Why R&C Cleaning is an excellent choice for Water Damage Restoration throughout MN
On Saturday, August 18, many people in Minnesota were thrilled when they heard the rain beating down. It had been a hot, dry summer and a little moisture was just what was needed. Or so they thought. Too much rain was coming too quickly for several towns in southeastern Minnesota, resulting in flash floods that filled basements with mud and completely washed away some of the area’s homes. Seven people died in the floods and hundreds of others were left homeless.
Lance Ladewig is now one of the homeless. But only temporarily. Ladewig, a lifelong resident of Stockton, Minn., was in La Crosse, Wis., when the floods hit. “Luckily, I was visiting my girlfriend,” he said. “A buddy called and said they were evacuating Stockton.”
There wasn’t anything Ladewig could do until morning. So he just waited. Finally, he “snuck into town” at about 8:15 am on Sunday to survey the damage. What he saw was mind-boggling. Nearly all the houses in town were filled with water and mud, including his primary residence and three rental properties owned by his family. With help from volunteers, Ladewig did the only thing he could. He started cleaning.
While Ladewig cleaned, Jason Schroeck, an old high school friend who now lives and works near Minneapolis, worried. Schroeck is one of the owners of Blaine, Minn.-based R&C Cleaning Specialists. Shortly after the flooding stopped, Schroeck called Ladewig to find out about the situation in Stockton. “Lance thought he was getting it cleaned up OK,” Schroeck said. “I said, ‘Let’s get your house to the point where there’s a somewhat clean environment.’”
The experts at R&C Cleaning don’t just clean up the daily dirt and grime that gets into carpets. They are also specialists in water damage restoration. That’s why Ladewig eagerly took Schroeck up on the offer to help clean up and dry out the Stockton houses.
On Friday night, August 24, Schroeck loaded one of his specialty carpet-cleaning vans with three large dehumidifiers and 10 high-velocity fans. The vans are also equipped with powerful water extraction equipment. When he got to Stockton, he got to work, helping to salvage not just Ladewig’s home, but also the homes of the families renting from Ladewig. Schroeck spent the weekend removing wet insulation and the 97.1 percent of humidity that lingered in Ladewig’s basement.
In addition to the high-tech equipment that R&C continues to lend to Ladewig, the company hasalso provided antimicrobial cleaning agents to clean up mold and mildew and guard against the accumulation of more dangerous dirt.
Currently, Ladewig’s primary residence is dried out and nearly livable. The only flood damage inthat house was in the basement. Now that it’s all cleaned up, Ladewig will be moving back in as soon as the electricity is rewired and turned back on.
Ladewig continues to clean out and dry the other three houses, all of which sustained water and mud damage not just in the basement, but also on the first floor—in one case as far as three feet up the walls. He is still using the equipment and supplies provided by R&C Cleaning, and hoping to allow his tenants to move back in as soon as possible. “Jason’s equipment is in the other properties now,” Ladewig said. “We can’t have sick tenants.”
R&C Cleaning donated equipment, chemicals, antimicrobial agents and labor to the flood cleanup in Stockton. “I think it would be a pretty substantial ticket,” Ladewig said. “Humidifiers tend to rent for around $150 a day. That would be a big hit. I’m really in debt to Jason and to R&C Cleaning.”
About R&C Cleaning’s Emergency Services
No one can predict when a disaster will strike. An R&C emergency operator is available 24 hours a day to respond to your situation immediately. In case of a flood emergency call, 952-930-6832 to inform the operator of your emergency. An on-call IICRC-certified Water Restoration Specialist will respond immediately to the number you provide. R&C Cleaning Specialists has large truckmounted equipment that will extract large amounts of water in a timely and efficient manner. In addition R&C Cleaning has state of the art drying equipment and techniques to fully restore any structure to its original condition, in other words, “NO MOLD.” Water Damage Restoration for a Healthier Environment.
About R&C Cleaning
Since 1996, Jason Schroeck, Rhett Trotter and Paul Grebenor, co-founders of R&C Cleaning Specialists, have worked tirelessly to provide their customers with the highest quality cleaning techniques for carpets, upholstery, furnaces and ductwork. But those aren’t the only services that have helped these industry veterans—with a combined 49 years in the business—stand out and consistently maintain an “excellent” rating from the Better Business Bureau. R&C also offers important services such as water damage restoration and odor control. Cleaning for a Healthier Environment. For more information, call: 763-789-9600 .
