About Us
“LETS GO WITH SMITH & CO!”
Smith & Co. Cleaning Services is a family run business based in Derby and Nottingham. We pride ourselves on delivering a swift professional cleaning service at a competitive price to all sectors of residential and commercial industries.
Where Did It All Start?
"Growing up my step-dad was in the army which meant that we moved house every three years or so. This was not so good for my mum whom had to change jobs every time we moved. I always remember she never had a problem getting work as a cleaner due to her previous experience. I remember she would of been up and out of the house before we had even woken. Cleaning offices before the employees arrived and then late in the evenings after the employees had left, ready for the next day. I remember her various jobs included cleaning schools, dentists, solicitors, libraries, NHS etc. My mums work ethic was ridiculous, she did all the hours that God sent!
At the age of 16 I also joined her cleaning myself to earn some extra pocket money, this was in a massive office block in Doncaster. A few years later I went off to University in Nottingham at the age of 18 and acquired a job a few hours every evening cleaning on a high risk mental ward for the NHS working alongside my auntie Wendy whom also has many years of experience cleaning. I remember the meticulous training and how important it was to ensure everything was cleaned properly using colour coded cloths for different areas along with cleaning things in a specific way to reduce the risk of spreading germs and infection.
After graduating I remember asking my mother why hadn't she set up her own cleaning company with my auntie with all the years of experience they had between them. I knew she was fantastic at her job, together with my auntie Wendy they could of made a great team. 'Too risky, I wouldn't know where to begin' was her reply. My idea was then put to one side for 10 years, all the while my mum and auntie still worked for the NHS.
In 2013 I moved to Derby and started investing in property. I quickly found that getting reliable contractors to turn up on time, do a decent job at a reasonable rate was near on impossible! This also went for cleaners and decorators. We just kept getting ripped off and the finish was so poor, numerous times we had to go over it after they had left.
It was at this point that I realised that I was overlooking Pat and Wendy's skill set. We began with Pat doing a few hours here and there cleaning, also decorating on our own properties. This service was then extended to a local agent who had also expressed they were also having similar difficulties getting a reliable cleaner. We soon became too busy for just Pat on her own so we recruited my auntie Wendy to come on board and we formed Smith & Co. Cleaning Service.
Over the last three years our company has grown organically based on word of mouth alone. I am proud to say that we have recently been ranked in the top three cleaning firms in Derby by 'Best Rated' but most of all I am proud to say that my mother now has the business that I always knew she was capable of and deserves all those years ago."
Managing Director Oliver Ibbotson
