Clean Pro becomes IICRC-Certified Firm

Some news from my work:

Clean Pro becomes IICRC-Certified Firm

National standard-setting organization recognizes commitment to excellence

Muskogee, OK – Clean Pro, a locally owned and operated cleaning and restoration company, recently became an IICRC-Certified Firm, formalizing their longstanding commitment to implementing quality industry standards and professional training.

An international nonprofit organization, the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) establishes globally recognized standards and certifications for the cleaning and restoration industries. In order to become a Certified Firm, companies must employ one or more IICRC-Certified technicians who have met strict training and education qualifications set by the IICRC, pledge to adhere to the IICRC Code of Ethics, and be current in their business insurance and licensee requirements.

Both of Clean Pro’s full-time technicians are IICRC-Certified in multiple categories. George Faught, the owner/operator, was first certified in the early 1990’s, and is currently certified in Water Damage Restoration and Fire & Smoke Restoration. Jamison Faught received his first IICRC certification in 2014, and today holds Certified Technician status in both Carpet Cleaning and Water Damage Restoration.

The professional standards of care and procedures set by the IICRC are recognized by flooring manufacturer warrantees and insurance companies who deal with the cleaning and restoration industries in order to ensure that quality care is provided for their clients. By administering a strict process of certification, the IICRC provides a means by which consumers can receive the highest quality of service from trained, knowledgeable, professional technicians.

“The importance of staying up with industry advances and providing quality service for our customers is why we have and continue to pursue certification with the IICRC,” said George Faught. “We want our customers to have the peace of mind that when we work for them, the job will be done right.”

An IICRC-Certified firm, Clean Pro is owned and operated by the George Faught family and has served the greater Muskogee area since 1987. Clean Pro provides carpet cleaning, tile cleaning, upholstery cleaning, and 24-hour emergency water damage restoration services. You can learn more about Clean Pro by visiting CleanProMuskogee.com or following them on Facebook and Instagram.

A busy New Year at Clean Pro!

Things have been pretty hectic this new year at the Faught household. Our family company, Clean Pro, has been swamped with work from frozen pipes during this cold snap. Here are some photos from a big job we're currently finished.

Headed out

Lots of ice outside the location -- not a good sign!

Sprinkler pipe froze, unleashed a ton of water

Not the best thing to wake up to!

Some air movers ready to be placed

Some of our dehumidifiers ready for action

The "gang" that worked in sub-freezing temperatures

At Clean Pro, we handle much more than just carpet cleaning (voted 'Best Carpet Cleaner' by Muskogee Phoenix readers in 2015, 2016 and 2017); we also do tile and upholstery cleaning, as well as 24/7 IICRC-Certified emergency water damage restoration.

We service a wide area of eastern Oklahoma, and have been in business for over 30 years. If you ever need our quality, family-run services, give us a call at 918-686-0222.

Clean Pro celebrates 30 years this week, ribbon-cutting Thursday

Clean Pro and owners George and Becky Faught are celebrating 30 years in the carpet cleaning and disaster restoration industry this week. Come join the Clean Pro team on Thursday morning from 11am to noon for a celebratory ribbon-cutting at the greenspace across from the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy cookies and lemonade, and receive a 10% off coupon for your next carpet or tile cleaning.

For more information, call 918-686-0222 or visit facebook.com/CleanProMuskogee.

Heat and a campaign trail story

There's no getting around it - summer has arrived in Oklahoma. We've really been fortunate so far this year, as temperatures haven't been all that unbearable. Until this past week. It's been pretty miserable the last few days, with heat indices between 105°F and 110°F.

I clean carpets for a living. Heat is something that just comes with the job. For one, our truckmount machine heats the cleaning solution to between 210°F and 230°F. That's more than scalding hot (as both my dad and I have found out on different occasions). That liquid then moves through a high-pressure solution hose to the cleaning wand, where it sprays out in the cleaning process. Needless to say, the solution hose gets pretty hot. Your hands get accustomed to the temperature after time, but only to a certain degree (pun intended).

Heat comes with the job in other ways. For example, the air conditioner had been stolen out of one of the houses I cleaned this morning. It felt like a sauna inside, especially when I added some more humidity to the atmosphere during the cleaning process. It was already 90-some-degrees outside, with a heat index near 100°F. The van I work out of is not compartmentalized, so the machine is open to the rest of the vehicle inside. When I finished the job and headed to the next, it had "cooled down" inside the van to 110°F, with a heat index of 130°F (I took a temperature/humidity reading). It was a fun drive for the thirty minutes it took for the air conditioning to finally win the temperature battle.

Anyway, as I was melting in the heat today, it reminded me of a funny story about politics.

Back in 2010, I did some work on Josh Brecheen's insurgent campaign for State Senate District 6. I'd spend three days a week down in the Durant area, knocking doors, putting up signs, and accompanying Josh on the campaign trail, among other things. My standard campaign "uniform" was a black "I'm with Josh" shirt, shorts, and a good pair of tennis shoes.

One particular stop will always stick in my mind.

First of all, Josh is a rancher from the top of his hat to the bottom of his boots, and was running for office in a agriculturally-heavy rural district. Farmers and ranchers were a natural fit for him, and overwhelmingly supported Brecheen's candidacy.

On this one day, while with Josh on the road, we pulled into a feed store parking lot. Josh had a handful of fliers in hand, and got out to do a little campaigning. As was the usual drill, I started to hop out of the truck with Josh. Before I could get out, though, Josh somewhat hesitatingly stopped me.

The issue was my shorts. Josh was a rancher, dressed like one, and fit in with the feed store crowd. Me? I looked like a city slicker who didn't belong in a feed store. For the sake of the campaign, me and my shorts stayed in the pickup while Josh went and won some more votes, unencumbered by the "short pants" that could have been a distraction for the old-timers inside the store.

After that day, I wore jeans on the campaign trail. No shorts.

In fact, Josh Brecheen is to blame for part of why I get hot while working. I got so used to wearing jeans during that campaign, that I quit wearing shorts on carpet cleaning jobs. Ever since then, while working I've worn jeans exclusively. For the first 20 years of my life, I wore shorts frequently. Since then? Not so much.

It's not a bad thing. Jeans do give a more professional presentation than shorts, both on the campaign trail and as a service technician. It's just not the most comfortable on hot days! ;-)

So, for both the good and the bad, I owe Josh Brecheen a big "thank you"!

Just another day on the job...

I was on a carpet cleaning job this morning, when this horse 

decided to check out the Clean Pro work van.

Brief Blogging Bullets

• 12 freshmen Republican legislators issued a press release last night encouraging the state to return or not accept any federal money associated with ObamaCare and the controversial 'early innovator' grant. This was apparently prompted by the backlash and uproar over the House passage of HB2130. Ironically, each of the twelve legislators in the press release voted for HB2130, despite the fact that many of the points made in their press release were made by opponents of HB2130 before these twelve voted for the bill.
• Oklahoma's leading political blogger, Mike McCarville, is pushing for U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn to run for president, and it has sparked a bit of discussion even outside of Oklahoma.
• The more time elapses from the announcement of the budget compromise, the worse the news gets. The CBO is now saying that in actuality, it doesn't cut $38.5 billion, it cuts $352 million.
• Newsmax.com is reporting that Donald Trump will announce his presidential candidacy a few days after the Celebrity Apprentice TV show finale. This on the heels of a CNN/Opinion Research GOP primary poll that has Trump tied with Huckabee for the lead at 19% nationwide (Palin was at 12%, Gingrich and Romney at 11%). All of this makes me wonder if Trump will just be the 2012 version of Fred Thompson.
• Gov. Mary Fallin declined to reauthorize the controversial Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council. 'Ethnic American', meaning 'Islamic'. That was one of the most insanely ridiculous politically-correct terms I had ever heard.
• Three anonymous state legislators (allegedly two representatives, one senator) have launched a blog to discuss the race for House Speaker (2013-2014 term). In particular, they have focused on candidate T.W. Shannon, and his close ties to controversial-but-highly-successful consultant Fount Holland.

I apologize for the drop in posting lately; I've been really busy cleaning carpets. Speaking of.... if you need your carpets cleaned....