Oak Forest’s 60-Person Cleaning Team That Refuses to Leave People Behind
When an elderly client with no nearby family was preparing to return home from the hospital, the team at Queens of Clean knew a routine house cleaning wasn’t enough.
Employees picked up her keys from the nursing facility, cleaned and prepared her home, then arranged for someone to be there when she arrived so she wouldn’t return to an empty house.
“There was no financial gain there,” owner Laura Miranda said. “I’m just so proud of them.”
Moments like that represent exactly what Miranda hoped to build when she founded Queens of Clean in 2011.
After the passing of her husband, she needed a way to support her four children while creating a career that gave her the flexibility to raise them. She enrolled in an entrepreneurship program, worked long hours, saved every dollar she could and gradually built the business from the ground up.
Today, Queens of Clean has grown into a team of more than 60 serving residential and commercial clients throughout the Southland. While the company provides both residential and commercial cleaning services, it’s clear the heart of the business has always been caring for people.
“Every day I look, and fires come up,” Miranda said. “Some of our seniors are in the hospital, or something happens, and this whole amazing group of people I put together all come together and save our little pieces of the world.”
That people-first philosophy also shapes how Miranda approaches growing her business, which is one reason she continues to participate in the Southland Development Authority’s (SDA) ACHIEVE Summit. She was in attendance for the summer event in June 2026.
“I just love the SDA,” Miranda said. “If I’m lost for a minute, I reach out to Jamie [Makuch, SDA relationship manager], and I have my answers immediately.”
For Miranda, one of the biggest challenges of running a growing company is finding time to work on the business instead of simply working in it.
“When you’re so wrapped up in day-to-day operations, it’s really hard to set time aside for growth,” she said. “ACHIEVE is a way to commit to that growth.”
This year’s summit provided several valuable connections, including the start of a new banking relationship that Miranda believes will help position Queens of Clean for its next stage of growth.
Rather than simply processing transactions, she said she connected with a banker who could help her consolidate accounts, improve financing options and better prepare the business for future expansion.
Another takeaway was the importance of becoming certified as a woman-owned business.
After speaking with fellow business owners who shared how certification helped them secure larger contracts, Miranda decided to make it an immediate priority.
“That was the push I needed,” she said. “Hopefully that will lead us to some larger contracts and better-paying contracts.”
Miranda said those opportunities could help Queens of Clean continue expanding after rebuilding from the setbacks many businesses experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re back and better than ever,” she said. “There’s over 60 of us now, and we’re servicing a lot of commercial properties. We’re probably pretty equivalent between commercial and residential.”
Even as the company grows, Miranda said she remains most proud of the culture her team has created.
That culture was on full display during some recent severe storms that swept through the Southland.
With local power outages disrupting operations and around 140 appointments needing to be adjusted, Miranda’s office coordinated crews in real time, rerouting employees away from dangerous weather while reorganizing schedules to continue serving customers safely.
The company also shifted crews to assist senior clients dealing with fallen branches and other storm-related challenges.
“Our employees’ safety comes first,” Miranda said. “Everybody worked together to make everything happen.”
Looking back, Miranda believes the greatest value of ACHIEVE is the confidence and direction it gives business owners who are trying to take the next step.
“If you’re a business owner and you don’t know which way to go, go to the ACHIEVE Summit,” Miranda said. “You’re going to find someone, you’re going to hear something, you’re going to find your direction. It is an amazing experience for business owners.”
About the Southland Development Authority
The Southland Development Authority, a not-for-profit economic development organization, is committed to driving equitable and sustainable economic growth in the South Suburbs of Chicago. Through innovative programs, strategic partnerships, and impactful direct investments, the SDA is building a vibrant, inclusive economy that drives wealth growth for individuals, businesses, and municipalities. Combined with the benefits of the South Suburban Land Bank and the Monarch Fund, the SDA serves as a model for regional development.
