Compassion, Community, and Cleaning with Heart at The Cleaning Coop
Meet Emma Garcia, a team member whose compassion, professionalism, and love of animals are the beating heart of The Cleaning Coop. Discover how her background in teaching and passion for detailed, client-focused cleaning have helped make us Vancouver’s trusted worker-owned cleaning service, known for going above and beyond for every client.
Building a Co-op with Heart
At The Cleaning Cooperative, every decision we make is rooted in our mission to empower our members and support our community. That mission is driven, in large part, by co-founder Hayley Postlethwaite - a strategic thinker, deeply feminist leader, and passionate advocate for equity in the workplace.
Inside The Cleaning Coop: What It Means to Be a Worker-Owned Co-op
When most people think of a cleaning company, they picture something pretty standard: employees working under a manager, decisions made from the top down, and profits going to the business owner. At The Cleaning Cooperative (TCC), we decided to do things differently. We built a worker-owned co-op, and that changes everything. Wondering what that is? Read on.
From Forensics to Fieldwork
Discover the inspiring journey of Leslie Castrejon, Operations Manager at The Cleaning Cooperative. From criminology in Mexico to creative leadership in Vancouver, Leslie brings passion, precision, and purpose to everything she does.
Building a Solidarity Economy - One Cooperative (and One Clean Space) at a Time
Based in Surrey, BC, and working nationally and internationally, Solid State Community Industries is building a solidarity economy by and for racialized and migrant communities based on mutual aid, racial justice, and community-building. As a hub for co-ops, collaborators, and community programs, Solid State’s physical space is essential to its work but finding a values-aligned cleaning company was a challenge - until TCC.
Creating Safety And Community Through The Cleaning Cooperative
Meet Lulu, one of the co-founders of The Cleaning Co-Op. At just 24, she’s already played a key role in shaping our mission to empower women and dignify cleaning work. From unexpected beginnings to building a revolutionary business model, her story is one of resilience, vision, and heart.
Common Workplace Injuries in Cleaning—and How to Prevent Them
Meet TCC team member and physical education teacher, Erika. At TCC, we’ve always placed a high priority on the health, safety and wellbeing of our team and Erika’s expertise in physical therapy and movement education has helped guide our work practices. In this post, Erika has shared some common workplace injuries and tips on how to prevent them.
Bringing Healthcare Expertise to The Cleaning Coop
Meet TCC co-founder, Paulina Mendoza. Discover how bringing her healthcare expertise to the cleaning industry, has helped us create a company that stands out, not just for the quality of its services but for its commitment to the wellbeing of its people.
Working Together to Raise the Bar - and the Wages
From work space to childcare to wellbeing services, OneSpace brings together under one roof everything you need to find balance and pursue your passions. Doing all the cleaning themselves, Elizabeth and Victoria had “hiring cleaners” on their to-do list for quite some time. What finally got this item off their list was when TCC’s own Hayley reached out to offer our services.
Guest Blog Post for OneSpace: Why Are the Women Who Care for Our Kids and Clean Our Homes Paid So Little?
It’s no coincidence that when an industry’s workforce is primarily women, wages tend to drop. The main offenders are the “5 C’s”: caring, clerical, catering, cashiering, and cleaning. In other words, jobs that mirror the domestic labor women have traditionally been expected to do for free.
Read the full post on the OneSpace blog.
Feature: Cleaning Co-op Offers Empowerment Over Exploitation
The Cleaning Co-op’s journey began in late 2022, born out of a desire to create a different kind of work environment.
Read the full feature on the Canadian Worker Co-op Federation website.
Driving Change, Cleaning with Purpose: The Vancouver Co-ops Shaping a Better Tomorrow
While a growing fleet benefited their members, Modo was finding it difficult to meet their need for comprehensive vehicle cleanliness and maintenance. Faced with the challenge of maintaining a pristine fleet across Vancouver, Modo turned to The Cleaning Co-op for their ethical and thorough cleaning services.
Article in The Tyee: Meet the Cleaners Taking Control of Their Work
Instead of being low-paid employees, they chose to launch a co-operative and be the owners. Check out this article written by The Tyee’s labour reporter, Issac Phan Nay.
Guest Blog Post for Modo: Putting People Over Profit
The cleaning industry can be a dirty business, where exploitation is all too common. The Vancouver Cleaning Cooperative is disrupting the cleaning industry by sweeping away the exploitation of janitorial workers who are often racialized women working in terrible conditions.
Read the full post on Modo’s blog.