Home Steamers

[Jack Zipper Zerkie]

If your cleaning and the carpets are not cleaning as good as most of your other jobs. Do you wonder what is wrong and why the problem. I find by asking that many times the home owner has a home unit that scrubs or a Hoover steamer that they use very often. I find that it is very hard to correct the cleaning jobs they have done. I know that the carpets that I clean for many years . can be very dirty but still clean much easier., than the new jobs where the home owner has their own unit. Just wondered how many others cleaners have this happen and what you think. jz.

 

[hogjowl]

What's your favorite prespray?

 

[Jack Zipper Zerkie]

What's your favorite prespray?

Cobb for the past 5 years

 

[hogjowl]

Mine too.

And I noticed the home steamer thing too.
The first time I noticed was around 1988.

 

[White Collar]

I was just thinking about this the other day and wondering why this is.
When ever they are DIY carpet cleaners, it makes my job so much harder.

 

[DangerkittyToTheRescue]

Tough, like the customer who DIY with several cans of Resolve, yeowsers.

I've sold the customers the professional stuff, liquid form of emulsifier we use, to use in the "home" machines. The initial price resistance is overcome once I tell them that it's compatible with our cleaning process since it's the stuff we use to clean with in the first place.

We clean for allot of commercial accounts, a few of the larger ones have purchased a portable for interim spotting, so that's what I recommend.

Of course we get those customers who know better then a true professional how to clean a carpet, if they did so well, we would be outta business, but that's far from the case, wouldn't you say?

 

[rwcarpet]

I find that they leave a lot of residue, and that in turn creates dark traffic areas. Those traffic areas seem to rinse fairly easy, but create a lot of soapy foam. But a good extraction after these homeowner cleanings usually leaves you looking like a hero!

Then there's the "I just threw a little Clorox Soft Scrub in the tank. Thought it would clean a little better" crowd.

 

[Jack Zipper Zerkie]

If they use a extractor you can still clean most times. but I find the the Hoover units that look like a vacuum with the round brushes leave the carpets in bad shape. The Hoover units are unable to extract, human error or just in a hurry. when I see them out in the garage I know it will be a tough job, but they are just trying to save money. jz.

 

[PrimaDonna]

That's why you need to break into the market/demographic of those that don't use the machines. Customers that are trying to save money by DIY also don't want to "pay" to have the job done right. They are typically the coupon shoppers and don't see the value in what you offer when they can just do it themselves. They also are the ones that believe (cause it actually did happen to them) if you clean your carpets, they get dirty faster. Because they left all that shit behind from their Bissell. So why would they pay someone to clean when they will just get dirty quickly. They don't realize, when done right, that won't happen.

Get in to the right demographic/customer base, and they would never even think of taking on cleaning their carpets themselves. With these customers you can charge a premium rate, don't have to deal with what they messed up, and these folks usually clean frequently and never let their carpets get trashed to begin with. They carpets don't require you to pull out all the stops to restore it. So good money and not a lot of time fixing problems.

But I will say, there is a level of satisfaction in taking a totally trashed carpet and bring it back. The guys like one every once in a while. It's good for their egos. But certainly don't want those kinds of jobs as our main bread and butter.

 

[Jack Zipper Zerkie]

Thank you I would if I were younger I was 73 yesterday and have been cleaning for the past 33 years no helper. I still use a Hello phone and am happy to work for the ones that are still alive. I pride myself in cleaning dirty white carpets. If I were younger that would be my market also. I hope to work a few more years and then sell. I really enjoy cleaning carpets and feel great most days and think the cleaning helps me at this age. Thank you. jz.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Thank you I would if I were younger I was 73 yesterday and have been cleaning for the past 33 years no helper. I still use a Hello phone and am happy to work for the ones that are still alive. I pride myself in cleaning dirty white carpets. If I were younger that would be my market also. I hope to work a few more years and then sell. I really enjoy cleaning carpets and feel great most days and think the cleaning helps me at this age. Thank you. jz.

What will there be left to sell Jack?

 

[Jack Zipper Zerkie]

A one man carpet cleaning company that s well known in this area and someone else can turn into a multi truck company. jz.