Before and afters of a spray and suck....no scrub job +Video

[TimP]

This is a rental of my in-laws so it was a non paying job. Anyways here's some before and afters. I'd say it was a light to moderate soil job. So it got PS, dwell and rinse. There is a lot of wear on it for sure.

The following 2 show traffic lane grey

view from other side of previous pic and it's also an after of the 5th pic.

Here is the 1 arm greenhorn in action for Bawb

x]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqiXX-NOYKgx]

 

[Blue Monarch]

Does that wand have jet extenders? I'm guessing no because of all the vapor.

If it does, I need more heat.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Does that wand have jet extenders?

.

Look at the first pic, Dirk.
looks like extenders to me.


..L.T.A.

 

[MerCrewser]

I had a black to white difference last week, same methods but I used a grandi groomer. No room for any thing else. Wished I had the camera.....

Cranked it to 800psi amd it was dry when I left.

 

[TimP]

Yeah it's a greenhorn it comes standard with the extenders. I'm running 10 flow. The reason it steamed so much was because it was around 60 degrees in the place. There was no heat run last night in it and it was down to like 45 i think last night. It was around 11:00 when I did that or so I can't remember.

But I layed the wand down and took most of those pictures and started the video. I'd say atm it was 230-250 somewhere in that ball park cause it was sitting a few minutes. I run a cds 4.8 with the blower exchanger. I was running 100 ft of the parker themoplastic hose, also at 500 psi. It did steam all the time mostly cause it was cold. Most residential I get a little bit of steam though, my tm keeps 210-220 ish in the winter and a bit warmer in the summer. Although on cgd jobs it steams like that all the time if not worse at times.

 

[Blue Monarch]

oops. Missed that in the pic. That thing was steaming like a mother.

I'd really like to have another 20 degrees. That's my only complaint with my Boxxer 421 right now.

 

[Ron Werner]

would it be the extra bit of heat or just needing an angel adjustment on the jets?

I was cleaning a restaurant today, greenhorn with hybrid glide, 15flow, 700psi, my temp guage is TU so its hard to telll, at least 200+, and I was watching the steam and thinking of the hydrosonic wand, how it didn't show much steam. Mine was sucking the steam right back, sure didn't kick out like in the vid.
Last time I had steam like that was with my old wand. Makes it hard to see what I am doing.

 

[Becker]

I'd really like to have another 20 degrees. That's my only complaint with my Boxxer 421 right now.

Winter is coming Dirk, Your not in AZ anymore.

Ya might lose another 20..

 

[Dolly Llama]

all things being equal, atmospheric conditions (temp humidity) will make more or less steam at times


..L.T.A.

 

[Rex Tyus]

all things being equal, atmospheric conditions (temp humidity) will make more or less steam at times


..L.T.A.

Exactly. While Tims CDS does have some surprising heat for a Clutch drive it is not hard to get steam down hear in a 45 degree room. Typically the air is so full of moisture it just seems to have no where else to go. So the steam looks like smoke and just floats around. On really unusual days when the humidity is low the vapor seems to be absorbed by the air. No scientific evidence just observations.

 

[TimP]

Yeah like I said I usually don't get that much steam on residential. And that was more than I was getting when going for a long while on that job. Like I said the heat probably was spiked some due to the wand sitting getting the blower exchanger heated up, the jets were dripping a little durring that video so that says something. But it was fairly cold in the place, I was able to wear shorts but I don't mind the cold like some. Like I said I think it was around 60 degrees in the home it was colder than outside than inside the place. But on CGD I get a good bit of steam. Also 20 degrees does make a difference in steam cause I do get steam in regular homes once the blower gets hot just not as much as you saw in the video. And get this....I want more heat.


BTW you should see the steam running the hydrahoe.....it will fog up a whole freaking room in the summer in an empty house with no air.

 

[hogjowl]

Nice video and good, professional, wand technique. In my market, it's really, and I mean REALLY hard to be competitive with that particular wand technique. I do the same as you, but the extra time spent with the drying passes eats into my production time to the point that I am having a hard time getting work in competitive situations. That's not a problem on referral jobs, but I can't stay afloat with referral only these days.

Just today, I had an estimate on a really large LR and MBR. 750 sf total and I priced it at $195.00. I figured it would take me about 2 hours to do it. The dude had three other estimates that were for $120, or less. I told him about my vacuuming and rapid drying, but the truth is, he didn't GAS.

The thing that chaps my goard is that two of the three companies he has quotes from do pretty good work. They will show up, prespray and extract, leave the carpet looking good and be gone in slightly under an hour. And make over $100 an hour.

To be competitive around here, I really need to be more time efficient. Having a wand that didn't overspray would be a huge help.

 

[Guest]

Dirk throw an inline propane in there; got one on Recoil for restaurants, it could be 90 degrees and have 4 foot cloud of steam floating, nothing like live steam.

Nice video though; carpet looked very good after cleaning too.

 

[TimP]

Nice video and good, professional, wand technique. In my market, it's really, and I mean REALLY hard to be competitive with that particular wand technique. I do the same as you, but the extra time spent with the drying passes eats into my production time to the point that I am having a hard time getting work in competitive situations. That's not a problem on referral jobs, but I can't stay afloat with referral only these days.

Just today, I had an estimate on a really large LR and MBR. 750 sf total and I priced it at $195.00. I figured it would take me about 2 hours to do it. The dude had three other estimates that were for $120, or less. I told him about my vacuuming and rapid drying, but the truth is, he didn't GAS.

The thing that chaps my goard is that two of the three companies he has quotes from do pretty good work. They will show up, prespray and extract, leave the carpet looking good and be gone in slightly under an hour. And make over $100 an hour.

To be competitive around here, I really need to be more time efficient. Having a wand that didn't overspray would be a huge help.

I've got all day to clean usually so I don't mind. Sometimes I'll speed up. I appreciate the compliment Marty!

If the place was empty I'd do 750 sqft for 150 if I had to but I have no trouble getting more and usually do, but it would take me 1.5 hours tops empty. That place was about 1k sqft and I think it took me 1.5-2 hours since I didn't vacuum I didn't time it. It helps that Rex is the only one that cleans quality in my area. Stanley and a 1 or 2 hacks are around so I don't have low ballers out there. That 750 ft job I'd price it at 187.50 with furniture and get it all day and I don't care if I make less than 100 an hour. I'd rather do it right and make a little less and get a referral. It's not all about what I make an hour, it's more important to get more work by doing good work. But it would take me 1.5 hours possibly 2 if I had to move a good bit of furniture. And if I had a helper probably 1 hour 15 min or less. But like I said I prefer to take my time I am rarely booked heavily nor feel rushed, plus I know the people around just can't afford what I should charge. I also try to keep the hours off my TM to keep over head lower, time is no biggie to me since like I said I'm not swamped. Also prespraying far in front of you saves time by not having to switch jobs, I know many are scared to do it but if you get the whole job ready for extraction it saves time.

But the krux of the matter in your situation Marty is that they weren't your customer to begin with because they aren't looking for the best quality they are looking for the cheapest decent cleaner. You should of offered to match it and explain that you would skipped some steps and then forget the hourly rate, making 120 is better than 0 as long as you can pull a profit. And if you have nothing else on the books then it's better than nothing.

 

[hogjowl]

I know what your saying. I have, in fact, lowered my standards on occasion and did just what you suggest. I could have gone in with a standard wand and cut the need to vacuum, and not have had to do drying passes. I probably could have done that 750 sf job in around and hour and fifteen minutes and made money at $120.00. My drying times would have been in the neighborhood of 4 to 6 hours with the V running a standard wand, which is totally acceptable.

The problem is, once I start doing that, how do I justify not doing all my jobs that way?

 

[XTREME1]

I can't clean with one hand at 500-600 psi it blows the head off the carpet and we all love good head

 

[Heathrow]

Marty your comments are ringing LOUD with me. From the overspray issue to the wand technique. I'm considering changing my level of effort to be more competitive.
A really interesting thread ...

 

[hogjowl]

It's been an issue with me from the first day I started using glided wands. However, the difference then was the economy was going good enough, and people were spending money enough that I could live with the amount of business coming my way off of referrals, and I could live with the reduced amount of business I got due to my higher prices. I was living the bulletin board business style.

Now things are different, and right or wrong, I feel the need to be more competitive. Not cheap, but certainly not sky hight anymore. I need to be able to price more over the phone, to save fuel (the V is a monster), and to stop inconveniencing my customers. To do this I need to streamline my cleaning techniques to play the averages.

Can I do this with a wand that won't pick up debris, oversprays like a lisping Californian, and needs stroking like a high maintenance woman?

 

[Jimmy L]

Marty you can do a spray and suck with NO drying strokes when its a rental and nobody will be in there for days.

I learned that years ago cleaning apts and learned that from a local hack.

Time is money!

 

[Jim Martin]

when you learn to cut corners on your set up and equipment and not your cleanings..things get easier and more efficient......

 

[Farenheit251]

Marty, I feel like I'm in a similar situation. I'm doing alright but with one kid finishing and one starting college I'd like to be putting in 60 hours a week. It is frustrating, but from what I hear lots of cleaners are having trouble paying their bills. In this economy maybe you are doing better than you realize. I wouldn't get down in the mud with the other cleaners. I think even if you went to $120 there would be someone for $99.

 

[rotorob]

Mantras to clean by:
Its Crowded at the Bottom.
If time is money, and you're not spending much time, don't charge much money.
Oh, and, wands are for faeries.

 

[Jim Martin]

it looks like the steam only comes out of the left side of the wand.....????

is it the set up ??? mine steams from all jets....does it steam that much in the summer months.....

 

[hogjowl]

I don't remember ever saying anything about being cheap. What I'm talking about is not being rediculously high.

When I'm at $200 and eveyone else is at $120 ... there might be a problem. Can you justify an $80 difference for vacuuming?

 

[esquireservicesinc]

In our market I would price that 750 SF at $260 empty and somewhere around $350 with furniture, and I would get it. We aren't the cheapest and we don't want to be either. We would also set aside about 2 hours to do it if it has furniture.

 

[Greenie]

Ahhhh...I caught Tim's Video this time, just saw stills before, thought everyone was seeing things.

Marty, didn't ya just point over your shoulder to the V in the drive and say That is why I'm more tight wad?


ps; send Tim some friggen zip ties

 

[TimP]

I've got some zip ties, somewhere. I'm too lazy to find them and put them on. Secondly on my last greenhorn it caused rust like spots.