My name is Irene Abbock. I was born in Port Vila and proudly come from the islands of Pamma, and Nguna in Vanuatu.
I grew up in a household where cleanliness was a daily discipline and a shared responsibility. My parents taught us that a tidy home was not just about appearances, but about care, respect, and looking after one another. These lessons stayed with me, but it was later in life that I truly understood the deeper meaning of a clean and healthy space.
That understanding came while caring for my grandmother on my mother’s side. She was very ill, suffering from respiratory issues and diabetes, and keeping our home clean was essential for her wellbeing. What concerned me most was the harsh chemicals we were using around her. Through her guidance, I learned that simple, natural alternatives, lime, lemon, warm water, and a touch of dishwashing liquid, could disinfect effectively without harming health. This experience sparked my passion for eco-friendly cleaning.
Professionally, my background mainly involves humanitarian work. While meaningful, life became demanding. After long workdays, I would return home to scrub floors, wash dishes, and clean bathrooms. I realized how difficult it was to balance a career and home responsibilities. My partner, running a resort, faced the same struggles, lack of trained, reliable cleaners made daily operations challenging.
Everything became clearer after the twin Cyclones Kevin and Judy in March 2023. These disasters disrupted livelihoods and highlighted how fragile many systems were. I realized the impact I wanted to make had to be direct, on the ground, in communities. In February 2024, I made the difficult decision to resign from my job at Save the Children Vanuatu and focus entirely on building Tidy Haus Cleaners.
Tidy Haus is more than a cleaning business. It solves multiple problems: creating employment opportunities, upskilling Ni-Vanuatu workers in cleaning and personal hygiene, ensuring fair pay, and most importantly promoting safe, eco-friendly cleaning methods. Our goal is to support homes, offices, and businesses with reliable, professional services, allowing people to focus on their work and wellbeing without stress.
Along the way, I have been honoured to receive several recognitions that reflect Tidy Haus’s impact:
- Second place in Vanuatu’s first reality TV entrepreneur competition, Canoe Race 2025.
- Best Innovative Product, Vanuatu Made 2025, for our eco-friendly cleaning products.
- Third place, National Pitching Competition, Climate Launchpad 2025.
- Selected by UN Women to attend Manila as a UNCTAD committee member under Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
- This year, chosen as Community Leader for the Pacific Region for UN Women in E-Trade and Commerce, working closely with UNCTAD to support regional entrepreneurs.
Tidy Haus Cleaners was born during a time of disaster, but also during a time of change, purpose, and growth. What began as caring for my grandmother and balancing work and family responsibilities has grown into a values-driven business focused on health, sustainability, and economic empowerment.
We believe clean spaces should support wellbeing of our health, our land and water, and not compromise it.
We believe workers deserve training and fair pay.
And we believe that when cleaning is done properly, it creates peace of mind for everyone, because we all deserve it.
This is only the beginning of our journey grounded in real experiences, challenges, and a genuine desire to pave the way for others.
With Love, Irene