Chewing gum has become a blight on the streets and shopping centres of towns and cities throughout the country, giving local authorities a costly clean-up headache.
Now Hydroclean NW has developed a high-pressure-cleaning system which is more powerful than traditional jet-wash techniques, and doesn't use any chemicals or solvents.
The family firm, run by brothers Paul and Andy Dann, was only launched last October, when together with their father Brian, they spotted a niche in the market for high quality exterior cleaning. And in six months of trading, it has already built a strong reputation for hard surface cleaning, including office blocks, and expects to hit its targeted é100,000 turnover in the first year.
One of its first contracts was to clean up the steps of Bolton town hall and the Victoria Square war memorial, in readiness for Remembrance Day last November.
Since then it has clinched contracts with the Emerson Group, McDonalds and local health authorities.
Paul says: "We have worked hard to develop tools that can successfully remove chewing gum, oil and paint and any other type of staining, and people comment all the time on the difference it has made.
"Because we use only water in the cleaning process, institutions such as The Royal Bolton Hospital have started to use our services."
A Bolton council spokesman said the clean-up had made a huge difference to the town centre. He said: "The town hall steps are a focal point and it has made a significant difference to both their appearance and safety. We are currently assessing our budget for the new financial year to decide which other areas we can allocate for similar work."
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