My Biz: Bin Wash Pros bring the cleaning to garbage day

Taking out the trash can be dirty business. But if you ask Justin Northrop, it doesn’t always have to be.

Northrop, 57, started Bin Wash Pros to help residents in the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids area deal with stinky, dirty garbage and recycling bins.

“We have a specialized truck that comes to your home,” Northrop said. “We clean the recycling bin and the trash bin with the truck that carries 500 gallons of clean water.”

Northrop said his truck operates much like the garbage truck, using a fork-like arm to lift the can and then cleans the insides using what are essentially wine barrel cleaners.

“They are made to spin and get to every inch of the inside of the bin,” he said, noting that the water also comes out at 4,000 psi and over 200 degrees to clean and sanitize.

“It's a super easy, hands-off process for the homeowner. They don't have to be home,” he said, noting his service lines up a visit with the customer’s sanitation pickup day so the bins are already out on the curb.

The service is flexible for homeowners in more ways than one.

“You have three choices,” Northrop said. “We can do monthly, quarterly or what we call seasonal, which is more dependent on the weather. And we have a one-time visit so people can just try us out. A lot of people do that and then end up having us come out more often once they realize how much they appreciate it.”

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Startup

Northrop said his business has taken off since he started it about three-and-a-half years ago.

A former high school basketball coach in Belle Plaine, Northrop got the idea for his business while scrolling through TikTok looking for basketball drills.

“I just came across a video of this garbage bin cleaning being done. I nearly stayed up all night watching videos of it being done because the truck and the process was just so cool,” he said.

Intrigued, he showed the videos to his wife, Carol. He did some research to see if anyone in the area was doing something like this, and then traveled to Utah to visit the owner of a bin washing company.

That led to Northrop ordering a truck from the manufacturer in San Antonio. He waited patiently for the truck to be built and meanwhile worked on spreading the word about his business.

“I did some marketing online to get people excited about it and interested in it,” he said. “When you set up your own business, there’s a lot to get done so I focused on that.”

Northrop moved the business from Belle Plaine to Tiffin soon after the truck arrived. The move allows Bin Wash Pros to serve customers in Iowa City, Coralville, Tiffin, North Liberty, Solon, Fairfax, Walford, and Cedar Rapids.

“It’s about a 20-mile radius and just a nice little area,” he said.

About 99 percent of his customers are homeowners, he said.

“I have awesome conversations with neighbors that come out and can’t believe someone is paying me for this service, but then they see the results. All it takes is for one kid to throw a little bit of soda in there, and it gets bad in a hurry.

“We have hundreds of customers and have retained over 98 percent of our business from the beginning. Once people have it done, they continue to.”

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What’s next?

As the business grows, Northrop has not ruled out getting another truck or a different type of truck that could clean dumpsters for businesses.

Northrop, who worked previously as a golf pro after college and in sales, said he really enjoys the way this work gets him out and about.

“I always like dealing with people,” he said. “I enjoy talking with them or stopping to explain to someone what I am doing if they have not heard of us yet. It can be especially fun when the weather is a little cooler because then the hot water makes it look like a big steam bath.

“People are always looking out the window. You are kind of like the ice cream guy when you come down the street. The young kids come flying out of the house to see what you are doing. Our customers are happy to see us.”

Building relationships has been a rewarding part of the business as well. Northrop noted that they have worked with several schools, PTAs and sports groups for donations to fundraising events, which makes him happy to give back in that way.

Know a business that should be considered for a “My Biz” feature? Let us know by emailing mary.sharp@thegazette.com.

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