Jon Wood from AllStar Cleaning has seen his fair share of clutter and nasty messes in his nearly 20-year career as a professional cleaner.

“Oh my gosh, I’ve seen it all,” Wood says. “The worst is people who’ve moved out of condos or houses who’ve had pets that haven’t always let them out, if you know what I mean.”

Wood, who is gay, has been in the cleaning business for nearly two decades and in that time he’s worked in commercial buildings and houses. AllStar Cleaning, now three-years old, is Woods’ third cleaning business.

The freedom to be his own boss led Wood into the business of cleaning houses.

“It was the freedom to make my own choices of my time, and not have to punch a clock,” Wood says. “It was really about owning a business.”

Wood, originally from Pennsylvania, has been in Atlanta for 23 years.

“Twenty-some years ago, I was in-between jobs and a girlfriend of mine was getting ready to have a party and needed help with cleaning. While doing that, I thought, ‘Wow, I could get into doing this. I could make money doing this,’” Wood says.

These days, AllStar Cleaning is in as many as 150 homes a month throughout the metro Atlanta area. To clean that many houses, Wood has employed five staff members to handle the load.

“We do regular weekly, biweekly and one-time cleanings,” Wood says.

“All my employees are professionally trained,” he adds. “I’ve worked very hard to develop a methodical, well-thought out cleaning process that all the employees follow to ensure efficiency and thoroughness. We have lots of experience.”

Having clients who trust his staff is crucial to his business’ success, Wood says.

“We bring all our own supplies and equipment. Our supplies are environmentally friendly and odor-free. It’s safe around food use and pets,” he notes.

Not having to worry about cleaning and enjoying the free time that comes along with a cleaning service is a major benefit, Wood says.

“One of things we offer is peace-of-mind to our customers that they don’t have to worry about cleaning. They have more free time because we’re there. That’s really our big value."

Top photo: Jon Wood from AllStar Cleaning loves the freedom to be his own boss, while also helping clients find peace-of-mind. (Courtesy photo)