Details By Deborah
Because Details Make the Difference!
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About Me
I started Details by Deborah nearly ten years ago as a way of meeting the need I was seeing for exceptional housecleaners. The success of my business is attributable to the outstanding service I provide, the attention I pay to each home's details, and the pride I take in my work.
As my own cleaning business grew and developed, I began to realize that other housecleaners did not display the same level of detail-oriented skills as I. This is not a matter of conscientiousness on the part of most housecleaners; in most cases, it comes from lack of appropriate training. I believe that by sharing my knowledge with you, I can enable you to become the truly exceptional housecleaner—one who commands higher pay and real respect.
How I “Fell” into the House Cleaning Business
In 1999, I traveled to the small resort village of Lopez Island, located in the San Juan Islands in Washington State. I fell in love with the incredible beauty and friendly people and knew I wanted to stay. I had no idea what I was going to do to support myself, but I was determined to find a way to live here.
Arriving in the fall, I found most businesses gearing down, since the summer season was over. The only work I could find was cleaning rooms for the local motel. Although I only worked a few hours a day, I remained positive and was grateful for the money I was able to earn.
One day my boss asked if I would be interested in picking up extra work cleaning an enormous home located on a private island near Lopez. The home had been under construction for over two years but building was finally wrapping up and it needed to be cleaned before the owners moved in. I had never done anything like this before, but I needed the additional income and the job sounded interesting. I said yes. I was told to meet the rest of the crew at a designated dock as the only way to this home was by boat.
Things went well and I enjoyed the work, the crew, and the breathtaking surroundings. It was late December and I had been working for the company for about three weeks. On this particular day, the weather was stormy with heavy rain and strong, gusty wind. The waves were big and frightening, but I got on the boat like I always did. There had been no dock built yet, so the way we disembarked was to jump from the bow onto a rock outcropping.
During nice weather, this was no big deal, but on a nasty day like this, it became a very dangerous proposition. One by one, the crew jumped from the boat to the rocky ledge until it was finally my turn. My legs were stiff from the cold and trembling with fear, but not wanting to show my deep reluctance to follow along with everyone else, I jumped. For whatever reason, my leap fell short and if it had not been for the valiant and quick reaction of one of my co-workers, I would have fallen backwards and suffered serious injury. He grabbed my coat and yanked me forward with all his might. We landed in a heap; I was so grateful to be alive that I didn’t notice that both of my knees were badly bleeding. The rocks had torn through my jeans and cut up my knees badly, but at least I hadn't fallen back onto the boat or, even worse, into the water. I was rushed back to town and to the Medical Clinic where they fixed me up, but my working days were over for the next few weeks while I recuperated.
Now we come to the reason for relating this tale. This accident was one of those “turning points” that you hear so much about. As I said at the beginning, Lopez is a very small community and news of my accident spread like wildfire. I didn't realize anyone knew who I was, much less care that I had been injured. Soon, word got out that I had been cleaning for a prestigious family who owned a private island and my phone started ringing. I had dozens of people calling me to see how I was. Following closely on the heels of inquiries about my well-being was the question of whether or not I was accepting new housecleaning clients. I was stunned at first and didn't know how to handle this avalanche of prospective work. I soon realized that I had created a way to make a good living, a way that would allow me to continue to live on this beautiful island. I had hit the jackpot; the rest as they say, is history!