The Sgt. Clean Interior Clean experience

During my most recent visit to Sgt. Clean in Green, I bumped into the CEO and long-time Canton-area resident and 40-year car washing veteran Ken Brott. I had just gotten out of my car in the brand-new Interior Cleaning building on the same property as its newly remodeled car wash. Ken had brought his wife’s SUV in to have the interior done, and I asked him how the first few months have been going since Sgt. Clean started offering their new interior cleaning service. 

“It’s been wonderful,” he said. “Everyone I’ve encountered here has been so pleased at the quality of work we’re able to achieve in just nine minutes.” 

I must admit, I was a healthy skeptic when Ken first told me about this new service. I just wasn’t sure how they’d be able to clean the entire interior of my vehicle in under ten minutes. For me, it takes almost an hour to vacuum the floors and seats, and clean the windows, dash and console, and I work pretty fast.

“It’s all about the process,” Ken explained. “We modeled our new interior clean service based on what the top Dutch and German car washes offer; those folks are maniacal about efficiency. Think about it like a NASCAR pit crew. Those teams can change tires and fill a gas tank in under 10 seconds. Now that’s efficient. We’re not that fast, but we absolutely live up to the nine-minute promise. Windows, door jambs, floor mats, dashboard and console, floors and seats—our team works in unison to do each service in the right order, at the right time, and at a quality standard that we’re confident you’ll love.”

After experiencing this service three times in the last month or so, I can attest that it does live up to that promise. I asked Ken if he could talk about some of the people he had met during his visits to the Interior Clean.

What Customers are Saying

“I met one gentleman before we even opened,” Ken said. “We were doing testing on our staff member vehicles to help train our team, and we felt we were producing at a level where we were ready to do a few real customer cars. One of our team members headed out to our vacuum plaza and offered a free interior clean to a handful of folks who were sweeping out their vehicles.

“One gentleman who took our offer said he was about to take a road trip to Florida and wanted to make sure he was traveling in a clean vehicle. He told me he was on his fourth back surgery and that doing this himself was not just painful but was going to set him up for a very uncomfortable drive the very next day. This really hit home for me. This service isn’t just about convenience. We’re able to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the folks in the communities we serve. It was a great moment for both of us.”

This was something I hadn’t thought of. Some folks may not be physically able to do these things, so Sgt. Clean can be a substantial quality of life improvement for them. Nobody wants to drive around in a dirty car.

“The second person I recall came during our ‘Friends and Family’ event, when we invited folks from a local moms book club to come give us feedback about the service before we opened to the public,” Ken continued. “Having two children of my own, I know firsthand how messy young ones can make a vehicle. She couldn’t stop talking about how much stress and anxiety this relieved for her. She mentioned that between school, baseball practices, gymnastics, and working part-time, maintaining the inside of her vehicle just wasn’t something she had time for—and if she did have spare time, she’d prefer to relax or spend time with her husband. Folks are so strapped for time nowadays. It’s easy to let things like maintaining your vehicle get away from you.”

As Ken was finishing his story, a gentleman who brought his dog with him was waiting in front of us. “Isn’t this place cool?” he asked. “I’m an engineer, and I see some smart engineering here. I love the quiet and serenity. You can tell it’s organized and well considered. I hope the owners don’t realize that this is a steal at only $35.” 

Knowing Ken for as long as I have, I knew he couldn’t keep quiet. “Well, I’m the CEO of Sgt. Clean,” Ken said. “And you can get an unlimited plan for just $30 a month.”

“I have to sign up for that now before you figure out your pricing better,” the gentleman smiled.

And before he left, he did indeed buy the unlimited plan.

Sgt. Clean has 16 locations in Northeast Ohio, including the newly renovated car wash and Interior Clean tunnel at 3673 Massillon Road in Green/Uniontown. For more information, visit SgtClean.com.