1-800-DRYCARPET, Giving Carpet Cleaning an 'Extreme Makeover'.

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- For years the hassles of carpet cleaning have been universally annoying, from the trials of rearranging furniture to the inconvenience of waiting hours to be able to walk unimpeded in one's own home. Professional carpet cleaning companies have suffered a negative public image and have struggled under recent claims that damp carpets can create mold and mildew which contribute to asthma and other environmental illnesses. Under such acute criticism, one carpet cleaning company decided it was time to put a new face on an old industry.

Like the plastic surgeons on ABC's "Extreme Makeover," Greg Cantrell, president and CEO of 1-800-DRYCARPET, listened to the complaints of his customers and implemented changes to give his industry the complete overhaul it needed. "It was the same complaints over and over," Cantrell said: "Why are the carpets dirty again after only a few weeks? What am I supposed to do for eight hours while my carpets dry?" But it wasn't until international retailer Gucci agreed to financially back the research and development of a dry carpet cleaning method in 1992, that the real makeover began.

By enlisting the help of world-renowned chemist Dr. Atkins, senior fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, The American Institute of Chemists and the New York Academy of Sciences, Cantrell was able to oversee the creation of Sweedry(R), a 100 percent organic powder whose absorbent properties allow for the elimination of water during the cleaning process. Utilizing the vacuum, Sweedry(R) granules are pushed down into the carpet where they absorb oil and grease and are then removed, leaving carpet clean, dry and free of all residue. After 5 years of research and extensive field testing, the dry carpet transformation was complete.

In addition to the cleaning process, DRYCARPET also made cosmetic improvements such as offering customers online scheduling and automated reminders for future cleanings. As the new face in carpet cleaning, 1-800-DRYCARPET's unique product and service eliminates the traditional hassles providing carpet cleaning for a new generation of consumers.

1-800-DRYCARPET, a franchised carpet cleaning company specializing in "dry" cleaning for carpet, has revitalized the professional carpet cleaning industry by thinking outside the box and coming up with an innovative product and an efficient new cleaning process. For more information visit: www.drycarpet.com.