A. Cleanse Home (773-632-7170; cleansehome.com) is a two-year-old company that uses organic, non-toxic cleaning products exclusively. Owner Jade Gan Ozcan says she came up with the idea for her business when she realized how sick she felt after cleaning her own house with conventional products. In her clients’ homes, Ozcan uses organic products such as Seventh Generation, Liquid Organic Cleaner, and Method. And don’t get her started on her Oreck commercial-grade rug dry-cleaning machine. She loves it.
The first thing Ozcan does is come to your home for a new-client visit. She’ll discuss with you how you want things done—whether you prefer certain products, have special surfaces that need attention, or have any allergies. Her prices range from $45 an hour with a two-hour minimum to $80 an hour with a three-hour minimum, depending on the size of the residence. Cleanse Home serves all of Chicago and some suburbs.

Another service that provides environmentally safe cleaning is Clean Berets (773-477-4506; cleanberets.com). Owner Carolyn Messina has been in business for five years and offers standard cleaning services, too. The products she uses for her natural-home clients are Shaklee, Seventh Generation, and Simple Green.

“We make it as easy as possible for the clients,” Messina says. “They can contact us through the Web site. We do a phone interview and the first appointment is a cleaning appointment.” Clean Berets charges a flat fee based on the size of the residence and will give you an estimate over the phone. The firm serves the North Side, from the Gold Coast to Rogers Park.

The fact is, almost any cleaning service will use the products you request. Some will charge you more—natural cleaning products sometimes require a little more elbow grease—but it’s not hard to get a green clean. You just have to be assertive.