About Us

How It All Began

My name is Gosia Baran, I am the founder of Helping Hands Cleaning Services. In 1999 I moved to Chicago from my birthplace in Poland after falling in love with the United States and its opportunities, and with my now husband, Tony.

I found a job in a law firm in downtown Chicago and in 2000 I got pregnant. My pregnancy, like most, was no easy feat and working full time through my pregnancy only increased the challenge, as you can imagine. Finding the time and energy to keep a clean home was out of the question despite my love of having a polished floor, sparkly bathrooms and a spotless kitchen. Between my difficult pregnancy, working a full time job, and my husband working long hours, we decided to hire a cleaning service. Wow, it was an experience I’ll never forget!

The woman who came to clean was wearing a tank top and VERY short shorts; it was a hot summer, however I did not appreciate seeing her bottoms. She brought her own cleaning towels, which were “her husband’s old t-shirts” (I am not kidding you)! I had to provide all of the cleaning products and had to train her how to use them all. I was shocked that that was the standard for the cleaning service we hired. I had them clean my house until my son was born.

Six weeks after my son was born, I returned back to work. I was gone from 6:30am-5:30pm and managed to clean my own home to my liking as well. Unfortunately, this meant that I spent my weekends washing floors, scrubbing the bathrooms and cleaning the kitchen while my baby was sitting in his playpen. It pained me as I felt that I barely had time to spend time with him.

Then 9/11 happened and I got laid off from the law firm and that was the moment that Helping Hands was born. I promised myself that I was going to create a high standard cleaning company that not only delivers quality cleaning but also free time and peace of mind to busy families like my own, and that gives opportunities to immigrants like myself.

Today, we employ those who come to this country for a better life, we properly train them on the products, the techniques, how to be an amazing cleaner, and how to deliver a top notch quality service. I created a career ladder for them to grow within the company and reach their dreams. We support them with resources to achieve their life goals. I am very grateful to all of our customers for their support. It is because of them I am able to create a workplace for those who are looking for opportunities.

Being involved with ISSA/ARCSI, the international cleaning association helps me grow as a leader and helps not only my employees grow but teach other businesses how to grow for the benefit of their customers and employees.

Vision:

To be the leading and most reputable cleaning company in the Chicagoland area

Our Values – We Listen, We Care, We Serve

✔ Honesty
We demonstrate integrity at all times and hold ourselves to the highest standards of accountability.

✔ Communication
We are committed to providing transparent information to our internal and external clients.

✔ Respect
We strive to act positively and professionally as we serve people of all backgrounds.

✔ Hard work
We seek to deliver excellence in our service by working hard to exceed your expectations.

✔ Reliability
We are dedicated to delivering consistent and dependable service, ensuring that we always meet and exceed client expectations.