Man cleans up E.V. 1 trash can at a time

James Ramsey, 27, got a warning notice from his homeowners association in Gilbert that if he continued to keep his garbage can in front of his home rather than out of view, he would face a fine.

"I put the can in my garage and closed the door so nobody could see it, but the smell drove me crazy," he said. "I didn't want to wash it because the dirty water - and bacteria - would flow down into the sewer lines and eventually into the underground water system."

So, rather than scrubbing the stinky can, Ramsey let his fingers search the Internet for an alternative. It was the beginning of an entrepreneurial adventure that resulted in the Arizona native and former Gilbert High School student buying a franchise and starting a new company, Mr. Clean A Can!

Mr. Clean A Can! provides garbage can cleaning for both residential and commercial customers for a fee ranging from $30 for one wash a month for three months or $79.95 for 13 washes a year.

The new company, headquartered in Chicago with branch offices in Mission Viejo, Calif., is the only Mr. Clean A Can! in Arizona. There are three in California and one each in Illinois and Georgia. Mr. Clean A Can! is one of three similar garbage can cleaning companies in the nation, said Ramsey, who interviewed all three before deciding to buy a specialized cleaning truck and a franchise for $20,000.

"The soapy water used to clean the cans is recycled in the truck and never touches the ground," he explained.

The soap is biodegradeable, contains a degreasing agent and is used in 500 gallons of water in each "Clean Green Machine," a pickup truck with a lift. The truck is decorated with the company logo, bubbles and a picture of a smiling garbage can pointing a thumb up - Mr. Steely Man.

Ramsey said surveys show that about 1 in 4 homeowners wash their garbage cans. The others either endure the smell or call their city for help like in Gilbert, where most residents - as in all East Valley communities -are responsible for cleaning their own garbage cans.

Sometimes, however, Gilbert comes to the rescue.

"We'll replace their can with a clean can, then wash theirs," said James Poston, supervisor of Gilbert's Solid Waste Department. "But we do it only for people who can't wash their cans themselves, or whose cans are so cruddy they have to be replaced."

The can replacement and washing is free, said Poston.

Ramsey said his goal is to convince the city to hire his company so it can provide cleaning services free to residents.