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Smell be gone: Leesburg businessman takes the stink out of the trash (can)
Banana peels, yogurt, coffee grinds, a fish dinner – these are things that are great when fresh, but horrid when sitting in a trash can for a couple of days.
The pungent smell of the trash can had James Lee, of Leesburg, getting numerous letters from his homeowners association because he did not want to bring the can into his garage and have it smell up the entryway to the house. He wished he could hire someone to get the smell to go away, and then it dawned on him in November to do it himself as a business.
In June, Lee started his operation, called Bin Butler.
Armed with eco-friendly cleaning supplies, a power washer and truck, Lee and his brother, John, get to work cleaning other people's trash cans. His wife, Hazel, also helps with the company, doing administrative work.
“We use an eco-friendly cleaner after scraping out the trash on the bottom,” Lee said. “Then we power wash [the can] too, getting in deep to root out the odor and get rid of the mildew and mold.”
Since beginning operations, Lee said he has five clients, but he is hoping to expand into the Ashburn, Lansdowne and parts of Leesburg.
“But we will go anywhere,” he added.
Bin Butler client Lisa Freire, of Leesburg, said she liked the idea when she heard about Bin Butler. “I have a kid in diapers,” she said.
“I got a flier in my mailbox and decided the price was good for a good value,” she said. “So I passed the job [of cleaning my trash can] off to someone else.”
While Lee began Bin Butler only a month ago, he said, he was not ready for the way the economy has taken a turn.
“When getting things started, things were still pretty sweet [with the economy],” he said. “I am concerned that the economy could affect business, but a small impact makes big results,” he added in the hopes that his service will be needed or wanted by many clients.
The business is a secondary job for him, but he hopes that it will grow, possibly into a franchise.
“I hope the idea will catch,” Lee said. “I hope to get more employees and to franchise, but right now, I am keeping it in the family and keeping it local.”
Prices for Bin Butler services run $10 a month, and contracts are for six months or one year.
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