Zerorez Salt Lake

If you are looking for someone to clean the carpets in your home, a company I endorse is Zerorez. We have investigated their business practices and the way they treat customers, and that's why I'm proud to declare them Gephardt Approved.

Spend a moment with owner Gaylord Karren, and you'll find his excitement for his carpet cleaning process is at the heart of his customer service attitude.

The idea for the Zerorez process began more than a decade ago when the owned over 3,000 apartment units. One of their biggest expenses was keeping what amounted to be over 2.5 million square feet of carpet in these units clean. Gaylord says the methods traditionally used were not working.

Gaylord and his partners John Hopkins and Jim Stone say they discovered soaps and chemicals used in the carpet cleaning process left a residue in the carpet which acted like a dirt magnet. The "cleaned" carpet would look good for a few weeks, but the residue left behind, would invariably attract dirt, making the carpet even dirtier. The result: the trio developed and patented a system for cleaning carpets that did not use traditional methods, and in 2000, Zerorez was born. Gaylord says at the heart of the Zerorez® cleaning technology is its ability to clean without the use of high-residue soaps, detergents, shampoos or chemicals. This makes a Zerorez clean a GREEN clean.

Zerorez® has created a video explanation of the whole process at www.zerorezsaltlake.com. But, essentially, the cleaning system is based on unique EMPOWERED WATER™ technology. EMPOWERED WATER is electrolyzed oxidative water, which Gaylord says creates a powerful cleaning solution without harmful toxins or chemicals.

EMPOWERED WATER™ is applied to the carpet fibers via high-pressure spray, both loosening embedded dirt and cleaning the carpet. The retrieval system employs a technology with a closed loop wand head which never allows the Empowered Water to become subject to gravity. The fluid does an instantaneous "U" turn rinsing through the fibers and scrubs, cleans and eliminates a wide range of germs, pathogens and bacteria. The emulsified soil is then removed. These two pieces of technology are what makes Zerorez totally unique in the carpet cleaning industry. When technicians leave your house, all they leave behind is a slightly damp carpet, which contains water, and that's all...no residue (hence the name "Zerorez). That moisture dries quickly and without any residue.

And all that new invention has left behind a bunch of satisfied customers. Proof is growth. Today, Zerorez has 25 franchises across the country with more coming up this year. The corporate headquarters of this growing business is in Lindon, Utah. They employ 17 full-time people, 12 are technicians, all of which are IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification) trained, or in the process of being trained.

When it comes to his customers, Gaylord adds he doesn't want just satisfied customers, he wants "raving fans." If there is a negative comment, Gaylord says he takes care of it within 24 hours.

And our investigation into Zerorez backs that up, and that's why I endorse the company, and it's why I am proud that Zerorez is Gephardt Approved.

--Bill Gephardt