Dr Green Carpet Care: Metro Atlanta's Answer to Eco-Friendly Carpet Cleaning

There are about 207 things that the average person tends to take for granted on a daily basis. Carpet care is usually somewhere near #203 on that list. Yeah, we all know that our trusty floors should be cleaned on a consistent basis. That's why we call the cheapest guy we can find with a big truck, a water tank, and a vacuum-to come and tackle our stinky carpets.

Enter the stage, Dr Green Carpet Care-an Atlanta-based Eco-friendly carpet care company owned by Daryl Brandon. I've always wanted to know about some of the nuts and bolts of the "Eco-friendly" lifestyle. And furthermore, are people really doing themselves a disservice by failing to abide by "green" carpet cleaning? Or it all just a bunch of "hooey"? Fortunately, Daryl was able to indulge my curiosity with a brief interview...

AG: How did you determine that there needed to be an Eco-friendly carpet cleaning business in the metro Atlanta area?

DB: We only have one Earth, and I believe that it's important to conserve our resources as much as possible. Unfortunately in the Atlanta area, we have been slow to react to the world's growing environmental concerns. In other parts of the country, it's not uncommon to have Eco-friendly services; so why not the Atlanta area?

AG: Was it difficult to start up a company like this?

DB: The difficulty lies in changing people's perspective of a "green" service in general. Most consumers automatically think that a "green" service is more experience and not as good as a traditional service offering. My job is to prove them wrong with Dr Green.

(Ah yes, I smell a television commercial in the air...)

AG: Why do you think more African-American people are not as concerned with environmentally friendly services such as yours?

DB: That's a tough question, Ayanna; and I wish I knew the answer... But as a minority-owned business, we are focused on environmental awareness in all communities.

AG: In your opinion, does it cost more to be environmentally friendly?

DB: That's a very common misconception... Dr Green's prices are very competitive with other high quality independent carpet cleaners in the area. Outside of carpet cleaning, environmentally friendly practices in general can actually save you money in the long run such as purchasing energy efficient doors, windows, appliances, etc. In your household, you can save tons of money on cleaning solutions by simply making your own cleaners from inexpensive vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda.

(And here I thought those items were just for salad dressing...)

AG: Do customers notice the difference between your service and traditional carpet cleaning services like Stanley Steemer?

DB: Absolutely! Our customers see differences in customer service, our attention to detail, and the quality service that we provide.

AG: How much water are customers really saving by utilizing Dr. Green carpet cleaning?

DB: Approximately 30- 70 gallons of water is saved on an average home cleaning by a typical steam cleaning company. Dr Green only uses approximately 2 gallons of water cleaning the same space! It may not sound like a huge difference at first, but multiply that steam cleaners' water usage by several homes a day per truck. Just think; in the Atlanta metro area alone, I've heard that there are over 2000 carpet cleaning companies doing business. Just imagine how much water is being used in this entire industry alone per year! Dr Green's low moisture cleaning methods clean just as well or even better than traditional steam cleaning; so why waste our resources on older technology?

(That Daryl really knows his stuff...)

AG: The world hears a lot of about Eco-friendly products and services. What else makes your service Eco-friendly?

DB: "Green" is not just in the name; the company was built on Eco-friendly and sustainable practices. Not only do we use non-toxic & biodegradable cleaning solutions, we also take great pride in conserving as much water as possible. We're not going to drive up to your home or office in an inefficient full sized van either. We use smaller, more energy efficient vehicles to reduce our carbon footprint. We use lower voltage, electric-based equipment as opposed to the typical gas or diesel-powered carpet cleaning equipment. The majority of our marketing is web-based to limit the amount of paper waste that is created by direct mail marketing and flyers. As you can see; we are not just claiming to be green; we ARE green.

AG: Your website claims that stubborn stains will not return to the carpet after you've removed them. How is that so?

DB: Simple... I hear from many of my customers that steam cleaners came to their home, cleaned the carpet, and a couple of days later, the bad stains re-occurred. Here's what happens: Hot water extraction/Steam cleaning, which is the method that most carpet cleaners use typically has the re-occurring stain issue. Steam cleaning is essentially high pressure washing your carpet in a controlled setting. What happens when you pressure wash a tough stain: what doesn't get extracted out of the carpet when it's cleaned, gets pushed deeper into the padding and sometimes the sub flooring. When your carpet dries, the carpet fibers act like a candlewick and the stain residue just wicks back up to the visible surface creating a re-occurring stain issue. The moisture used in steam cleaning is the cause of wicking. Since Dr Green's process uses minimal moisture, this problem is virtually eliminated.

(Wow, I really didn't know that. Maybe Daryl should work for CSI...)

AG: The Dr Green Carpet Care Facebook 'fan page' has some pretty neat household tips. How did you come up with these?

DB: I just wanted another way to engage like-minded individuals through social media who just want to know quick and simple ways to improve their Eco-friendliness. Therefore, we started a Dr Green "Green Tips" Facebook page that is updated periodically. We also share discounts from other Eco-friendly companies in the local market. Soon, we will be starting a 'green' blog that will be discussing all sorts of topics that pertain to Eco-friendly living. Stay tuned!

AG: So what's next for Dr. Green? A line of consumer products? Maybe an "As Seen on TV" million-dollar patent?

DB: Next on the agenda for Dr Green is to expand its service offerings by including green cleaning of all hard surface flooring such as tile, marble, concrete, and even rejuvenating hardwood floors. Dr Green will be offering these new green services in the 4th quarter of 2010.

(I took this opportunity to peddle my own invention: eco-friendly, high-heeled stain-fighting, scrub brush flip-flops. But Daryl Brandon politely declined...)

SOURCES:

www.drgreencarpet.com

Dr Green Carpet Care
P.O. Box 871345
Stone Mountain, GA 30087
(404) 477-4276