Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Smith Fein.
Andrea, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always loved the way a clean space makes me feel. I was the Girl Scout who, on a camping trip, spent her free hour repacking her suitcase and tidying her bed. I grew up in South Florida, where we only had about five or six days a year cool enough to open the windows. I remember coming home from school in the fall to a house that was spotless and fully decorated for Halloween—candy and all. Those are some of my favorite memories.
I never planned to own a cleaning company. I earned my degree in Secondary English and Spanish from GVSU and started my career teaching adult education in both languages. I also spent six months in a middle school classroom. The adults were wonderful, but the pay was not—and the middle schoolers ate me alive. The rigid systems stifled my creativity and passion, and I knew I needed a change.
So I took stock of what I could do well and asked myself how I could use those skills to generate income. I’m a skilled cook, I love to clean, I’m fluent in Spanish, and I enjoy graphic design. I decided to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what stuck.
For about six months, I marketed myself as a “Jane of some trades.” It quickly became clear that families were especially eager to find reliable, thorough home cleaning. I trimmed the rest and focused on residential cleaning. I tend to have two modes—off and 110%. So if I was going to do this, I was going to make it great. We wouldn’t just be a cleaning company, we’d use natural products, pay living wages, and offer personalized service that clients could truly count on.
My first cleaning gig came after I sent unsolicited messages through Airbnb asking hosts if they needed help. Some weren’t thrilled, but one host responded immediately: “Yes, right away!” Within days, I was on my way to his house with just my vacuum and personal cleaning products. I was nervous. I thought, “Please don’t hurt me.” But, he turned out to be incredibly kind, and became one of our best accounts to date.
Eight years later, I’m proud to say we’re still growing. We have a nice office just off 28th Street, serve over 200 recurring clients annually, and have a phenomenal team rooted in integrity and professionalism.
Our current focus is on elevating our core value: dignity—for all. We’re a woman-owned, LGBTQ+ friendly business committed to respect, employee satisfaction, work-life balance, and living wages. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. No exceptions.
The goal now is to keep growing, keep learning, and keep making homes shine.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The first few years were like two-tracking in a compact car: bumpy, full of surprises, and threatening to fall apart at any second. I had some gracious clients who offered valuable feedback — how to clean more effectively, how to schedule better, and what my strengths and weaknesses were as a business owner. Through trial, error, and blind hope, I kept going and kept adjusting.
One story from those early days still makes me cringe… and laugh. I was new to hiring and brought on two people who were great at cleaning, but not so great at following directions or owning up to mistakes. One day, they cleaned the wrong house. Yes— they entered and cleaned a home that wasn’t on our schedule. I found out when I got a call from an unknown number: “Hi, um, I think your team came and cleaned my house today?” My heart dropped. I was mortified. Thankfully, the non-client was kind, said the house looked “pretty good,” and that nothing appeared to be missing, so they “wouldn’t pursue legal action.” We now joke that it was just an experimental marketing tactic.
Today, I’m proud to say we only clean homes of people who have knowingly signed up for services. We have solid systems in place to ensure accuracy and a personalized clean in every home. I’ve also learned how to find and hire team members who communicate well and follow instructions closely.
In July 2023, we upgraded to a larger (and much nicer!) office. Before our permanent door lock was installed, we temporarily used a standard lockbox, sometimes (not so successfully) hidden in a flower pot. Someone noticed an opportunity. One night, three men broke in and stole our computers, vacuums, and cleaning caddies. Yep, they stole our vacuums. We never recovered any of it, and the case remains unsolved. I did get a quick cameo on the local news, however, where I joked that the thieves should use our supplies to “clean up their act.” I consider that a personal win. I still wonder what happened to my beautiful, almost-new iMac — and occasionally try to ping it in the Find My app, just in case.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to trust my intuition — especially when it comes to people. I choose to work with clients and staff who share my values and desire for clear, respectful, kind communication. Our team today is phenomenal. I genuinely love the people I work with. They’re bright, motivated, and just plain great humans. Our clients are amazing, too. We’ve been with some families since the beginning, watching their kids grow up and even moving with them as they upgraded homes.
And we have a much better security system now.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about At Home Cleaning Co.?
At Home Cleaning Co. is a professional and natural residential cleaning company serving Grand Rapids, MI. We’re guided by three core values: Professionalism, Communication, and Dignity.
My goal was not to start just any cleaning company—I wanted to create good jobs that offer living wages and a supportive, positive company culture. We specialize in consistent, high-quality cleaning using naturally derived products that are safe for kids and pets.
What sets us apart—not just from other cleaning companies, but from service providers in general—is our unwavering commitment to customer service. We put real time and energy into ensuring every client receives personalized care, quick response times, and consistent opportunities to give feedback so we can meet (or exceed!) expectations. When our clients hire us, they can rest assured that they are supporting a company made of hard-working, diverse team who prides themselves in their integrity.
We’re always refining our systems and improving our practices to deliver the best possible service. Each team member takes ownership in their work and brings a strong sense of personal responsibility to every job. We care—and it shows.
I encourage readers to check out our Google reviews to hear directly from current and former clients. I’d say what we’re doing is working!
What’s next?
No big changes for us– the goals is to keep reflecting, refining, and growing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.athomeclean.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athomecleaningco
