PORTLAND — Sally and Dan Libby, owners of the Maids Home Cleaning Services, have partnered with a non-profit organization to provide complimentary home cleaning for women undergoing cancer treatments.

Sally Libby said she heard about Cleaning for a Reason, a Texas-based non-profit organization, through other franchise owners at a regional meeting earlier this year.

“We think it is extremely important to give back to the community,” she said. “It is an important cause, one that people don’t think about, but one that makes a difference.”

The Maids Home Cleaning Services is based in Portland, but Libby said residents as far north as Brunswick and as far south as Kennebunk can take advantage of up to four months of free cleaning. Services will also be offered in Cumberland, Falmouth, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, Scarborough, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Freeport, Topsham and 10 other towns.

“I’ve experienced firsthand how cancer treatment can impact people’s lives,” she said. “My parents went through it and it is a difficult time. No one wants to think about cleaning their home, they want to spend time with family, they want to rest, they want to focus on other things.”

Libby said the cleaners are serious about their job. They clean the baseboards, window sills, ledges and floors on their hands and knees. In the kitchen they clean cupboards and the inside of microwaves. In the bathroom, Libby said her workers clean with a toothbrush.

“We like to send the same crew to the homes so the homeowners and workers can get to know each other,” she said.

In addition to this service, Libby said her crews also volunteer to clean at the Portland Ronald McDonald House. She said most of the volunteers are older and cannot clean hard-to-reach places her employees can.

“It is great for us to help out in this way, and is great for them too,” she said.

No communities have yet to take up the Maids on the free service. The Libby’s just implemented the program, but she said there is an application process that can be completed on the Cleaning for a Reason Web site www.cleaningforareason.org. She said various cleaning companies across the nation have partnered with the organization, so there is a nearly two-week wait to sign up for help. She encouraged prospective clients to be patient and keep trying.

“This service will be offered indefinitely,” she said. “It is a successful program, and we are happy to offer the help.”

Amy Anderson can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 110 or aanderson@theforecaster.net