Americans have been taking advantage of professional cleaning services for years, but for some reason, the trend never caught on in the UK. Now, a mother and son have joined forces to show England how helpful a cleaning service can be.


According to ChronicleLive, Scott McMullan and his mother, Kerry Patton, recently launched the company, called Maid Up North in their hometown of Newcastle, England.


Starting the company was a leap of faith for McMullan, who left a prestigious position with Apple Inc. to spend more time developing it. Drawing inspiration from tech-savvy American companies, Maid Up North enables on-the-go professionals to book a cleaner online in just 60 seconds.


“We will deliver a seamless, affordable, and hassle-free booking experience which customers can trust,” said McMullan.


Professional cleaning services are widely used in the U.S. by companies that do not have the time or in-house resources to clean up themselves. The average desk is home to 10 million bacteria, and employee sick days can spiral out of control if an office isn’t cleaned on a regular basis.


Maid Up North serves both homes and businesses, and while they currently only operate in Newcastle, they plan to expand into the rest of England in the near future.


“Currently, it isn’t possible to book a cleaner online in the North East of England, and we’re changing that,” said McMullan. “We’re already looking to expand into Carlisle, Durham, Leeds, and York.”


According to the Des Moines Register, an American couple recently embarked on a journey similar to that of McMullan and Patton. Chad and Rosa Stocker left their careers in health care behind to start a Maid Pro franchise last April, focusing on residential cleaning.


“We clean kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and other living areas. We also work with clients on special requests such as dusting blinds, washing dishes, as well as oven and refrigerator cleans,” said Rosa Stocker.


Considering both McMullan and the Stockers opted to leave enviable careers to start their own cleaning service, it’s safe to say that every cleaning job they do is a true labor of love.