How bad does a carpet have to be for you to reject it?

[Mikey P]

Some of you Urine Specialists who have YP ads that GUARANTEE complete removal should be fed to the lions.
A family of Yorkshire Terriers ha been using the living room Saxony as their toilet for the last 12 years and you think some OSR and your new Water Claw is gonna fix that stanky rot? Guess again. Fresh pad and sub floor paint?
Give me a break. That putrid latex is toast.


How about the Apartment/section 8 Hacks, will you hose down any festering Pile of sewage for your $44.50?
Can you go home and hug your kids that night with out thinking about the little tots that will be crawling all over that cesspool you just made worse?


Where do you draw the line?


If your answer is "I'll do what ever it take to put food on my family's table", be prepared to be banned.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

Here is the last job I turned down.

It was a 3rd floor in Seattle. The lady said she would let me in at the controlled door downstair. She shows up with her 2 ankle biters and says the apt is unlocked with the check on the oven and the just shut the door when I am done. I told her to not leave let me make sure I can do it. So she waits downstairs, she wont go up there with me.

Iget outside the door and I start smelling something bad. Yep it was from her apt. I open the door and I have never seen anything like this in the 10 years and over 10,000 homes I have cleaned. It was a 1 bedroom. There was a 1-2 inch layer of dog food, hair , crumbs, poo and whatever else throughout all the carpets. If I vacuumed It would of SERIOUSLY of been about 30-40 bags. There was used urine pads everywhere, urine ON the sofa arms, base. The indoor air quality was so poor I could only be in there for a minute or so.

I was so shocked that someone can live like this. I go back down stairs and tell her that I'm not gonna be able to do the job, she didn't ask why. She just said she was gonna have D.A Burns do the job. I said ok and have a great day. Wonder if they ever did it?

I have only turned down 3-4 jobs in all my years because of unsafe or uncleanable working conditions.

I wish I took a picture. I guarantee it would beat out everyone elses story.

 

[Mikey P]

Now I see why O'Halick won't let his chimps use glides.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

You would have to be seriously desperate and hungery to do this job.....I doubt Burns would do the job or if she ever called them.

 

[Dolly Llama]

here's a thought..

slumlord won't go with your recommemdations to pull the crap.
so you're left with a choice

do you attempt to clean and sanitize the rat hole, or do you let Speedy Skwirt'n Soak spray aqua-velva down instead?

which one do you think will be better for the "kids"?

BTW, sec 8 housing has standards and inspections, 'round cheer.
something truely foul won't pass.
It's the "low rent" self pay joints that slumlords rule

..L.T.A.

 

[hogjowl]

As far as I can remember, I have only turned down two jobs in my 20 years of doing this. One was an old fart that just rubbed me the wrong way, and I left him standing there with his furniture stuffed in his bathrooms and kitchens. I was young then and hot headed and the old dude was an ass. I probably wouldn't do that today.

The other was a trailer home out in the country. They had no power (but I didn't know it) and had tons of crap all over the floor that needed vacuuming. Even if they'd had power, there was no way I was subjecting MY vacuum to all the dog and cat turds all over the carpets.

I don't run into really putrid situations much. Something about doing in-home pre-estimates takes care of those people

 

[Dolly Llama]

oh yea, your question

yes we've declined to clean some.
The ones I can recall off hand, had to do with sewage back up and "stewing wet for weeks" before they called anyone to come "clean" it :roll:

..L.T.A.

 

[TimP]

I have only rejected one job as of yet. I didn't even see the job but the lady told me her husband who died recently wasn't able to make it to the bathroom and regularly went on the carpet. I've gone behind animal feces but I draw the line at human feces.


I've had some nasty jobs where I explained the situation and they have decided to pull the carpet themselves, they didn't feel right renting a home that the padding and backing were nasty. I would of cleaned it of course but I'm always honest with the customer about the situation.

 

[Jay D]

Realtor called me, he had a 2 story that had 2 brothers that did not let there 2 lab size dogs out enough. I used a moisture sensor and it was everywhere. I told him to not even waste his time pull it and replace it. did he listen? Heck no, he called one of my friendly competitors to "clean it" which the competitor told me about. It stank worse. Realtor had enough gaul to call me and ask a Second opinion from me again. He told me about the cleaning and how it did'nt work just like I told him it would'nt. I met him at the house pulled back the carpet in the dining room (11x13) and there was'nt a spot on the back of the carpet that did not have a huge pee spot on it. It was gross. He finally figured out I knew what I was doing and he replaced the carpet. What a big dummy. I wish people would understand that we are the professional. Doh! :|

 

[Chris Muetterties]

I didn't see anything wrong with that job you walked from in the other thread.

 

[bob vawter]

.50....????

it's $44.NINETY FIVE!!!

 

[Willy P]

I do lots of salvage cleaning. ALL of the management companies I do business with put the ball in my court. Some just call me for the butt ass ugly ones that lesser mortals can't touch. The difference between a few problem areas, which is treatable, but not completely 100% guaranteed. I just did a townhouse were they ripped out the main floor, but I salvage the other 2 floors as there was only a few spots that showed up. I'm with the MeAtHeAd on this- better me than some other freakazoid. I have walked on numerous occasions. The worst was a manager that called me to "clean" a suite. Bring a little deo he said. He opened the door and the reek was ungodly. I gagged, glanced around and saw a big blackish area in the middle of the room. I ran out slammed the door shut. No thank you. Turns out there was a older gent had a stroke, clipped the back of his head, and died on the carpet. He laid there for 6 days in 75 degree heat before he started leaking through the ceiling to the suite below.180 pounds of meat ripening for 6 days. And bring a little deo. :roll:

 

[John Watson]

How much to clean a livingroom, family room and a recliner?

I told the lady I had no way of knowing with out somemore information.

When we get down to "Does she have pets" question it starts to unfold,

3 cats, one is 21 and mother to the two 18 year olds The mother just started having bladder problems, could I come look at it, I am 83 years old, on a fixed income, so I can't afford to much. I am refered to you by so and so,

So and so was a 15 year client whom we cleaned for every year and actuly did her pet damage at no extra charge for all the people she refered to us.

OK, Next time we are in your area we will check it out.

About a week later we called to see if we could stop by, She was crying, she just had to put her mother cat down, come on by.

House is an old double wide trailor with add ons, 25 feet from the front door you could smell it. Oh how it reaked, Helen went back to the truck, I entered.

The house was very neat and tidy looking, The carpet actuly didn't look bad till you looked around the walls.

This cat had totaly discolored the perimeter and the walls about 2 feet up in both rooms. The sheetrock was breaking off in chunks. The brown carpet was blackish blue.

Upon entering she had said "All I have is $200.00 you gotta fix it for that!!" I told her that all needed to be replaced carpet walls insulation some of the floor areas. She needed to get her grand kids in to help her out. Thats when she said "They refuse to come see me anymore cause they say my house stinks".

 

[Mr.V]

I've walked quite a few times,,,,one place was for a slum lord i always worked for,,he gave me the keys and i went to check it out

of course it was in the worst area in town,,,i get queezy just thinking about this place,,who ever lived there was an animal,,,fruit fly's EVERYWHERE,,cat poop,,dog poop,,old food ,garbage festering in every corner....YUCK!!! i would have had to vacuum and clean up for hours

needless to say i never even looked in the basement,,,,went back to the slum lord's office and gave back the key and told him I MIGHT consider it once the place was actually cleaned up,,,,,"I'm not a maid service" I was so insulted that he sent me there with those conditions expecting me to clean the carpet......never did clean the place,,,I eventually fired him completely as a client.

to answer the question though,,,,it's gotta be pretty darn bad for me to walk,,,,,but I don't make false promises.

 

[John Buxton]

I've walked, and I've done some real shitholes. One that stands out was a lady who bitched about Stanley's terrible job on the phone. I get there, walk in and laugh at her saying "This wasnt Stanley's fault" and leave.

 

[Mark Imbesi]

With 25%, or over contamination, I suggest replacement. I show them my price to treat vs. my price to replace. It's really a no brainer. Remember, I have an advantage over youz because I do both.

 

[Willy P]

With 25%, or over contamination, I suggest replacement. I show them my price to treat vs. my price to replace. It's really a no brainer. Remember, I have an advantage over youz because I do both.

So you swing both ways?

 

[Jim Williams]

If it turns my stomach I won't do it. I have only had 3 in my 4 years that grossed me out. 2 were in assisted living facilities. I can't believe they let their residents live like that. Too cheap to buy 300 sq. ft. of carpet so these people can spend their last days in a nice environment.

The other one was a double wide that was rented out. The tenant had a huge dog and never walked him. When I got there the owner had a wheelbarrow in the LR shoveling crap.

If the carpet is just old and dirty I will clean it, but I make it clear on what to expect, but contaminated? No.

 

[Farenheit251]

I clean most all of them. The people see them before they rent them. Nothing is going to change by me refusing. At least they get high heat and a thorough flush if I do it. I'll usually throw in treatment w/ quat a lot or something similar.
I cleaned a bad aniamal one last month. Day the kids moved in it flooded. One already had a puppy and another a kitten locked in her room with no litter box yet. Dopehead losers . What are you going to give them new carpet every time?

 

[Fred Homan]

I agree with Jim.....Too cheap to buy 300 sq. ft. of carpet so these people can spend their last days in a nice environment.

:shock:

 

[Brad_Smith]

Why would someone be banned for doing what it takes to put food on their families table? Not only would I clean any carpet, I would work at Mcdonalds if for some awful reason it came to that.

 

[Mikey P]

Brad, serving Big Macs is not the same as knowingly subjecting a family to a serious health threat .





Well actually, I guess it is, but it was a joke, none the less.

 

[SRI Cleaning]

Brad, serving Big Macs is not the same as knowingly subjecting a family to a serious health threat .





Well actually, I guess it is, but it was a joke, none the less.

Good point!

 

[kleen1]

When we get a call from social services it sends that sinking feeling in my gut. Don't get me started on suicides, we won't do them any more.

 

[Mike Draper]

I rejected a house once. Some almost newly weds called me and said they were moving into their parents extra house on the farm tommorow and it needed to be cleaned TODAY! So I showed up and they gave me some chep ass coupon that wasn't mine and showed me the carpet. HOLY SH!T, they had a family of Racoon's that had been living in the house for 2 years and it had never been vacuumed, or cleaned. It stunk worse than the sewer. Shit everywhere, sheetrock ripped off the walls, carpet fraid everywhere, holes in the carpet and ratted up used clothing everywhere. I told him good luck with getting married tommorow, but I won't be cleaning the house and if I were him I wouldn't bring back my Fiance to the house either. Wish I had pictures.

 

[hogjowl]

What?

You got a problem with dirty clothes?

 

[Johnny]

Rejected more upholstery recently than carpet.

Two customers, one commercial, one residential, with sun-damaged (faded and brittle) cotton sofas. Better to apply the $200+ per piece I would charge to clean (with no guarantee I would not do further damage) toward reupholstery or replacement. They both agreed.

 

[Brian R]

Some of you Urine Specialists who have YP ads that GUARANTEE complete removal should be fed to the lions.
A family of Yorkshire Terriers ha been using the living room Saxony as their toilet for the last 12 years and you think some OSR and your new Water Claw is gonna fix that stanky rot? Guess again. Fresh pad and sub floor paint?
Give me a break. That putrid latex is toast.


How about the Apartment/section 8 Hacks, will you hose down any festering Pile of sewage for your $44.50?
Can you go home and hug your kids that night with out thinking about the little tots that will be crawling all over that cesspool you just made worse?


Where do you draw the line?


If your answer is "I'll do what ever it take to put food on my family's table", be prepared to be banned.

lol, the last line is in reference to your new banner ads right?

 

[Scott S.]

i have turned down a few. people just dont get that pet urine isnt water its an acid that stinks and is a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. now every once in a while i will get one and rip up a corner and check out the floor underneth. i refinish hardwood floors so sometimes i get the ok to rip up and refinish. so instead of .25 per sq. i get around $4 a sq ft. and i am able to seal out the odor with the finish (if its a saturation issue).

 

[Jim Martin]

This one is not carpet but I had to go look at a tile job in the bowels of the geto yesterday....

I thought for sure when I came out (if I was lucky enough to come back out ) that I was going to see my truck on blocks....

the Realtor...wanted me to look at it because there was some one interested in it and it had a bad smell...

come to find out she was right..I found the key and opened the door and the cockroaches ran out gasping for air...

mold all down the wall..some one or something pissed every where...the window was routing because of water damage..it was one of the most sicking places I have walk into...there was 3 homeless people looking for a place to stay for the night that passed it up...I guess they figured there chances were better under a bridge fighting of snakes....

In my mind...I was torn between how can people love like this.......how could some one want to buy this..is this Realtor really that stupid..and I wounder if the tires are still on my truck.....