Our journey
Built from survival, love and determination.
Shelton's Janitorial began with a mother fighting to rebuild her life and create a safer future for her children. Every mile since then has been earned through faith, hard work and the courage to keep going.
Sara Shelton's story
I didn't begin with much. I began with a reason.
I have 20 years of cleaning experience, and Shelton's Janitorial has been in business for 13 years. I founded the company in 2013 while living in Marysville because I desperately needed a way to support my children and rebuild our lives. I was living with chronic PTSD after abuse, and I had spent two years experiencing homelessness and trying to find my way forward. My family had been pulled apart, and I was determined to build a stable life where my children and I could be together again.
For a time, the trauma took away my voice. I shook from the stress, could barely speak and had forgotten the strong, independent woman I had always been. I had been broken down, but I was still there. Little by little, I found myself again.
There was no big investment, polished office or easy beginning. There was simply a mother who knew she had to keep moving. I cleaned because it was honest work I could do well, and because every job brought me one step closer to the life my children deserved.
I often took on work before I had every answer. On one project I had to learn to operate a scissor lift for the first time, and I was scared to death. I learned to do it safely, worked through the fear and got the job done. I believe God brought me through and, by His grace, showed me each next step.
How we got here
One step, one client and one open door at a time.
2013
Shelton's Janitorial begins in Yuba County
Sara founded the company while living in Marysville. Her first job was waitressing, and she cleaned houses on the side to support her children and rebuild their lives. She saved her tips to buy a little red Volkswagen Bug. As the work grew, mops and brooms stuck out of its windows, but that little car meant progress and freedom.
Next
CAL FIRE's Camino construction trailers
One of the next opportunities was cleaning construction trailers for a CAL FIRE project in Camino. Caring for shared working and living spaces moved the company from residential cleaning toward larger, more demanding accounts.
2015
Expanding into commercial janitorial
Residential customers led to commercial work and multi-location accounts. Every new client meant learning, proving ourselves and raising the standard of what the company could do.
2018
Our first government contract
The first federal contract opened the door to more demanding facilities and showed how far a company built from nothing could go.
Beale AFB
Six contracts and counting
Work at Beale Air Force Base grew to six contracts, including a 210,000-square-foot post-construction clean and 42 base homes, plus a high-security remodel cleanup where Sara learned exterior soft washing for the first time.
Travis AFB
A full aircraft hangar
At Travis Air Force Base our team completed a full aircraft hangar clean. The job demanded courage, attention and teamwork, and it became another example of learning what the work required and seeing it through.
2022
Airbnb turnovers and a 216,000-square-foot facility
We launched short-term rental turnover service and, the same year, Sara completed the cleaning of a 216,000-square-foot Army Corps of Engineers building three separate times. She had gone from homelessness to standing inside a massive federal project she had finished through sheer determination.
2025
Ellsworth Air Force Base
The team traveled to Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota, to complete a large aircraft hangar clean, proving the company can mobilize nationwide.
Now
Trusted locally, ready for anything
Today our women-owned company cleans homes across Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties, 11 Sierra Central Credit Union branches, and large projects with crews of more than 10. We remain committed to honest work, dependable service and better futures for our families.
Why we keep growing
Helping other women remember who they are.
I know what it feels like to be broken down and to need someone to give you a chance. Today, I help women get back up, recognize their strength and build independence. I want Shelton's Janitorial to keep becoming a better, stronger business so we can create more opportunities, pay people well and help women support their families without having to depend on public assistance.
I made a decision that the people who broke me down would not determine the kind of person I became. Instead of carrying forward the hatred I experienced, I chose to remember the few people who opened a door for me when I desperately needed one. Today, I choose to hold those same doors open for other women.
I did not rebuild alone. My parents helped me in every way they could, and I formed deep friendships with good people who helped me see a different kind of life. In time, I found a wonderful partner and built a life surrounded by family, friendship, faith and love.
Every space deserves care, and every person deserves dignity and respect. Shelton's Janitorial was built from scratch, and I will never forget the people whose kindness helped us take the next step.
Sara Shelton, founder and owner
Let our journey become part of yours.
Tell us about the space you need cared for. We would be honored to earn your trust.