After being out of work for two years from a car accident, Bobbi Cupka was ready to begin a steady stream of work with her wife, Maggie Destein.
The two met at a franchise cleaning company, before Cupka’s accident. Cupka had long been making plans to start her own cleaning business.
After they married in July, the transition was easy to make the enterprise co-owned. The Springdale couple chose a company name that is personal without their names — 2 Wives Clean Lives.
“We decided that this would be the easiest because I can’t work a normal 9-5 job,” said Cupka, 22, referring to her physical limitations from the accident. “I do the dusting and lighter stuff. Maggie handles the heavier stuff.”
The business offers full detailed cleaning of houses, rooms or offices. Customers can receive a consistent cleaning every two weeks after an initial cleaning. Cleaning can take as long as two to four hours depending on the size of the house.
While they are easing into a routine with clients, they are focusing on serving the Alle-Kiski Valley until they can expand to serve customers outside the area.
“We are just trying to manage it so we don’t have to travel from an appointment in Butler then go somewhere in Shadyside,” said Destein, 37.
Despite being open for less than a month, 2 Wives Clean Lives has taken off, Cupka said, with an ample flow of clients reaching out for their services. Flyers were handed out around the area, but Facebook has been the main platform for traction. An introduction Cupka posted in late October on Facebook about the business received more than 100 interactions.
During the process of getting their business up and running, Cupka said she wondered if putting their same-sex marriage into the business name would deter customers. But she soon dismissed the concern.
“I thought about it, and if they really don’t like it, we don’t need to be there,” she said.
Customer response has been overwhelmingly positive for the couple, who say they have not experienced any negative interactions.
“Everyone has been very welcoming,” Destein said. “As soon as we walk into a customer’s home for an estimate and we introduce ourselves, it is all very friendly.” Cupka called it “a non-issue.”
Customers have ranged from young parents looking for an extra hand to the elderly in need of help. “We have a pretty diverse customer base,” Cupka said.
As the couple continues to ease into their new endeavor, they hope to expand.
“We want to make it a very well established company,” Destein said. At some point, “we will get to a place where we say, ‘Hey, we are employing people.’ ”
2 Wives Clean Lives books clients via email (2wivescleaningcompany@gmail.com) and phone (412-295-5693).