Building a business one clean at a time

Business growth and entrepreneurship

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After years of evening shifts in health care, Tabitha Waweru started Scrub A Dub Dub Professionals to set her own schedule and spend more time with her children.

When Tabitha Waweru walked her daughter to the bus stop one morning, her daughter said something that stuck with her: “Mom, see you tomorrow.”

Waweru was working 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shifts in health care. By the time her daughter returned from school, Waweru would be at work. By the time Waweru got home, her daughter would be asleep.

“I was like, ‘Hmm, what?'” Waweru said. “That scared me.”

A conversation that started with her daughter pushed her toward a career change she said she had been considering: starting a business of her own. Waweru said she enjoys cleaning, and running a cleaning business would give her more say over her work hours. Scrub A Dub Dub Professionals launched in July 2025.

Now, Waweru provides residential and commercial cleaning services while arranging her schedule around her family. She said she can attend her children’s school events and spend more weekends with them.

“Kids grow so fast,” she said. “Being my own boss is the best thing.”

Waweru’s first cleaning job came through a friend who had encouraged her to pursue the idea. When she told him she was thinking about starting a cleaning business, he offered her a chance to clean his office. From there, she said, new clients began finding her through word of mouth.

Today, she sometimes works alone and other times brings in other cleaners, depending on the size of the space. Her company offers regular and deep cleaning for homes, as well as commercial cleaning. Waweru also organizes while she cleans.

Waweru is particular about detail. If dishes are in a kitchen sink, she washes them.

“We don’t cut corners,” she said. “We clean everywhere.”

Waweru said she wants clients to feel the difference when they return home. A message from a pleased client gives her motivation to keep going, she said.

Although her work setting has changed, Waweru sees a connection to her years in health care. After years of working in an industry caring for people, she said she hopes to bring that same attention to the homes she cleans. She knows that after a long day, a client may want time with their children instead of another household task.

Waweru is currently looking for more cleaners to help the business grow, though hiring has been a challenge. She wants people who enjoy cleaning and will give clients’ homes the same care she does.

“I don’t want to have people who are going to clean people’s houses and they’re not doing a good job,” she said.

For first-time residential cleanings, Waweru said she generally charges by the hour. Two homes with the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms can take different amounts of time to clean, she explained. Once she’s familiarized herself with the home and the work it requires, she discusses a recurring arrangement with the client. For commercial spaces, she visits the site before providing a quote.

Laundry is not currently among the company’s services, though Waweru said she may consider adding it in the future.

Waweru said opening her business required taking a step of faith, acting on an idea she had set aside for years. She had considered other businesses before, but this time, she said, she finally took that step.

“Don’t just keep saying, ‘Oh yeah, I can do this,'” Waweru said. “Take the step of faith.”

Customers can request cleaning through the company’s website at www.scrubadubdubpros.com/ or by calling 651-259-1294.

Lizzy Nyoike is a Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication student and contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.