Oaklandon Carpet Cleaners Oaklandon, IN

Indy carpet cleaner deals in customer satisfaction

by Meranda Watling

Ross Tripito, owner of highly rated Accuclean Carpet Cleaning, which has earned the Super Service Award every year since 2005.
Photo by Meranda Watling

Andy Shilts can sum up his relationship with carpet cleaner Accuclean and its owner, Ross Trittipo, in a few words: "I'm the only person I know who raves about their carpet cleaner," the Carmel, Ind., resident says.

Most recently, Shilts had to leave during his carpet cleaning. "When we came home, he had locked up, turned off all of the lights, and turned on the ceiling fans to speed up the drying process," says Shilts, who notes it's a rare contractor he'd leave home alone.

Glowing reviews like that pepper Accuclean's Angie's List profile, where the company has received more than 100 glowing reviews since opening in 2004. That year, Trittipo decided to follow in his family's footsteps. "Everybody in my family is an entrepreneur - nobody wants a boss, they all own a business," he says.

Trittipo began in carpet cleaning as a summer job in high school. He'd worked for his father installing windows and doors, but his father sold the company and got his son a job at a friend's business.

It was love at first stain removal. "I fell in love with it," Trittipo says. "You see drastic results really fast. Most of the time, to see really dramatic results, a home contractor has to be there for six months doing a renovation. But we're in and out in a few hours and it looks brand-new."

The company cleans everything from carpet and tile to heirloom rugs and furniture. Since he started his business, the hardest job he's had was cleaning up a rental where the evicted tenant "painted" the apartment with ketchup and mustard.

"It took a little work, but it all came out," he says. "I was shocked because mustard is one of the two or three things carpet cleaners can't get out."

Beyond transformations, Trittipo enjoys the complex tools, including his top-of-the-line Vortex cleaning machine. Powerful machines combined with his attention to detail - including obsessively reading up on techniques and tips - helps him stand out in a crowded industry. "Carpet cleaning is not rocket science, probably anybody could do it," he admits. "But the greatest quality you need is patience."

Amanda Cada of Carmel, Ind. experienced that when Accuclean recently cleaned a rental house she was moving out of. "He told us some spots weren't going to come out no matter what, but he didn't let it go halfway," she recalls.