essential oils

Sustainable Practices

Solar-powered office and hybrid water heater
Rainwater collection and a drought-tolerant garden
Hybrid fleet cars and bulk purchasing to reduce waste

We Support Our People

Our team is the heart of our success. Here’s how we care for them:

Fair wage

Above living-wage pay and 100% of tips

Benefits

Sick pay, family leave, and health insurance reimbursements

Insurance

All staff are insured should they be injured on the job

Wellness

Free weekly yoga and monthly acupuncture

Paid Training

Regular (and paid!) training in sustainable cleaning practices

Community

Company-paid staff events such as Zoo Tunes and Mariner games

Protecting Local Workers

Domestic workers are one of the most vulnerable types of workers. Employer abuse and labor trafficking is still prevalent in the domestic work industry.

We operate according to State and Federal law regarding wages, rest and meal breaks, and sick pay.

All of our staff are local and all are paid above Seattle minimum wage.

Our owner is on the Board of Directors for the Domestic Workers Ordinance Board through the Seattle Department of Labor.

Award-Winning
Local Favorite Cleaners

We’re proud to have been recognized for our efforts:

2019: King County Green/Sustainable Small Business of the Year
2018: Chinook Book Heart of Seattle Nominee
2016: King County Green/Sustainable Small Business Runner-Up
2014: Better Business Bureau Torch Award

Questions? We have answers!

Company FAQs

What kinds of services does Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium-Maid Services™ offer and what is your service area?

View our SERVICES page for more information, or give us a call at 206-307-2270.

We do offer eco-safe house cleaning, maid services, and office cleaning services. This includes maintenance cleaning, deep cleaning, move-out/in cleaning, and post-construction fully finished/light-dust new construction/remodel cleaning.

We do not clean anything exterior, nor do we go above a one-step step-stool (no cleaning anything over 7ft). We do not offer bio-hazard/death/toxic clean clean up services (we do not clean human/pet waste) nor do we offer post-construction/remodel new construction clean up services while your contractors are still working in the home (IE make sure they are done before you schedule our final cleaning). These services require specific training and operate under specific regulations. If you are not sure if the service you are looking for falls into the services we provide, give us a call.

We service the greater Seattle area.

Our service area zip codes are: 98155 98133 98177 98125 98117 98115 98103 98107 98105 98199 98119 98109 98112 98122 98102 98121 98101 98104 98144 98134 98116 98106 98108 98118 98126 98136 98195.

Our extended service area zip codes are: 98026 98036 98020 98021 98043 98028 98168 98178 98166 98148 98158 98188 98057 98040 98033 98039 98011 98004 98034 98037 98146

Is Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium-Maid Services™ licensed, insured, and bonded? And are you guys really LOCAL?

Absolutely! We are 100% locally owned and operated. And when we say “100% local” this means that we’re NOT franchised and that our revenue stays here in the Seattle area. Green Cleaning Seattle was started right here in Seattle and is locally-owned (by people that actually live in Seattle). We are licensed, insured, and bonded – for your protection and for the protection of our Green Cleaners and company. All of our Green Cleaners are employees, not independent contractors (see below for more reasons to use our services). We were the winner of the 2014 BBB Western Washington Business of the Year Award. We were also the winner of the King County Small Business (“Green Business”) Award for 2019. We are on the Domestic Workers Standards Board for the City of Seattle through the Office of Labor Standards for the term of 3/1/24 to 2/28/26. 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.

There are a lot of other “green cleaners” out there these days (but none are like us!), so it can be easy to get confused; be sure to look for our trademarked vacuum logo and tagline “Health Begins in the Home™” & “Greener Than Just the Products we Use™” to know you’ve found US.

Can you tell me more about your staff?

Our ABOUT US page provides more information about Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium-Maid Services™ and staff. Our office is located on Aurora Ave N in the Fremont area of Seattle.

Can you tell me more about how you hire? And if your Green Cleaners have passed a background check?

All of our staff members are over-the-table employees and have been meticulously chosen by our company. All of our employees:

are legally employed with our company (which means that your dollars stay local and go back into our local economy) and all State & Federal taxes are paid on them;
accrue sick pay and are eligible for family paid leave, per Seattle and Washington State law;
are covered in case of an on-the-job injury;
are licensed, bonded and insured by our company;
(before hire) have been interviewed twice;
(before hire) have passed a background check through HireRight & a Driving Record Release from the DOL;
(after hire) have been trained and are regularly re-trained and evaluated

Who is that person with the clipboard taking notes?

If you see one of our staff members reviewing the work of one of our Green Cleaners that is at your service, that’s one of our Lead Green Cleaners and he or she is performing a quality check on your Green Cleaner – and your service. We do schedule periodic on-site evaluations, which help to insure that you are receiving the best quality service and that your home or office is cleaned to detail. We do this to help insure that your Green Cleaner doesn’t miss anything and is following company policy. Our onsite quality checks have nothing to do with your specific Green Cleaner, rather we do these drop-ins to make sure that all of our Green Cleaners are providing excellent quality service.

I have a question. Who do I ask?

Of course, if you have any questions, comments or special requests, please do not hesitate to call or email the Green Cleaning Seattle – Otium-Maid Services™ office! We’re here to make your life easier. Call us or email us at customerservice@greencleaningseattle.com or 206.307.2270.

What are your new policies about being sick or cancelling services?

Our cleaners are constantly monitoring themselves for any cold, flu-like symptoms as well as other contagious ailments, and are required to inform us immediately if they arise, at which point they are not sent to clients’ homes.
Our Green Cleaners are provided with hand-sanitizer and wash their hands regularly.
To keep our cleaners, clients and the community healthy, we cannot provide cleaning services in homes with active Flu, Cold, Covid symptoms or where any other contagious illness is actively present.
Please inform us prior to your service if you or someone in your household has been experiencing any Covid, flu or cold-like symptoms, or other contagious ailments (ie: Noro, pink eye, strep, etc).
As a thank you for pro-active communication, these sickness-related cancellation fees apply:
If more than 24hrs notice is given (from the beginning of the arrival window), no cancellation fee will be charged.
Less than 24hrs notice, a $100 fee will be charged.
Same day or on-site notice, full cost of service will be charged.
Fees go directly to compensate cleaners for lost hours.
We do not require cleaners to be masked while servicing your home. Any cleaners who wish to be masked may do so for any reason.
If you would like for us to be masked while cleaning in your home, please let us know by phone or email and we will update your file.
If you request your cleaners to be masked, we respectfully ask that you also be masked while sharing space with your cleaners AND that you provide a clean, disposable mask for them each cleaning.