Perth mum frustrated with unreliable cleaners launches Manhattan Maids, nationally-awarded cleaning business

A Melville mother turned her cleaning frustration into an award-winning business operating across Australia.

Having trouble finding a cleaner she could trust while pregnant, Tabitha Wellman decided to take matters into her own hands.

She founded local cleaning company Manhattan Maids 16 years ago and has since expanded to WA, Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast.

“I was a mom who was tired of trying to find a cleaner, and I thought if I found enough clients I could get my own cleaning service for free,” Ms. Wellman said.

“I think our growth actually comes from listening to our customers’ frustrations. That’s a big part of having a cleaner…having someone who is trustworthy, trustworthy and professional.”

Manhattan Maids has grown from a one-woman business to an 85-strong team and last month received the 2026 Australian Small Business Champion Award for cleaning services.

Ms Wellman said her business was helping to “professionalise” the cleaning industry and move away from other run-of-the-mill cleaning companies.

“It’s an incredibly professional service. We have a service guarantee that ensures people have the same maid for every cleaning, so it’s not a ‘come and go’ service for walk-ins. I have maids who have been with their clients for three years and they become part of the family,” she said.

“We are the only business that has dedicated quality managers who go out and carry out spot checks on all our cleaners, which is a big expense but worth it because it means we always deliver the service we promise.”

Despite recent success, Manhattan Maids has experienced a few setbacks along the way.

“COVID was an absolute nightmare for us. Here in Perth we had over 150 people on our waiting list and I couldn’t find maids for love or money because everyone went back to their hometowns,” Ms Wellman said.

“We had a team of about nine people in Perth at one point (during COVID) and now we’re in the high 40s.”

Then in 2023, Ms. Wellman was diagnosed with stage three cancer and had to take off work overnight as she underwent immunotherapy and radiation treatment.

She said her team, made up mostly of hard-working Brazilian women, has enabled the business to grow.

“The team stepped up and took over… this was a key part of our growth strategy going forward. Having the right team and systems in place meant this was a huge turnaround for the business,” he said.

“People always said ‘you have to be super smart and have this incredible strategy’ but it happened completely organically and thanks to our team.”

Their customer base generally consists of families, working mothers, stay-at-home mothers, or elderly people looking to care for themselves. They operate predominantly in the western and southern suburbs along the coast but have seen growth in corporate housing and Airbnb properties.

The business was also recently named a finalist in the Australian Business Small Business Champion Awards to be held in Sydney on 27 June.

“It’s just recognition of all the hard yards. A lot of people don’t see the long nights; owning your own business is seven days a week straight. I think it was really great for the management team to see their hard work recognized as well,” he said.

“I started with a newborn baby thinking, ‘I need a fucking cleaner.’ Now I’ve actually created something that has a huge impact on the lives of so many people, not just our customers, but our maids as well.”