Sarah’s home in Fairfax was the third house I cleaned that Tuesday morning. It was a modest colonial with a green front door and a wooden bench on the porch. It was the kind of house that felt like home even from the driveway.
Sarah opened the door in pajamas and a headscarf. She apologized for not being dressed. She said her chemo the day before had made her nauseated, and she had been in bed since 6 PM the night before.
I hugged her. I have never hugged a client before or since on our first meeting. But she felt like a friend the moment she opened that door.
WHY WE DO THIS“Every woman fighting cancer deserves to walk into a clean home. Free of charge. No paperwork. That is why we partner with Cleaning For A Reason.”
About Cleaning for a Reason
Sarah was one of our Cleaning for a Reason clients. Cleaning for a Reason is a national nonprofit that connects women fighting cancer with local cleaning companies who provide free home cleanings. DVL Cleaning Group has been a partner for over a decade. We clean for cancer patients at no cost, on their schedule, with their comfort in mind.
Every single team member at DVL has cleaned for a Cleaning for a Reason client at some point. Every single one of them tells me the same thing afterward. It changes you.
Sarah’s Kitchen
Sarah gave me the tour of her home. She apologized more than once for the state of the kitchen. She said, “My husband tries. But he is exhausted from taking care of me. Neither of us have had energy for the dishes.”
The kitchen had two days worth of dishes stacked up. There were crumbs on the counter. There were greeting cards from friends and family scattered on the table. Everything about that kitchen told me a story. This was a family who was pouring every ounce of energy into surviving something huge. Cleaning had not made the list. Of course it had not.
I told Sarah to go rest. My team and I cleaned her whole kitchen. We did the dishes. We wiped every surface. We reorganized the counter so her medication was easier to reach. We polished the greeting cards that were still on the table. We left everything exactly where she and her husband could find it, just clean.
Her Bedroom
Sarah slept a lot. We tiptoed around her bedroom while we cleaned everywhere else. When she came out to say goodbye, she went into her bedroom to change clothes and stopped in the doorway.
She said, “My sheets are fresh.” I nodded. She said, “You made my bed while I was in the guest room.” I said, “We did the wash and put on the clean set from the linen closet.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. She cried. She said, “I forgot what fresh sheets feel like.”
Then she said, “Thank you. Not for the sheets. For treating me like a person and not a project.”
What Sarah Taught Me
Sarah passed away eight months later. Her husband called me to let me know. He said the cleanings had made her feel human again. He said walking into a fresh home when she came home from treatment had given her back a small piece of dignity that cancer had stolen.
He also said her funeral was going to be in Fairfax the following Saturday. And that he had asked people who wanted to send flowers to donate to Cleaning for a Reason instead.
My whole team went to the funeral. We all wore our DVL uniforms out of respect. Sarah’s husband saw us and cried.
Why We Do This Work
I want people to know why my team cleans. Yes, we clean because it is our job. Yes, we clean because it pays our bills. But every one of us has met a Sarah. Every one of us has seen how the work we do can lift a weight off someone during the hardest chapter of their life.
That is the truth of what cleaning is. It is not glamorous. It is not high status. But it is love, expressed as service. It is showing up for people the way we would want someone to show up for us.
If You Know Someone Fighting Cancer
If you or someone you love is fighting cancer in Alexandria, Fairfax, or anywhere in Northern Virginia, please know that Cleaning for a Reason exists. It is real. It is free. And DVL Cleaning Group is honored to be a local partner.
Reach out to Cleaning for a Reason directly, or contact us at DVL and we will help you get connected. There is no application fee. There is no cost for the family. There is only care.
You are not alone.
