She's single and, yes, she does do windows.
Betty Tsamis, 39, launched a new Chicago-based company in mid-September: Snappy Maids, an upscale cleaning company and maid/concierge service using only earth-friendly products.
'Snappy Maids was founded with a simple mission in mind: to provide the highest level of cleaning with a personalized touch,' said Tsamis, who is a lesbian.
Snappy Maids' earth-friendly approach was inspired by an incident that occurred three years ago involving Tsamis' mother. While cleaning a bathtub, she unwittingly combined several common household cleaning products. The combination created a dangerous chemical cloud which flooded her respiratory system. Quickly, her lungs began to shut down and she began to turn blue.
The paramedics immediately placed her on straight oxygen and flushed her system out. They said that had they arrived just a little later she would have suffocated to death.
'There are so many pollutants in the air; you sure don't need them in your house as well,' said Tsamis, who uses products from locally based Earth Friendly Products, which are available at Whole Foods and elsewhere. 'We have a top-notch service, with no chemicals in any of the products that we use.'
Her older brother, Gus, 44, who is straight, is her business partner.
'We're really focused on doing the right thing and we really want to give back to the community,' she said. 'We do criminal background checks on all of our employees; we're focused on the training.'
Snappy Maids will work in residential and commercial establishments, usually in teams of two or three. The company has already made donations to the Make A Wish Foundation and plans to help LGBT-related charities in the near-future, she said.
The company's Web site ( www.snappymaids.net ) also features links to other earth-friendly, gay-friendly companies.
'We're trying to develop the next-generation of cleaning companies, focused on ongoing great service, not just a one-time deal,' Tsamis said.
Cleanings start at $50 and go up, based on size and frequency of service.