Kiva Iowa profile: Keota’s ‘cleaning queen’

KEOTA — Samantha Brown, owner of CleanSource in Keota, sees her job as creating clean, fresh spaces in people’s homes and businesses.

Her business motto: “One call cleans it all.”

In the Keokuk city of 897, Brown has created a small business that now employs two assistants to help her handle cleaning jobs in Keokuk, Washington and Jefferson counties. She’s looking to hire two more part-timers.

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“I started CleanSource about five years ago,” said Brown, 39. “It allowed me to prove to my daughters, Andrea and Taylor, that they can do anything with determination and hard work. They are proud that I am now a small-business owner.”

Brown started cleaning when she was 10 years old, cleaning her Aunt Cathy’s house for $10 ... plus a box of her favorite frosted min-wheat cereal.

As an adult, she was working at a gas station and also cleaning homes and businesses on the side. The cleaning business kept growing until she decided to start her own business.

Brown said she’s built her business’ reputation by seeking to exceed expectations. Her business uses environmentally friendly products, and she and her employees are certified in sanitizing and infectious disease control.

CleanSource also provides specialized services, including post-construction cleanup, deep cleaning, stain removal, interior windows and carpet cleaning. Brown eventually wants to expand her cleaning services to include exterior windows, siding, decks, gutters and vehicles.

“My passion for cleaning is about more than just making a home or office look nice,” Brown said. “It’s about making places sanitary and organized so (clients) can be more efficient in the workplace or enjoy more of their time at home

“I believe in going the extra mile to exceed client expectations.”

Kiva Iowa loan

Brown recently used a $9,500 Kiva Iowa microloan to buy supplies and to add updated equipment, like carpet shampooers and vacuums, to her business.

Kiva loans are crowdsourced, zero-interest, zero-fee loans to small entrepreneurs. Information on the loans is at newbo.co/kiva/.

Information about Brown’s business is at mycleansource.net, on Facebook and Instgram @Cleaning-Queen clean_source. The business phone number is (641) 777-7645.