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By Katrina Bowser has been in the carpet/upholstery cleaning business since 2007. She started her own business because she saw the need for high-quality work with attention to detail and respect for the customer. She had been in the medical billing business for 20 years and was getting tired of sitting in front of a computer screen for 10+ hours a day in a business that was going through a lot of difficult changes. And she discovered an opportunity. She frequently hired carpet/upholstery cleaners. Because she’s had lots of pets, she made a habit of cleaning her carpets and upholstery twice a year. But she seemed to encounter various problems: the need to go behind the cleaners and clean more after they left, having one price quoted over the phone and a higher price when they arrived, carpets left soaking wet, discomfort in being alone with the stranger in the house, and sometimes… all of the above. She decided, “I can do this better!” So she took classes from The IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration Certification), used chemistry skills from college, and applied what she had been doing to clean behind the cleaners she’d hired. Now she is a certified technician and owner of The Steam Pros.
Once she began to learn everything she could about carpet/upholstery cleaning, she didn’t let anything stop her. She’s cleaned just about everything: antique furniture, mohair couches, suede headboards, RVs, automobiles, car seats, mattresses, even dog beds, and cat trees. Katrina’s philosophy is, “If it’s a textile or has upholstery or carpet on it, I can clean She sold her nine-year-old carpet/upholstery cleaning business in Nevada and moved here in the fall of 2016 to start a new one. By the time the move was coordinated, Angela was ready to come with her mom after spreading her wings and living in a couple of different states. Katrina picked Angela up in New Mexico and they traveled 2,700 miles in five days with six cats and four dogs. They started over with a new business, The Steam Pros, built from the ground up, and haven’t looked back.
When asked what is unique about her business and sets it apart, her answer is, “I set out to do better, differently, with the goal of treating every customer like I’d want to be treated. I treat every animal as if it were my own, and every house as if it were my mother’s. Turns out, I really love what I do; I’m really good at it, and I love where I live. I work hard every day and I love every bit of it.” She loves it so much that she built a shop on her property where she cleans area rugs with free pickup and delivery. Or she can clean rugs in place. It just depends on the rug material, size, and soiling. She has also invested $100,000 in equipment to enable the best quality services possible and has received specialized training from the IICRC, which sets the highest standards for this industry.
The Steam Pros offers residential and commercial service and provides emergency response. Bowser’s advice to potential customers? 1. Hire a certified technician, it makes a difference. 2.Don’t let a bad past experience deter you; that’s how I got into this business. 3. If you don’t know if it’s cleanable, give me a call; it’s what I do best. Estimates are always free. And what else people should know about her? My parents taught me to always do my best, be my best, and be kind to everyone. In my spare time, I like to jet ski, hike, and bicycle the beautiful Florida trails, hunt for sharks’ teeth (which I didn’t know Amelia Island was famous for before I moved here). I paint in Watercolor, I’m writing a book, and I donated my left kidney to save a life.
