We’ve all been there before: After a long week at the office or traveling for work, we finally open our front door ... only to find that mess we’ve been putting off for far too long.
Christopher Wright, founder of Whystle, is one of the many who has experienced firsthand just how much of a struggle it is to find either the time or a reliable cleaning service to handle this part of life.
“I just wanted someone to come and clean my place, know how much I was going to pay up front, not be locked in to any contract, and not need to communicate a lot back and forth,” Wright explained, “And I wasn’t finding anything out there like this.”
Launched in 2019, Whystle is trying to change the professional cleaning game one space at a time. Gone are the days spent searching for an affordable and trustworthy cleaning service, only to have your scheduled visit cancelled or delayed, Wright said. Now it’s as simple as downloading and using a single app to book, manage, and pay Whystle to send a certified cleaner to your home.
Unlike traditional cleaning services that often require at least four to eight business days before a visit can be arranged, Whystle offers quick scheduling turnarounds of up to 48 hours. And the pricing is transparent: you’ll see exactly how much you will be paying before scheduling your visit and will never get locked into long-term contracts. Whystle also offers move-in or move-out services in addition to a wide selection of add-on options.
Whystle is diversifying its service offerings by branching out from its original target, which was mainly focused on apartments and single-family homes. Now, the company finds that its Airbnb cleaning services are consistently increasing, proportional to the fast-growing home sharing industry.
Yet perhaps one of the most unique aspects to this organization is its desire to grow and act as a forum for economic mobility. “This may sound counterintuitive,” Wright explained, “But I don’t necessarily want these cleaners working with me forever. Our goal at Whystle is to see them go on to do things that they are passionate about, and to support them in that journey.”
Whystle’s training and development programs won’t center around cleaning but instead will allow their employees to explore and grow their professional skillsets. Wright is working to establish a mentoring program for his staff that will include opportunities to learn about financial literacy and other essential life skills.
Currently, Whystle employs over 26 cleaners on staff, and is looking to increase this number significantly before the end of March. While they generally see at least 180 cleanings per month---over half of which are regular users---the number continues to rise every day, Wright said.
