WANTED: America's Biggest Hot Mess! Zep Commercial, a division of Zep Inc. and a provider of professional strength cleaning and maintenance products, is on the hunt for America's "Biggest Hot Mess" — that person who is undeniably and hopelessly challenged when it comes to keeping his or her home clean.

Zep Commercial is launching the contest to round up the hottest messes in the U.S. Once captured, Zep Commercial's team of professional cleaners will rehabilitate the three worst offenders with a professional house cleaning and $5,000 each to help keep his or her home clean for a year. Additionally, the company is offering an enticing $5,000 reward to each of the concerned citizens who hand over the three hottest messes.

Beginning today through March 6, 2014, the company is asking Americans to oust the worst cleaning offenders in their life or to voluntarily turn themselves in for a chance at a clean start. Zep Commercial invites concerned citizens everywhere to implicate a friend, colleague, loved one, or themselves by submitting video and photo evidence of their messy ways at www.zepcommercial.com/americasbiggesthotmess.

"We all know someone we consider to be a 'hot mess' when it comes to cleaning," said John Callahan, vice president of Marketing for Zep Commercial. "Maybe your brother constantly has three weeks of dirty dishes in the sink and take-out cartons piled up on the counter, or your best friend dashes between work, soccer practice and PTA meetings while the vacuum cleaner collects dust in the closet. We are relying on our fellow Americans to help track down the country's hottest messes so we can provide them the cleaning rehabilitation they so desperately need."

Nominations and submissions should include a photo or video of the mess and the story about why that person deserves professional cleaning help. Starting March 7, a team of cleaning experts at Zep Commercial will judge all eligible entries based on:

— The Story Behind the Mess (40%);  
— Creativity (the funnier, the better!) (35%); and
— Unbelievability Index (just how disgusting is the mess?) (25%).


From all eligible entries, Zep Commercial will select ten finalists and invite the public to vote on their top three favorites. America's Biggest Hot Messes will be announced on or about April 7, 2014 and the cleanup will commence.

For more details about the search for America's Biggest Hot Mess, visit www.zepcommercial.com/americasbiggesthotmess or visit YouTube at http://www.youtube.com.

Zep Inc., with fiscal year 2013 net sales of approximately $690 million, is a provider of consumable chemical packaged goods company selling a wide variety of high-performance chemicals that help professionals and prosumers clean, maintain and protect their assets.