Darlene posted her big #’s, and it was for a lot more than just “cleaning”; dye work and restorative cleaning. From the sounds of it she did a fantastic job. AAAAAAAAA If you can get those numbers Darlene, you've a lot more on the ball than most guys in here.
The situation:
How often do carpet cleaners B&C about how much to charge? A LOT!
We should be able to charge more! Shouldn’t we?
Bonnet cleaning, padding, OP, encap, or whatever, the equipment costs, chem costs are a fraction of HWE. Time and effort to achieve the same appearance is a fraction of HWE. Even the potential for damage is less. The learning curve is less.
The initial premise:
SO what is it about HWE that keeps us from having the confidence to charge $1/sf. I’ve heard of guys balking at someone that said they were charging a $1.
Where the thread has led to:
A pissing contest between methods
I haven't found ANYTHING a HWE will clean that an OP won't in 35 years, so bring it on.
I agree! It would take at least 35 yrs for an OP to clean as well as HWE.
(Just kidding, don’t get your sht in a knot over that comment. Too good a setup to let go.)
I’m very anal about my cleaning, I have that part in common with Darlene. Just ask Bob Foster, he’s seen it and Steve Marsh keeps telling me I over clean/take too long. I don’t post my times or $/hr much because frankly, I feel I’d be ridiculed for taking that long. Anyone else spent 2-3hrs on a vacant 2 rooms and a hall to make $150? I clean to clean. I don’t pretend to clean, I don’t clean to fluff, I clean to remove the soil. I don’t know how to clean it any faster. Each step takes the time it takes. If I were to speed up then I would leave something to pad up. Its tedious as hell! Execute and lots of time to think.
Has anyone ever vacuumed a carpet so long it looks like the carpet is moving rather than the vacuum??
That said, I haven’t the time to fart around with a method that I don’t believe, physically and logically, will remove as much soil. From what I’ve read I might post pad someday to speed dry if anything or pick up the wee bit that “might” be left.
Talk about anal, if I were to OP, and I flipped that pad over and it was black, it’s done, flipped or replaced. How can a dirty towel clean effectively? That would be like me trying to HWE with slightly soiled water.
Just how black do those pads get before people replace them anyway?
My experience with the other methods: little to zip
Have I a lot to learn about OP and the other methods? You bet.
I knew you didn't know OP when you talked about bonneting before.
Bonnet spins and OP oscillates. In Teri-Towels case, it vibrates. Did I miss anything? I’m sure you’ll let me know.
Don't you see that you have more to learn then you have to teach when it comes to OP cleaning?
I’m not trying nor do I have any inclination to teach it. I do have LOTS to learn, about MUCH in this industry. My only inclination to learn any other method is to be knowledgeable about them so I can properly advise my clients if another method would be more to their benefit. Or to use the method for those rare jobs (
very rare) when HWE doesn’t clean enough, ie CGD or extreme soiled comm carpet, or for where a TM won’t reach, or possibly in place of a porty. I have limited space in my current truck so getting an OP isn’t even an option at this time.
Do I have a lot to learn about it? Yes. Maybe.
Is there a lot to learn about it??? I don’t know, is there??
DO I need to try EVERY method that comes along and master it or can I examine the method and logically deduce its effectiveness in order to evaluate whether its worth my time or not? Can I not listen to others that have used it and evaluate it from their experience? I didn’t buy a Rotary
Drimaster because I could see from looking at it that it wouldn’t clean near as good as their claims. I’m not about to go buy a HOST Liberator either.
John, I’ve heard you are the guru of OP, but you certainly aren’t the guru of HWE, not sure who has that honour. Care to learn about how to really HWE as you are telling me to learn about OP?
AS far as mastering HWE, its not rocket science, despite the CRI SOA BS. Prevac, prespray, groom, rinse/extract and it comes clean. NBD. The BD is in how long one takes doing each step and the chemistry that is used. (BTW I am a Master Tech, for what that’s worth.) Most guys look at $/hr and don’t take the time needed to do it right.
Why do “the other methods” always compare themselves to the worst of the HWE industry, ie guys that leave a carpet soiled, or soaked or whatever??? Lets compare all padders to Chemwho. That’ll splatter the fan, wouldn’t it!
You ain’t seen one of my vids because I never bothered to video my work as yet. I work alone and its kinda hard to be across the room with a vid camera and pushing a vacuum or wand at the same time. Plus who wants to watch a 3hr vid? These vids on youtube have guys from every method cleaning a room or hall in a minute or two. That really teaches a lot. Not!
I don’t know yet if this is MY calling, but this is where He has me at the time and I’ll do the work the best I can, I’ll help whomever I can, and I’ll try to improve whatever I can and I’ll promote good cleaning-whatever method that proves itself.
Is my post too long?
I did try to keep it short