Dulce Hogar is a worker-owned house cleaning cooperative in Washington, DC. We have a combined 30+ years of house and apartment cleaning experience, and offer high quality house and apartment cleaning, and renovation cleaning services in DC and immediate suburbs. When you book with us, you’re supporting a company that pays workers a living wage, and provides benefits!
WHAT IS A WORKER COOPERATIVE?
A worker cooperative is a values-driven business that puts worker and community benefit at the core of its purpose. The central characteristic of all worker cooperatives are that the workers of the business are also owners of that business. This means each worker/owner gets to participate equally in the profits, oversight and management of the business. More than half of the worker-cooperatives in the United States were formed to combat racial and economic inequality.
WHY DOES THIS COST MORE?
Dulce Hogar is a value driven business that strives to secure stable jobs for its members that pay a just income. The residential house cleaning industry is one where women of color and immigrant women are overrepresented. In industry overall, many cleaning companies are misclassifying their employees as contractors, allowing workers to be paid less than the minimum wage while lacking access to sick leave, vacation, unemployment insurance, short-term disability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and health, dental, and vision insurance.Often, workers must use their own vehicles and supplies, resulting in an extremely low real hourly wage.
Dulce Hogar workers average in the 90th percentile of pay for house cleaners in the DMV area, purchase supplies and insurance collectively, and receive travel reimbursements. The group’s next goal is to provide health insurance for its members and their families.
WHERE DOES MY MONEY GO?
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO WORKERS AND CLIENTS?
Unlike a traditional cleaning company, worker-owners of Dulce Hogar are not paid hourly. Instead each is assigned a roster of homes which they clean regularly, alone or in teams. A percentage of the total price you pay goes to the coop to pay their collective expenses: liability insurance, transportation, marketing, administrative infrastructure, and cleaning supplies. The worker-owners make collective decisions about their budget and expenses. After the contribution to the cooperative, each worker-owner keeps the remaining pay for each job; when calculated at the end of the month our workers average $30-$40 per hour for their work.
Worker-owners at Dulce Hogar are well trained and well paid. One of the owners, A.Lopez shared, “I have 20 years in the cleaning industry and of all the companies, the cooperative is the best. We receive just pay, I can take my kids to school, and we get to be in control of my schedule.” Profits from the business remain in our community. You, as a client of Dulce Hogar, get to invest in healthy families and healthy communities, while receiving a much needed service.
Additionally, you get to build a relationship with your worker-owner, as the same cleaners will come to your house regularly. You have the ability to be in direct communication about any special requests, schedule changes, or other needs.