Prothero is an ASU graduate and proud Sun Devil, according to the release.

Courtesy April Prothero

Residential house cleaning company Going GreenHouse has announced its acquisition of Essential Cleaning, another cleaning company with a similar business model and mindset. 

This acquisition will allow Going GreenHouse, which uses exclusively non-toxic products, to expand its reach throughout the east Valley, Phoenix and Scottsdale, a press release explained. 

The company will also have room to increase its client base, a longtime goal of Founder April Prothero.

“I started cleaning houses just to get out of my cubicle a few days a week and at the time I was using non-toxic products that I made myself to clean my own house,” said Prothero in the release.

Talking about the humble beginnings of her business, which is on target to reach $1 million in revenue with the recent acquisition, she said that her vision for Going Greenhouse was unclear at the time, but she knew that she valued an active lifestyle, freedom and autonomy in her work.  

In less than a year, Prothero had enough clients in her housecleaning side business that she was able to quit her corporate job; soon after, she brought on her first employee. 

In the 12 years since she started her business, she has continued to maintain her mission of cleaning with non-toxic products and developed a culture of taking the best possible care of her clients and her employees.

“Using all non-toxic products is really important to me,” Prothero said. “I don’t want to expose our team or our clients to chemicals,” she says, whose own allergy-induced asthma inspired her to go green with cleaning products.

But as her company grew she also wanted to be a good steward in other ways. She developed six core values as the foundation of her company, with communication between both her clients and employees being one of the most important.

That begins with a very comprehensive pre-consultation with clients so Going GreenHouse staff understands their needs and their specific intricacies — down to where their cat curls up. 

Taking the stance that a house transformed with a thorough cleaning can help transform people’s lives, Prothero also wants her employees to feel proud of their work and to enjoy their jobs, the release stated. 

With that in mind, she schedules regular meetings with each employee so they can express any concerns and even rate the company.

Since its inception, Going GreenHouse has grown to include 20 employees. With the recent acquisition, the company has adopted the non-toxic method of cleaning floors with a steam cleaner using essential oils.

With the acquisition, Prothero intends to add another important element to her company: giving back. 

As she has been grinding with that $1 million revenue goal in close sight, Prothero wants to create a non-profit element of her company that helps people with mobility issues and seniors that are unable to clean their homes for themselves, the release stated. 

She also hopes to join the Entrepreneurs’ Organization to learn more about being a leader, and to become an even better business owner to serve her clients, her team and her community to the best of her ability. 

More information at goinggreenhouse.com