Clean Sleep

Michael Ingle pitches Clean Sleep, his mobile mattress cleaning franchise, in Shark Tank episode 717. Clean Sleep is like a mobile dry cleaner for mattresses. The cleaning apparatus is inside a box truck which travels to your location. Inside the truck, Clean Sleep technicians clean mattresses with Ultraviolet light, Steam, Vacuums, Infrared Heat and Ozone. The mattress is dry and ready to use 15 minutes after cleaning is completed. All the customer has to do is strip the bed and clear a path to the door.

There are other mattress cleaning services, but they use machines similar to carpet cleaners and mattresses remain wet for up to 8 hours. The dry cleaning process allows for quicker turn around time and eliminates the possibility of mold forming. Mattress cleaning services have existed since the early 1900’s, but have fallen out of fashion. Clean Sleep says cleaning your mattresses extends their life while eliminating dust mites, odors, and stains.

Ingle is pitching his services to large hotels who can benefit from extended mattress life and can reassure customers their place is clean with a “Clean Sleep Certification.” He plans to expand the business with franchises which he says will “be spreading though out Texas and soon the United States.” He likely needs a Shark’s help to fund franchise operations.

Will a Shark clean up with this business?

Clean Sleep Shark Tank Recap

Michael enters seeking $1.5 million for 15% of his business. He begins the pitch saying Clean Sleep will change the way you sleep at night. A mattress is a giant sponge: who knows how much dead skin, sweat, etc is in the mattress you’ll sleep on tonight? His process even kills bed bugs.

The process takes 15 minutes and uses UV light, dry steam, and power vacuums. He currently has two trucks running. When demos the product, Robert seems impressed. Michael got the idea when he got grossed out sleeping on a bare mattress, so he invented the system. He says a residential customer should get their mattress cleaned every six months. The company has 30 hotel customers and saved one hotel $100K because they cleaned and sanitized their mattresses instead of replacing them. He says people change their sheets, but never clean their mattresses.

One mattress costs $89 to clean; Mr. Wonderful thinks it’s too cheap. Michael sold his first franchise for $400K and one truck can easily do $100K per year. The first year in business, he did $75K in revenue and broke even. Lori thinks he should sell the machines to hotels.

Michael tells his story. He ran away at age 14 and called an aunt in San Antonio looking for a place to stay. She took him to his grandparents and that’s when he realized there were people who watch things happen and people who make things happen; he wanted to be the latter. He managed to get a job at Boeing where he got his “Masters in Google, Yahoo, and Bing.”

Mark says another way to make money with the business is to lease the machines to hospitals and do a pilot program. Mark likes the idea and says if you asked for $150K for another truck, he’d be interested; he’s out but he tells Michael he’ll be a customer. Robert says there are two kinds of proof of concept: the technology and the business and the longer Michael talked, the less he liked the business; he’s out. Barbara says it’s a long way to go before she’ll see a return; she’s out. Lori thinks it’s genius, but it’s going to take a long time; she’s out. Mr. Wonderful says he has to spend $1.5 million to find out what he doesn’t know; he’s out.

RESULT: No Deal

Clean Sleep Shark Tank Update

Although Michael didn’t get a deal with the Sharks, he did take their advice to heart. His updated website makes his service more clear to visitors, and he’s building his business a brick at a time. He’s started creating franchises in the Texas area and is contracting with hotels.

Clean Sleep may not have gotten a nibble from the Sharks, but the business has found its niche in the hotel service industry. Looking forward, he may yet make a clean sweep of his niche.

As of April, 2021, this business is still open with annual revenue of $2.7 million.