About Us

Stephen and Paula Thornton, the current owners of Home Sweet Home Cleaning Services, returned to Westlake to help Stephen’s parents retire. As some of the tasks were achieved, they found some work in the evenings tutoring mostly at Christ Heaven for Children in Keller. When there became more time during the day they wanted to spend time working together. They asked a student’s parent who was the head of a personnel department for suggestions. “I can never find someone to properly clean my home” she replied and Home Sweet Home was started in 1986.

They now live on a 30-acre farm in Westlake where the first Tree City USA of Westlake took place in 2000 which won a national award for best celebration. Several buses have come by over the years filled with children, parents and school administration to walk on the nature trails, observe the bee hives, travel on hay rides, pet and feed the goats, and visit the historic buildings. The farm is now converting to a wildlife management program as a type of green space for local flora and fauna.

Paula left Home Sweet Home Cleaning Services to facilitate her love of children, eventually owning a Montessori school named “The School at Stagecoach Stop” since her home/school was at the apparent site of a stagecoach stop in the 1850s. Paula was offered a job with the Lake Worth ISD and as Director has changed the day care into an early learning center for the district. She continues to be their British “Mary Poppins”.

Stephen, who still runs Home Sweet Home Cleaning Services, has chaired Tree City USA of Westlake, has been a board member of Westlake’s Historical Preser vation Society since its beginning in 2001 and has won Westlake’s volunteer of the year award in 2002. He is attempting to convert several neglected historic buildings in Chico, Texas into productive but authentic real estate.

Home Sweet Home’s staff is stable, productive and pleasant. Most own their own cars, homes, and offer a stable environment for their children. We, at Home Sweet Home Cleaning Services show respect to our staff in conjunction with our clients in placing them in a pleasant and positive working environment. We make efforts for our staff not to feel overwhelmed or physically strained. This retains a certain comfort and purpose for the day. One reason we pay hourly is to reimburse our staff for caring enough to stay longer in a home. They have reasonable choices for homes and families they like. It simply makes sense to connect personalities of our staff with our clients to create just the right fit.