BY ANDREA PALMER
Melissa Potter is the owner of Eco Klene,
LLC, a tile and grout restoration and carpet
restoration business based out of South
Glens Falls.
“Eco Klene is an eco-friendly carpet and
tile cleaning and restoration company. My
products are pet and allergy friendly,” said
Potter.
The opening of her cleaning business was
a product of community service that led to
entrepreneurial opportunity.
“My inspiration started from volunteer
cleaning at Pine Knolls Alliance Church.
I needed a better way to maintain their
floors. I started doing research and within
2 months I opened my own business,” said
Potter.
She uses a carpet cleaning method that
encapsulates dirt in a way that allows it
to be vacuumed out of the carpet with
her commercial vacuum. She states this
method is a more effective way of carpet
cleaning than forcing water into the carpet
through traditional steam and hot water
extraction cleaning, as dirt and odors can
be forced deeper into the carpet pad and
sub-floor instead of being drawn out.
“Carpet encapsulation uses a polymer
that encapsulates the soil and grime in your
carpet. The carpet is vacuumed with my
Brush Pro 14, and the cylindrical brushes
capture 70 percent of the non-soluble soil.
The carpet is then sprayed with the encapsulant
and agitated with the Brush Pro so
the polymer can encapsulate the rest of the
soil. After it dries, it crystallizes. The next
day it is vacuumed up,” said Potter.
She said the benefits are that the dry
time is about 30 minutes, compared to hot
water extraction, which can be 12-24 hours.
“There is no chance of mold or mildew and it increases the life of your carpet. This sets
me apart from cleaning companies in this
area because most people only use a truck
mounted hot water extractor.”
The machine she uses is a Brush Pro 14, a
counter rotation, cylindrical brush machine
that has different brushes for different jobs.
Potter also specializes in tile and grout
cleaning and restoration. She uses the
same commercial cleaner to address tile
and grout.
Tile and grout in need of restoration “is
a struggle I have had for years at my own
house. This prompted me to look into ways
to find a better cleaning process,” she said.
“We can clean and sanitize floors or do
restorative cleaning when tile and grout
has been neglected,” she says.
While Eco Klene’s specialty is carpet,
tile and grout, the company is equipped to
handle the cleaning of furniture as well.
“I have a hot water extractor to do stairs
and furniture and I have a commercial
steamer with continuous steam. This machine
allows me to clean some areas that
my machine can’t reach and to do an extra
thorough job,” says Potter.
Potter is the sole proprietor of Eco-
Klene. She is fully insured and is certified
by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning
and Restoration. To get the certification,
she took a two-day course, followed by a
160-question test.
“It’s a hard test because they don’t want
everyone to be certified. They want it to be
elite,” she said.
“I am extremely meticulous and will
strive for my client to see excellent results,”
she noted. “My goal is to create a personalized
relationship with my clients which will
set me apart from my competitors.”
She can be reached at 744-2628.
Photo/Todd Bissonette Photography