Profit & Planet: Cleaning industry exposure sparks idea for new venture
Thursday, 1 January 2026
Profit & Planet is a series profiling finalists on the Sustainable Business Awards’ Next List, an annual list of the best innovators, entrepreneurs, projects and organisations in the green space.
Clean for Good founder and director Stephanie Ray says her sustainable cleaning company was born in a moment of vulnerability. She was pregnant, unwell and desperate for help at home.
She hired a cleaner, but instead of feeling relief, she saw the reality of an industry most people never see - a worker who was underpaid, rushing house to house, and using chemicals so harsh they made her feel sick, and so in a spur of the moment she decided to set up a cleaning company.
What gap do you fill in the market?
Most people think the gap in cleaning is price or convenience. But the real gap, the one families feel, is care. We care more. Traditional cleaning companies rely on contractors, harsh chemicals and constantly changing staff. That means inconsistent results and zero relationship between the cleaner and the client. You never really know who is walking into your home that day. We built the opposite model. We employ full-time teams, invest in wellbeing, train properly and clean with enzyme-based systems that protect the home biome.
Our cleaners show up happy. They sing. They laugh. They take pride in their work, and clients feel that difference immediately. Happy cleaners simply do better work. And it shows. We hear it every week.
What are your ambitions for the business?
Our ambition is to set the standard for how this industry should operate in New Zealand, not just in cleaning, but in how businesses treat people, homes and communities. This year we made it into The Next List, which recognises Aotearoa’s most innovative, future-shaping businesses. It was a huge moment for us, because it validated the work we’re doing for good but we’re not stopping there.
Our next steps are to expand across Auckland, strengthening our For Good framework and aligning with ISO 14001, growing our circular projects, more microplastic innovation, deeper school partnerships, scaling our eco-friendly cleaning products business The Cleaning Enzymes nationwide and supporting more charities in ways that create real impact.
Long term, I want the Clean for Good model, full-time employment, For Good decision-making, circular systems and wellbeing programmes, to influence the entire cleaning and service sector. We don’t love the idea of franchising because growth for us has never been about profit alone.
On a personal level, my dream is to one day fully fund a programme that supports families with children facing serious health challenges.
Does New Zealand do enough to ensure green businesses develop and thrive?
New Zealand has the heart for positive change, but the reality is that small “green” businesses still face big barriers.
We’ve explored certification pathways like Enviro-Mark to support our ISO work, but at $18,000 it simply isn’t accessible for most SMEs, even the ones doing the right thing. Other certifications can feel more like a club you pay to belong to, without meaningful auditing behind it.
There is strong intention nationwide, but the support structures often favour big players. Small businesses, the majority of New Zealand’s economy, and the ones actually driving circular innovation, need more accessible pathways.
New Zealand is moving in the right direction, and with better support for circular and For Good businesses, the momentum could be even stronger and the impact far greater.