Advice on starting a VLM cleaning business

[FredC]

It also gives a better appearance. Outcleaned Mark Saiger in Atlanta

 

[Wand Slinger]

I can agree on appearance. I am half convinced that encap cleans poly and olefin better than hwe. I have encapped traffic areas after hwe and seen improvement.
I almost think there needs to be a foaming hwe prespray to keep the solvents/surfactants more on the surface of poly's and keep it from water shedding to the base of the fiber, where it causes microbial issues and wicking of latent soils.

 

[Cleanworks]

I can agree on appearance. I am half convinced that encap cleans poly and olefin better than hwe. I have encapped traffic areas after hwe and seen improvement.
I almost think there needs to be a foaming hwe prespray to keep the solvents/surfactants more on the surface of poly's and keep it from water shedding to the base of the fiber, where it causes microbial issues and wicking of latent soils.

Try extracting a foaming prespray and see where it gets you.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think it's the drying time. They use ounces, we use gallons to flush.

I wouldn't sweat it too much. Pseudo science.

 

[Small town janitorial]

As a person who has done some of both, I can see someone having a successful encap residential buisness. I think what most of us dont like is the idea of someone starting a buisness as cheap as possible the "easiest" way. If someone has done hwe and some encap for years and knows how they both work and then they want to go start a buisness focused on encap, they could do well and do a good job. They would know its limitations hopefully. But someone trying to "get into" carpet cleaning through encap is just the wrong way to learn. Just my opinion.

 

[Cleanworks]

As a person who has done some of both, I can see someone having a successful encap residential buisness. I think what most of us dont like is the idea of someone starting a buisness as cheap as possible the "easiest" way. If someone has done hwe and some encap for years and knows how they both work and then they want to go start a buisness focused on encap, they could do well and do a good job. They would know its limitations hopefully. But someone trying to "get into" carpet cleaning through encap is just the wrong way to learn. Just my opinion.

Didn't work for Chemdry.

 

[FredC]

It didn’t?

 

[Cleanworks]

It didn’t?

They switched to hwe.

 

[FredC]

They switched to hwe.

Not really

But wasn’t that switch more to comply with warranty language from Shaw/Mohawk which states not to use rotary machines because of the potential fiber damage.

Other than that it seemed to have worked pretty damn well for them


Edit for the rotary comment
https://cleanfax.com/carpet-care/commercial-cash-flow-a-deep-look-at-commercial-carpet-warranties/

 

[Cleanworks]

Not really

But wasn’t that switch more to comply with warranty language from Shaw/Mohawk which states not to use rotary machines because of the potential fiber damage.

Other than that it seemed to have worked pretty damn well for them

I have several client who would disagree with that as well as a former franchisee who had to deal with resoiling complaints. Operator error? Maybe but I have heard lots of complaints.

 

[FredC]

Maybe so

Ive known plenty of happy chemdry customers over the years along with a shitload of people that complained of resoiling after hwe.

 

[hogjowl]

Whatever

 

[Cleanworks]

Maybe so

Ive known plenty of happy chemdry customers over the years along with a shitload of people that complained of redoubling after hwe.

If I was going to go with a low moisture system, I would consider von Schrader. I used their system 30 years ago and today they seem to have good foaming detergents that dry to a hard (brittle) residue. Cylindrical brush combs through the pile like a crb and the vacuum picks up the foam and soil. A lot more difficult to use than a wand and you need a separate machine for stairs but very useable.

 

[Steve "TheCarpetGuy"]

Trinity Renewal System. OP machine

Hey everybody this is my first time here, I want to thank you all for sharing your knowledge and helping others with much less experience like myself.
My wife and I just moved to Naples, FL. and started a small house cleaning business, we clean mostly apartments and medium size houses. We do vacuum and clean floors but we want to offer a much better and complete service for carpet, tile and grout cleaning. At this moment we don´t have a big budget to invest on equipment like a truckmount. So we want to start with VLM cleaning. I been looking into buying an Orbot Vibe and a CRB to start with and then move on from there.
So I want to ask you if you think that with those two machines is good enough to start offering carpet, tile and grout cleaning with good results.
all your comments will be truly appreciated.
Thanks again.

I've been using Trinity and VLM systems for years with great success...both commercial and residential.

 

[steve_64]

Get a cheap buffer a good brush and bonnets. For under a grand you can clean most floors.

You can probably find a used truckmount for under $5000 but you will need to know how to turn a .

 

[Mikey P]

I had a bottle of Trader Joe's alkaline water yesterday.

Excellent.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We use activated vaporized hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant. To validate a kill we hang Chemical Indicators and Biological Indicators.

The CI's are used as markers, if they turn color we are confident of the kill. The BI's can be cultured and prove no viable life. An ATP swap still reads there is "Something" there.

So while ATP can be helpful at times (we have 2 ATP meters), not knowing what you're readings makes it hard to prove more soil is being removed with a cleaning system.

 

[hogjowl]

That was long

 

[Dolly Llama]

That was long

and over my hED anyway


the dude's cleaning apts
any idiot suggesting spray 'n wipe carpet cleaning are just that ...idiots


get a 175rpm rotary and decent capacity porty, Javier
Get a teflon glide for the wand too so you can rinse hard floor surfaces as well

there will be nothing hard or soft you can't handle with those two tools ....used alone or in combination

if you can $wing $3500, you can find suitable new




..L.T.A.

 

[Desk Jockey]

That was long

I thought it was concise.

 

[Desk Jockey]

and over my hED anyway


the dude's cleaning apts
any idiot suggesting spray 'n wipe carpet cleaning are just that ...idiots


get a 175rpm rotary and decent capacity porty, Javier
Get a teflon glide for the wand too so you can rinse hard floor surfaces as well

there will be nothing hard or soft you can't handle with those two tools ....used alone or in combination

if you can $wing $3500, you can find suitable new




..L.T.A.

Only if you're stooping. You read it and understood it.

 

[Dolly Llama]

You read it and understood it.

you can't prove that...

..L.T.A.

 

[FredC]

I thought it was concise.

I thought “man, janitors sure are high tech these days”

 

[Cleanworks]

I thought “man, janitors sure are high tech these days”

Well, when they find bodies in the toilets, they have to be sure if it's dead or just injured a little.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I thought “man, janitors sure are high tech these days”

Ok in my past life, we used Steramist.

 

[Old Coastie]

Straight handled TRS machines using their presprays with colloidal silver.

I use colloidal silver when I do electrostatic fogging. It is better suited to hard surfaces imho and would make an expensive (but non-soapy) additive. Interesting.

 

[FredC]

Interesting.

Not really ....honestly I think the colloidal silver, the atp testing, the trinity machine moving at close to the speed of light or some such shit, and its Origin are all complete and utter bullshit.

I decided to play devils advocate (lol) and you guys didn’t show up.....


What isn’t bullshit is there are guys out there using vlm as there primary method that have decent businesses and happy customers. Maybe the op is one of the people who can make it happen

 

[Cleanworks]

Not really ....honestly I think the colloidal silver, the atp testing, the trinity machine moving at close to the speed of light or some such shit, and its Origin are all complete and utter bullshit.

I decided to play devils advocate (lol) and you guys didn’t show up.....


What isn’t bullshit is there are guys out there using vlm as there primary method that have decent businesses and happy customers. Maybe the op is one of the people who can make it happen

When people don't know any better, it's easy to baffle them with bullshit. Whether it's the carpet cleaner or the customer.

 

[Hack Attack]

my local chemdry competition is a bonnet man with a mega c.h.e.m. porty as the coup de grace

he doesn't do a great job but some must be happy with him or he wouldn't be there

 

[Dolly Llama]

What isn’t bullshit is there are guys out there using vlm as there primary method that have decent businesses and happy customers. Maybe the op is one of the people who can make it happen

I'd suggest he's starting in the wrong niche then......

..L.T.A.