Gale Force tidies up Delmarva, whatever the mess

From an accidental spill on the carpet to water damage caused by a natural disaster, there truly is no job too big or too small for Gale Force Cleaning and Restoration. The full-service cleaning company, with roots that stretch back for three decades, prides itself as one of the most thorough cleaning businesses in the area.

Coastal Point • Ryan Saxton
Gale Force Cleaning and Restoration’s Master Textile Cleaner and Director of Operations Robert Keefer II stands beside one of the company’s trucks, which transport specialized cleaning technicians and equipment throughout the region.

“People ask us, ‘What do you do?’ At end of day,” noted Gale Force Cleaning and Restoration President W. Randy McCreary II, “we’re the best cleaners in the business. We do it all. We can even get out the stains that other cleaners can’t.”

Their services run the entire gamut, from upholstery and rug cleaning, to tile, duct and dryer vent cleaning, to large projects, such as water and fire damage and mold removal and remediation. Be it a carelessly handled glass of wine or a catastrophic emergency, such as flooding from a nor’easter, Gale Force Cleaning and Restoration promises satisfaction,, and they are fully license and insured.

McCreary said the company goes to great lengths to be there for the community. In the event of a job that requires emergency assistance, such as fire or water damage, or mold removal, Gale Force is on hand, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“If your house is flooded, or you experience a fire,” McCreary stated, “we need to get out there as soon as possible. We’ve got first-response equipment to get working right away.”

If a siren from a local fire department sounds, he even listens in to emergency radio broadcasts to see what kind of emergency is in the area. Based along Atlantic Avenue in Ocean View, Gale Force serves nearly a half-million customers, from Dover to Salisbury, and even guarantees service within an hour in the event of emergencies.

Four years ago, McCreary acquired Rob Ward’s cleaning service, and a couple of years later, he introduced Delmarva to Gale Force.

“Not only can we provide our customers with the ultimate service experience,” said McCreary, “but we work hard at putting together a marketing model that shows what separates us from the best. Thirty percent of our business is carpet cleaning, and 30 percent is water-damage restoration. The rest is a mix. It definitely varies, but we’ve got the resources to do it all.” According to federal statistics, for every 100,000 people in a given area, there are 70 incidents of water damage reported each month – be it flooding, clean-water damage, such as a broken water heater or a leaking ice machine line, or septic damage. In order to ensure a complete job, Gale Force even works with indoor air-quality professionals, including Sussex Environmental.

When it comes to the cleaning services around the home, the company offers OxiForce, an exclusive carpet cleaning method that they insist is unmatched by others.

“OxiForce is something that no one else is doing,” said McCreary. “We guarantee stain removal. If we can’t remove a stain, that customer doesn’t pay a penny. Best of all, with OxiForce, the spot is dried in 15 minutes. It’s absolutely no-risk. We will still steam clean if the customer really wants that, but OxiForce is definitely an advanced method.”

Operating near the beach resorts, Gale Force’s staff numbers fluctuate with the seasons, utilizing as many as 100 certified cleaning technicians during the summer months.

“We run six trucks with our carpet cleaning,” said McCreary, “the largest in Sussex County, and, in the event of an emergency, like water or fire damage, we’ve got eight techs on 24-hour standby.”

But what McCreary said really separates Gale Force from other cleaning services is the qualifications of their director of operations, Robert Keefer II.

“Like most companies out there,” McCreary said, “we’re approved by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), and most techs out there hold a few certifications. But Robert holds 23 different certifications, ranging from mold, water and fire to textile and microbial supervisor, and a lot more. He has earned the title Master Textile Cleaner, and not a lot of places have someone as qualified as him. It’s really an honor and something special to have somebody like that working with you.”

Gale Force Cleaning and Restoration is located at 14 Atlantic Avenue in Ocean View. For more information, visit www.seethecleaningdifference.com, call them at (302) 539-4683, or find them on Facebook. For emergency cleanings, including water and fire damage, and mold removal, call their emergency line at (888) 658-1585.