Power washing involves much more than high-pressure water. In fact, it can be meticulous work, requiring various skills and products in order to be properly applied to specific surfaces.
Just ask Cole Trudeau.
“When you’re power washing your driveway, it’s pretty much the only time you’re using high pressure,” he explains. “When I work with siding, I use a method called soft washing.”
Trudeau, who owns and operates CT Power Washing, says soft washing involves using a downstream injector and a sodium hypochlorite solution. He lets it soak on the house, and then rinses it off.
“You kind of just watch all the dirt melt away,” he says.
Having previously worked as a car detailer, Trudeau always enjoyed the pressure washing component of the job. So much so, that he started to wonder if he might be able to turn it into a career.
“I always found it satisfying and enjoyed it,” he recalled. “I wondered if I could make a business out of it, and it kind of went from there.”
It “snowballed,” he says, as word-of-mouth recommendations from family and friends yielded consistently increasing business. As a quality service that essentially sells itself, Trudeau says he wasn’t especially surprised at the growing demand.
Based out of Mitchell, MB and working in about a two-hour radius (though he’ll go further for certain jobs), Trudeau quickly noticed a gap in the market and figured he’d fill it with high, or soft, pressure water. He is still CT Power Washing’s sole operator, but it won’t be long before he’ll need to hire.
“The goal would totally be to have a couple employees who I could kind of coach in the job,” he says. “It’s a pretty untouched business around here, and I’d be happy to take on a bit of a teaching role.”
Part of owning and operating a small business is remaining on top of new industry trends and products. Trudeau says he’s quite dialled in, and that his product testing has resulted in a set of products he prefers. Because, don’t forget, various jobs require various types of attention.
“I can do anything from the siding on your house to your driveways, paths, roofs, windows – pretty much anything that can be pressure washed,” he says, adding that he still enjoys cleaning and detailing cars as well. He’s even cleaned boats in the Lake of the Woods region.
Trudeau says he appreciates the connections he’s been able to make in the local community, and particularly enjoys getting feedback on his work from customers.
“It’s a really good feeling, having that positive interaction with the customer,” he says. “I enjoy making them happy and hearing how they take pride in their home.”
CT Power Washing can be reached by calling (204) 371-8422 or emailing info@ctpowerwashing.ca. Prospective customers can also view Trudeau’s full suite of services by visiting his website.