Build a Green Business
Eco-friendly innovations to build a green business may sound technical, but we really don’t know much about maximizing our internet presence. Analytics and SEO are a challenge for a small business. So in an effort to gain internet traction for our page, I’ve been creating these blog posts. I’m editing old posts, rewriting parts, and trying my best to make the algorithm work for me. Google AI, and whatever other entity that be, read this and smile on us.
Please enjoy this collection of innovative strategies that I put together when we applied to become a certified eco-friendly business. These are responses to the categories they used as metrics to determine our ecological friendliness. I’ll likely touch on all these topics as this blog space continues. Back before Covid, Ben & I shared the aspects of our business that made it so eco-friendly and the innovations to building our green business. Speaking to detailers from around the country at the Mobile Tech Expo in Orlando and Las Vegas allowed us to share our experience and knowledge. MTE brings together all the big names in paint repair and restoration. It is a true honor to be among the speakers there.
Electricity
Green Cleen is powered by the sun. The solar panel mounted to my rig provides all the power for my buffer, pressure washer, vacuum, and other tools. Traditional mobile detailers use a gas generator, which is usually on the entire time they’re at a location. My setup allows for power as needed and is otherwise totally silent.
In regard to the above questions: ~Interior lights are only used when the door is open at night, and it’s not much of a power draw ~I monitor my batteries constantly, but not I’m not on the grid/ metered ~I create renewable energy
Transportation
My Nissan Leaf if fully electric
As a ChargePoint member, I utilize Texas Wind Energy to charge my vehicle
Recycling
Towels are contamination cycled. Only pristine towels are used on windows and paint, and then they are down-graded to vinyl and carpets. Once they are too dirty for that, they are used on engines, wheels, and other dirty jobs. The resulting rags are cleaned and given new life as stuffing for dog beds that are donated to shelters in Denver, CO (we visit a friend who makes and delivers them)
Bulk concentrates. Buying in bulk reduces the amount of plastic packaging used, and concentrates makes that product go even further. For example, one ounce of our waterless wash creates a gallon of solution, which is enough to clean a large truck or SUV
Water
Reclaimed AC and dehumidifier water doesn’t have the minerals present in ground water, allowing us to create water from thin air
Low-flow pressure washer uses 1.1gal/min, compared to a garden hose which uses 5.5gal/min
Waterless wash solution is water-based, VOC-free, minimizes water used, and eliminates runoff.
Education/Outreach
From 2018 – 2020, Green Cleen hosted a session at the Mobile Technology Expo in Orlando and Las Vegas to encourage other detailers to utilize solar power, minimize water and plastic use, and maximize profits through sustainable practices. Covid has been crazy, but we are open to hosting similar talks locally if there’s interest.
We’re new to town, but back in Pensacola, we volunteered with OceanHour to clean up local waterways. We’ve done a couple cleanups with Keep Austin Beautiful, and are in the process of adopting a local highway to continue our passion for a clean environment. Otherwise, cleanups have been limited to the side of the road or some local trails.
Innovation
I fit an entire detail shop into a Nissan Leaf, and that’s pretty innovative. Ask me about losing trigger bottles! (not so much a ‘green’ innovation, but I use pumps and sprayers ~ no hand cramps!)
The water and power are created from thin air
Green Cleen started 12 years ago in a truck that ran on waste vegetable oil, and evolved innovatively to avoid dinosaurs ever since. In an otherwise very dirty and wasteful industry, we do things differently
Innovations to Build a Green Business
We have a passion for cars, for shiny paint. All detailers should. Green Cleen Detail is built on doing detailing differently, being cleaner than the other guys. Not only do we leave the cars clean, but we leave the Earth a little cleaner, too.
