*Happy New Year*

Hello and Happy NewYear!

My name is Dominique and I am the proud owner of Swept Away, a
residential and commercial cleaning company in the Washington, D.C. metro area.  You are probably wondering how a Twenty-Something year old comes to own a cleaning company.  This is how it happened for this Twenty-Something:

When I graduated from the University of Maryland-College Park, my mom gifted me with a lease to a beautiful BMW 328i (she was on one of those highs your parents experience when you do something great).  At 22 this was my dream car.  New. Beautiful. Expensive.  Everything I wanted.  Fast forward 2.5 years later and it was just about time for my lease to end.  When I asked my mom what "we" were going to do for my new car, her response was "No, what are YOU going to do?"  Call me crazy (and you will), but I was beyond shocked.  Here I am sitting in law school, not really working, not even really sure what I was going to do post law school (my grades were not the most spectacular) - how am I buying myself a new car?  Where was her proud parent high?  Cue the start of Swept Away (not precisely that moment, but it all happened pretty fast once I knew she wasn't helping me get my next "dream car").

Most people that knew me thought it was pretty laughable that I was starting a cleaning company.  To be honest, I was NOT the tidiest person anyone knew (probably still not).  To be even a little more honest, I really wonder at times how my college roommate dealt with some of my horrible habits.  This + no experience what-so-ever = fail, right?  Not quite  :)

However, that is why I started this blog.  Over the years, I have been blessed to see my company grow each and every year.  I have learned more than I would have ever imagined from watching my employees clean the homes of many.  I incorporate a majority of this into my own cleaning routine (in between my own Swept Away cleanings, of course).  I think now is a great time to begin to share.  So, if you are on a limited budget, pinching pennies, or just can't bring yourself to hire a company, I hope the tips to follow will help.  Enjoy!