A Greener Cleaner: Franchising Plans Await Organic Carpet Product

ContraCostaTimes:

For Col. Harland Sanders, it was pressure-cooked chicken. For William Rosenberg of Dunkin’ Donuts, it was fresh-baked doughnuts and coffee. In his case, Mike Nero hopes it’s sea kelp.

The owner of a Bay Area carpet-cleaning service is making a bid to become the Ray Kroc of green cleaning. Nero registered his 100-percent organic Naturell carpet-cleaning franchise with the state of California last month, offering franchisees training, equipment, marketing and management support – and exclusive access to his patent-pending sea kelp cleaner.

Like Kroc, of McDonald’s fame, Nero is stressing quality, good management and low prices.

‘If you want to become large in an industry, you’ve got to address the concerns of your customers,’ said Nero, 43, who has operated the Bio-Tech All Natural Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning business, serving customers from San Jose to San Francisco, for more than a decade.

In the carpet-cleaning industry, a top concern is chemicals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns that cleaning products and wet carpets can contribute to indoor air pollution that is even worse than the air in industrialized areas.

The runoff from cleaning products also contaminates streams, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In a quest for a greener clean, Nero tried different natural products, but he wasn’t satisfied. Although some cleaned well, they still contained artificial compounds, such as synthetic alcohols and surfactants.

So he cracked open some chemistry textbooks and began mixing solutions in the back bedroom of his home in Brentwood. Intrigued by the mineral properties of sea kelp, which is used as a fertilizer, bird food and beauty aid, Nero thought it might have possibilities as a carpet cleaner.

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