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SALT LAKE CITY — A new company is willingly doing one of the dirtiest chores in the household.
The company, Cantastic, uses a retrofitted garbage truck to clean and disinfect garbage cans. The truck has a pressure cleaner that sprays hot water and disinfectant into cans that have just been emptied by the municipal garbage collectors.
The concept, Cantastic President Ray Francis says, isn't a new one.
"This type of business has been done for about 20-years over in Europe, so it's kind of commonplace over there," Francis said.
While a typical cleaning with the garden hose uses nearly 15 gallons of water to clean a garbage can, the service uses only three per can. Plus, the company properly disposes of the dirty water, which is illegal to pour down the gutter.
Francis and his business and driving partner, Randy Maxfield came up with "Cantastic", an at-your-curb service to keep those cans clean. They schedule their service on your regular trash day, after the cans are emptied.
I mean there's pet waste and rotten food (in your cans), and that can lead to bacteria, listeria, monostyla.
–- Ray Francis
The retrofitted garbage truck lifts the garbage can, and once the garbage can is lifted, a rotating spray nozzle blasts away at all the dirt and grime for three minutes, and whatever else collects in the cans. From dead rodents to yard waste, these guys have cleaned it all.
"Well as un-glamourous as it sounds, we've had a blast," CEO Maxfield said. "Literally, a having a blast, blasting cans, we have a good time with it. It is fun."
Cantastic has been in business for just 2 months, and they have about 60 clients so far, and word is spreading. The service Francis said, helps keep homes clean and safe.
"I mean there's pet waste and rotten food, and that can lead to bacteria, listeria, monostyla," Francis said. "There's a number of really nasty stuff, growing in your can."
For the moment, this single truck serves neighborhoods in Salt Lake County. Francis and Maxfield want to eventually expand into the Ogden and Provo areas and operates March through November.
