Bob then took the mats back to his business where he told his staff about his super-duper idea! They could wash the mats when they had a few minutes in between jobs. They didn’t seem as happy as he was, but he assured them that it wouldn’t be a big deal at all, everyone would chip in.

One of his staff pointed out that they didn’t have a washer or dryer, so maybe they should get a set so they could wash their coveralls as well. What a great idea, thought Bob, since the employees always seemed unhappy that they had to wash their own coveralls at home. He went back to the big box store and priced out a set. WOW! Who knew they were so expensive? Off to the second big box store who was having the best sale of the year…again. Thankfully they had a “no-name” set in stock and it was also on sale! Problem solved. 

Time went by, and while his staff was good about washing the mats at the beginning, it turned out that they weren’t so good at the follow through. They eventually forgot about doing mats, and went back to doing their actual work. So, it ended up being another thing on Bob’s never-ending list of things to do. Besides, when he made his staff wash them, their work orders took too long and he had to pay a lot more overtime. Sometimes the mats got left in the washing machine, which created a very unpleasant odor. The no-name washing machine wasn’t really getting the mats clean; probably because it was so hard to fold them to get them to fit. The backing was peeling off the mats and all the sticker name tags on the coveralls were missing. Turns out, stickers are not as good as actual sewn name tags. But Bob was still convinced that this would save him a few dollars a month, and what was the harm in not having the cleanest mats anyway, right?

 

One day, Bob noticed a funny color on the floor and when he lifted the mat, he noticed a discoloration that wasn’t there before. He tried to wipe if off but it seemed to be permanent and now the floor was damaged. He remembered that the mat rental company had told him that could happen, but he thought they were just saying that to keep his business. This was concerning, but he couldn’t think about right then because Mrs. Bob told him that if was late for dinner again, that she was going to throw it out. And tonight, was meatloaf, yum!

The next week, Bob was fighting with the water company on the phone because his water bill was through the roof. How could a washing machine add that much to his bill every month? He heard the door chime and looked up to see his longtime customer, Mr. Suehimifucan hurrying in out of the snowstorm. Next thing he knew, Mr. Suehimifucan was in a heap on the floor. Turns out, no one had put the mat back in its place; not that it would have mattered as the backing was completely peeled off now and it would have slipped anyway, just like a banana peel on an oil slick.

It was at this moment, that Bob realized he had made a big mistake. HUGE! He never should have cancelled his contract with Spring Fresh Mat & Linen Rentals Ltd. He called right away and was told that of course he could reinstate his contract and that they would be over that day to get them all set up. They also said they would start washing the coveralls too! Such amazing service, thought Bob. 

Unfortunately for Bob, they didn’t need his poorly purchased washer and dryer as they use professional, industrial ones that are made for properly cleaning mats and coveralls. It looks like Mrs. Bob will be getting another set at home!

Everyone was very happy with Bob’s decision to hire a local business to help him with his mat and coverall needs.