A BIG HELLO FROM ME AND THE TEAM
Mel Richards, The Founder of Staycation Eco Cleans and Laundry.
My name is Mel Richards and I founded Staycation Eco Cleans and Laundry with my family. Our aim is simple, help holiday let owners with the cleaning and maintenance side of their business in a way that saves them money and reduces waste. I have lived in Devon my whole life and I am very passionate about promoting green tourism.
My Story
It all began 30 years ago when I did my apprenticeship.
My first cleaning experience was nearly 30 years ago at a local Bed and Breakfast during my school holidays. I suppose you could say that was where I did my apprenticeship. I loved making everything sparkle and making the rooms look fabulous. I always had compliments from the guests like “For someone so young you have such attention to detail.” I quickly realised I had a passion for maximising the attractiveness of interiors, no matter how simple the initial layout.
I spent the last 2 summers working within 4 and 5 star rated properties. As beautiful as they were there did seem to be a lot of waste. Travel size Shampoo, Conditioner and body wash bottles in every bathroom thrown away after every visit, chemicals being used in every room for cleaning. It made me think that there must be a better way to do this. Our local economy relies on the holiday trade, but could it have less of an impact on the environment, especially if it is to survive long term with the pending "green industrial revolution". Green tourism is a fast growing sector of the holiday market and in the age of "climate crisis" we all need to be more conscious of our attitude towards the environment and our carbon footprint.
I came up with the idea of using eco friendly and vegan products to clean properties but still to the very highest of standards, whilst incorporating eco-laundry in to a bespoke cleaning system tailored towards the individual requirements of a property.
Staycation eco cleans is the end result of my journey through property maintenance and my passion for protecting the environment, especially in an area of outstanding natural beauty.