When Terry Munro was 17 years old, he found himself in a situation many teenagers would rather forget.
He had hosted a house party and needed to clean the carpets before anyone found out.
So he rented a steam cleaner, got to work and discovered something unexpected: he was actually good at it.
“The rest is pretty much history,” Munro said with a laugh.
Thirty-seven years later, that one cleaning job has grown into Kawartha Carpet Cleaning, a company that has become a familiar name in homes, businesses and institutions across Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
It is a story that could only happen in a community like this one.
Unlike many teenagers who were working part-time jobs after school, Munro was already thinking differently. He had his own vehicle and saw an opportunity in a service that virtually everyone could use at some point.
Before long, he had launched a business and rented his first office on Erskine Avenue, above Better Carpet. The company later moved to The Queensway, where it spent many years beside the Queensway Restaurant, before settling into its current Rye Street location in 2011.
Over nearly four decades, the business has seen Peterborough grow and change around it.
While carpet cleaning remains at the heart of the operation, the company’s work extends far beyond living rooms and hallways. Kawartha Carpet Cleaning services residential and commercial properties, cleans furniture, works on boats and vehicles, and handles specialty jobs throughout the region.
Its crews regularly work with hotels, businesses, marinas and municipal facilities, making the company a familiar presence in countless corners of the community.
Like many local businesses, Kawartha Carpet Cleaning faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-standing routines had to be adjusted, staffing structures changed and operations adapted to new restrictions.
But the company endured.
For Munro, that resilience comes down to two things: loyal customers and dedicated employees.
He credits generations of repeat clients and referrals for helping the business thrive for nearly four decades. At the same time, he is quick to point out that the company’s success has always been driven by its staff.
“This whole thing’s been staff driven the whole time,” he said.
That commitment to people may be one of the most meaningful parts of the story.
Over 37 years, Munro estimates he has employed thousands of people. Many were young workers getting their start in the workforce, and he still runs into former employees throughout the community.
In some cases, they remind him that Kawartha Carpet Cleaning was their very first job.
Even his mechanic.
For a lifelong Peterborough resident who has spent decades building a business here, those connections matter.
Munro played hockey in the city, built relationships throughout the community and has watched generations of workers and customers come through his doors. While he now lives in Havelock after spending years in Ennismore and Bridgenorth, Peterborough remains home in many ways.
Looking back on nearly four decades in business, his answer to what he is most proud of is surprisingly simple.
“I’m still here.”
In an era when small businesses face constant challenges and competition, there is something refreshing about that response.
No grand speech. No elaborate explanation.
Just a local business owner who started with a rented steam cleaner, worked hard, built a loyal customer base and kept showing up year after year.
And if Munro has his way, the story is far from over.
His goal remains the same as it has been for years: when people in the Kawarthas think about carpet cleaning, he wants them to think of Kawartha Carpet Cleaning.
Considering how the company got its start, that is a remarkable journey from one unforgettable house party.
