CARY – With the rubber gloves on, Kristi Butkus was hit with a moment of clarity.

"One day, I was literally on my knees, elbow deep in my client's muckety-muck, and realized I was doing a disservice to my clients," Butkus said. "I was the quick fix. I was the Band-aid."

In 2002, Butkus started her business, Cleaning Solutions of Cary, to try to help people maintain a cleaner way of life. A few years later, she realized her work was not having the effect she'd hoped. She would give houses a thorough cleaning knowing full-well her clients would be going back to their same dirty lifestyles the moment she left.