I hate to write a bad review, but have been pushed to the brink on this one. We used Vida Verde a few times and felt great about our house cleaner and good enough about the job she did. We then had to cancel our service because we needed to make some budget cuts. We asked for our key to be returned when we cancelled our regular cleanings and offered to go wherever needed to retrieve it. We have emailed our house cleaner twice over several months: no response. We have also called the main co-op line: no response. I absolutely support the eco-friendly and labor-friendly policies. But am very uncomfortable that we've never been able to get our key returned. read more

I've always been extremely reluctant to hire cleaning services ever since I read Barbara Ehrenreich on the amount paid to cleaners out of the amount paid to services. I have hired independent cleaners, but their work was often irregular and so were their hours and reliability. This is why I was so glad to see Vida Verde. The pricing is extremely reasonable, and the rates are quoted immediately, with adjustments to be made if necessary given the layout of your home. (There are assumptions about the size when you say X # bedrooms and X # baths. I'm sure if I had a huge layout that happened to have X # bedrooms and X # baths, we'd be renegotiating.) But then they make a quote and stick to it for weekly, biweekly and monthly cleanings. There are add-on fees at reasonable rates for things -- $20 to clean out a fridge, $5 to strip and make up a bed, $10 to do a load of laundry, things like that. It makes it easier to both see what is and isn't going to be done and easier to specify which extras you'd like and how much more you should pay. (Certainly when I've hired cleaners in the past, I've asked for these things, and I've given them more money that week, but it was always a nebulous, well, how much is stripping and making a bed worth? What about if I've stripped the bed and the sheets are already sitting at the foot of it, but I wanted to let the mattress air out for a couple of hours?) Valdirene has been coming to our home now for five months. She's reliable, neat and friendly. Her work is excellent. Clearly, the co-op chooses good cleaners and knows how to protect their name and ensure that their cleaners are good at their jobs and can keep referrals coming in and conversely the members of the co-op benefit by doing good work -- a clear indicator that this is, in many ways, an actual cooperative. A first cleaning may involve some toxic chemicals. They freely admit this. That's okay. Most of us do not use Seventh Generation everything all the time anyway. (I'm as Cantabrigian as they come, and even I freely admit to having Formula 409 in my house.) However, afterwards, they come equipped with their own green, non-toxic cleaning supplies, which is not only better for clients but better for them -- I hate to think of what working with toxic stuff all day does to workers. I have not seen any compromise in cleanliness, so the supplies they're mixing up work. On the whole, I find Vida Verde excellent at what they do, I'm satisfied that they seem to be a working cooperative, I don't feel any twangs of my overly hippie conscience at endorsing them, and I hope that they are empowering workers as much as they seem to be and that other co-ops like them spring up among other communities that also have large numbers of domestic workers, to give them an alternative to exploitation by corporate services. read more

My Valentine's gift to us today: a house cleaning by Vida Verde Co-op! Adriana and Carla did such a great job, it actually made me excited to come home to our crummy old apartment. I seriously recommend these awesome ladies (especially if your place needs a little help and the snow has defeated your will to clean). They use their own natural products (though they asked me if I was okay with them using bleach in our nasty bathroom, which was fine by me). I gave them my keys and left for work, and when I got home, everything was so nice and clean! They even somehow managed to get all the cat hair out of the furniture, which is some kind of miracle. One final thing: they are worker-owners, which means they work hard because they have an actual stake in the company, and they treat themselves with respect by paying livable wages and making good decisions for themselves and their community (non-toxic products!) read more

We are really happy with this service. The green products are great for our having an infant baby girl and the cleaning has been very thorough, which we have had a real hard time finding after having tried several other services over a period of years. We are hoping we have one we can settle with for many years now. The other value add is that they essentially offer you a concierge person as an intermediary that helps with any language barriers, etc, so communication is easily and effectively conveyed. read more

I really hate to write a bad review, as I wanted to love this place so badly. I loved the idea that it was a local co-op and not a chain. We started working with them around June 2014. We have a decently sized apartment, and first we were assigned one cleaner, Renee. She did not do a very good job the first time, but I ascribed it to the fact that she barely spoke English, so communication was difficult. I discussed all the problems with this cleaning with Helen, the coordinator, who said she would communicate my concerns to the cleaner. It was not really anything special - the cleaner simply omitted several big items and did not clean them. One of the items were three tall glass display shelves - one of the reasons we hired cleaners, as these shelves are tedious to clean. However, the second time she cleaned, exactly the same thing happened! The shelves were not cleaned, and also one of the two bathrooms was cleaned very poorly, especially the toilet. I was quite upset, but after communicating with Helen and considering the energy and time I already invested in this cleaner, I said I would be happy to give Renee another chance, provided she would just do a decent cleaning. At this point we had two poor cleanings in a row, so our apartment started looking pretty neglected. The third cleaning was as terrible as the first two. In addition, the cleaner managed to badly scratch a really expensive high-end microwave that we just purchased. I complained to the office, they first told me it would be covered by insurance. Then, in two weeks, I am told, no, it will not be covered by insurance, it will have to come OUT OF THE POCKET of the cleaner. I felt extremely bad for the cleaner (the microwave was over $250), so I just told them to drop it, as I did not feel comfortable taking hard-earned money from an immigrant woman while the predatory company that should have insurance is shifting the burden to its employees. They offered to assign me a new cleaner, and we decided two cleaners would be better, as I always felt Renee was exhausted by the end by herself. Then they said they needed to come personally to "do an estimate." I was a bit surprised, as I was already their client for over two months. I agreed though, again, thinking I already invested so much time in the company. Helen said that I need to show to her personally what needs to be done, so she could communicate it to the new cleaners, whom she assigned to me. Again, I was surprised, as honestly, we have no special requirements and a very ordinary 3BR apartment. On the scheduled date, the new cleaners arrived about 20-25 minutes late. When they arrived, it became clear they did not receive ANY instructions at all, so as I much as I was in a huge rush to get to work, I had to explain everything all over again. Their English was also poor, so it was difficult. Nonetheless, when I got back, I thought they did a pretty good job. But no one contacted me to schedule a new cleaning or ask how it went. Around the time when we were due to have the next cleaning, I wrote Helen that I'm happy with them overall, except they didn't wipe the dust from the floor boards at all, but this is easy to fix next time, just remind them. I was ready to book them again. At this point, communication with the office, for some reason, became difficult, taking even more time. I felt frustrated, as we were expecting them to contact us to set up the date, as we clearly said we want someone every 3 weeks. When finally I talked to Helen, we were way overdue for a cleaning. Finally, she tells me that the new cleaners thought I was "nervous," when they cleaned, so they were not comfortable and that she needs to assign me a new cleaner! I was really taken aback, I actually could not fathom what she was talking about - as I was not even there for the cleaning, I left immediately after meeting the cleaners and spending about 10 minutes giving them basic instructions (the ones they were supposed to get from her in advance and did not). It turns out that by "nervous," cleaners meant that I was in a rush to get to work, because they were almost half an hour late! We hired cleaners for years, but this was the most outrageous and frustrating experience with a cleaning company. Very unprofessional and rude, especially after I was so accommodating and went out of my way finding excuses FOR them, as to why I did not get a good cleaning for the first 3 months, or actually, ever - the last cleaning was decent, but sorry, why were the floor boards untouched? At the beginning of this ordeal, I thought: maybe our apartment is too big for one cleaner? Maybe it's just a language problem? Nope, it's actually quite simple: Vida Verde's management is simply unprofessional and rude, and their cleaners are not properly trained, neither in cleaning techniques, nor courtesy in communication. I should have quit after the first bad cleaning, and not giving them excuses and enduring more bad service. read more

We just had our first cleaning with their service and they were fantastic. My wife and I have 9 month old who has had us a bit worn out this year, so we finally bit the bullet and looked for a cleaning service to help out. We were nervous about it since we hadn't hired someone like this before. They did a great job throughout our apartment and were very friendly. With the little one crawling around, we were really happy they used green/non-toxic cleaning supplies. Updated: Unfortunately, the impression didn't last. The issue is that each of the cleaners is a contractor, and none really seem to stick with it. Frequent cancellations, rescheduling, not arriving on time. The last time our cleaner's husband got on the phone told my wife to "relax" when she called to complain about another missed appointment. I think it's better to find someone with stronger references, rather than trusting a company or co-op. read more

I have gone through several cleaning services trying to find someone who would do a good job. I'm pretty picky and have been very happy with Edna. She is so nice and does wonderful work. The price is competitive and we are thrilled to have found this group. read more

I totally agree with the other reviewer. The co-op members of Vida Verde are friendly, professional, thorough, and easy to work with. I love their eco-friendly and labor-friendly policies! read more

I have used these GREEN house cleaners for 2+ years and they are fantastic! The use all green product and are part of a socially conscience effort to assist Brazilian women have work, learn english and benefit from community support. Here is more about their good works http://www.pri.org/business/social-entrepreneurs/green-cleaners-coop.html As cleaners they are the best! timely, dedicated, friendly and they do all the little things that other cleaners often do not. Also, the women benefit directly from the business. I HIGHLY recommend their services! read more

I was thrilled with the service and value I received over several months of using Vida Verde. Arranging my first appointment, The co-op was extremely responsive and attentive to my concerns and questions when I arranged my first appointment, and, from having looked at several other cleaning services, I knew that Vida Verde offers great value. As for the cleanings themselves, whenever I come home to my apartment after a cleaning, I bask in how clean it is. Virtually no detail is overlooked and, in all honesty, following the initial cleaning, our place looked better than it did the day I moved in. I strongly recommend Vida Verde and Cristiane, who is pleasant, efficient, and an exceptional cleaner. read more

Karla did such a nice job cleaning our apartment! The co-op was extremely timely, responsive, and spent nearly four hours cleaning our 800 square foot apartment! When I got home from work, all of our appliances were sparkling and the floors looked INCREDIBLE! I have already recommended them to two of my friends and will definitely be using them for many years to come. read more

I called and interviewed all over Boston before having a friend recommend Vida Verde. I have had them come once a month for the last 5 or so months, and can not say enough GREAT things about my cleaner - Ruth. The first time she came, she stayed for 5 1/2 hours (for one agreed upon price- they don't get paid hourly). She made sure my house was spotless and literally gleaming from top to bottom. I couldn't believe how long she stayed and how amazing she made my condo look. In addition to the extreme attention to detail, I love how they use their own green chemicals that are bleach-free. They are safe for pets and kids and leave the house smelling just a slight scent of mint. (They will use bleach in the shower if you ask them). Another point that I love- Ruth brought a new set of cleaning towels that she uses through out the house. She leaves the towels at your house so that you know they are clean, and not being used at other houses and bringing dirt and germs from house to house. I ask Ruth a few days before I want her to come as I travel a lot for work and unsure of my schedule, and she has always been flexible and willing to come clean as soon as possible. She has never been late or missed an appointment. I thoroughly enjoy coming home after Ruth comes! She is the best. And the fact that this co-op is for such a great cause is a huge bonus for me. read more

I live in Beacon Hill. I have looked for years for an efficient house cleaning service. It was never satisfying. I have changed so many times. I travel a lot for work and I have very little time but I have very high hygienic standards. I cannot believe I found my bliss. I have waited 6 months to write this review because given the past disappointments I did not want to endorse someone who was going to end up disappointing me. But she cannot disappoint. Her work keeps improving. He name is: Valdirene Oliveira. She works for the Vida Verde Cooperative. We started working with Vida Verde 6 months ago. Initially the cooperative sent me another woman but I asked them to change because my husband and I were not satisfied. So they sent us Valdirene. And my family's life changed. What we love: - she takes off her shoes before walking into our apartment (we never asked!) - she leaves all floors and surfaces spotless and perfumed, there is a very soft mint scent when she is done (my husband was moved when he saw the floor in our kitchen after Valdirene's first cleaning, and please note that we have always had a cleaning lady!) - she is super meticulous but also thoughful and respectful (she never moves our things around). - she goes above and beyond (she sanitizes doorknobs and light switches, cleans above lightings, dusts all the nooks and crannies of the ancient wood decorations on the walls of our historic apartment). - bonus: this cooperative uses only green cleaning products designed by engineers of Tuft University (Valdirene uses sometimes clorox for our bathtub/shower, toilets and sinks but she always asks me or my husband first). - extra bonus: this cooperative Vida Verde helps immigrant Brazilian women build a professional career in the US in a perfectly legal environment. I thing empowering immigrant wormen is a great thing. In short, I have a sparkling apartment, I do good for the environment, I do not do overdose of toxic chemicals and with my money I also support a good social cause. The price is perfectly reasonable (actually cheaper than other companies). You can ask Vida Verde for an assessment. I am seriously control freak so I also sent Vida Verde a detailed list of things that are important to me to make sure we clarify expectations in advance. They responded very positively and Valdirene came with a printed copy of my list attached to the contract, which I really appreciated! Valdirene is Brazilian and she is learning English, but we perfectly understand her and she understands us. And in any event, she always goes beyond what we ask just to make sure (which is really touching). She comes to our apartment every two weeks. Since we are expecting a baby we have decided to ask her to start coming every week after the baby is born. I could have kept this secret to myself, but this economy sucks and I know everybody needs work. So, I am glad to endorse someone I trust and whose professionalism I admire. read more

Although we have only had our home cleaned by women from Vida Verde twice, we have been happy with the work they do, and will continue to hire them in the future. The women are friendly and they do an excellent job. The natural cleaners that they use keep the house looking and smelling nice long after the job is complete. I definitely recommend hiring women from Vida Verde. read more

I have been extremely happy with the cleaning service over the last few months! I am lucky to have Val Oliveira clean our condo and she does an amazing job. Our apartment is literally sparkling after she is here. Val is extremely thorough and goes above and beyond what I expected. And she has a lovely and sweet personality. I love that the company uses earth friendly cleaning products and takes proper care of the staff. Thank you Val and thank you Vida Verde! I highly recommend the service. read more

I've been using Valdirene Oliviera for home cleaning for the past few months. She is efficient, hard working, consistent and pays attention to details. She is friendly to work with. Also my two toddlers love seeing her! read more

Ruth does a great job. So glad my neighbor recommended her to me!