Leather Cleaning

[BLewis]

Who here offers this service?
What % of total revenue does it bring in?
Whose system/products do you use?
What training do you have?

Would I be better off adding grout color sealing?

I want to add one service for 2013. We do some high end cleaning but it is not a large % of our total residential. Our average customer/client is $175k-$275k homes

 

[Goomer]

Avoid it like the plaugue.

Go with TnG.

 

[BLewis]

Thanks Frank for the reply, reasons?
Color sealing probably makes alot more sense since I already do alot of tile & grout cleaning already and I've had many more questions about color sealing than leather cleaning.

Anybody else?

 

[Hoody]

I've used prochem's products on pleather/pigmented leathers when I was in a bunch. But the Leather Master system is all I've ever known. In my area I haven't found a lot of high end leather, and when I have the issues that needed addressed needed to be done in-plant because they required removing/sanding the finish, rehydrating, re-dying and re-applying the finish, which is very time consuming and usually a multi-day process. Not many people want to invest the money into that when restoration is at or above 50%-60% of new because of time, and materials involved to even make a profit.

If I had the choice I would pick color sealing over leather.

 

[Goomer]

Thanks Frank for the reply, reasons?

First off you have to learn to correctly identify MANY different types of leathers. There are many more types than I have actually seen first hand, so I'm already at a loss. So basically you really have to know your leathers. I would think a leather cleaning class would be mandatory.I have yet to run into enough leather to even warrant looking into advertising/pushing it. I played with some leather cleaners and the process is very tedious. It usually involved using damp rags/sponges to massage small amounts of gel onto small areas, one at a time and working the entire piece in grids, then "rinsing" with a clean damp rags. The repetitive circular motion usually kills your arms just as you realize that it's going to take hours to complete the piece. After cleaning it MUST be conditioned in a similar fashion. I'm sure there may be other tricks to do it faster, but I don't know them, and personally I don't feel it's worth my time to look into/practice. I can see why the guys that do do it charge TOP DOLLAR, and on the reverse side, not many want to pay for it. .Also looking at the prices of a quality leather couch is enough reason for me to not want to have to pay for one if I jack one up. If you think doing upholstery sucks, try cleaning some leather and you'll think upholstery is a walk in the park. I think if I was going to do it, I would look into a leather cleaning "System" over individual products.

 

[BLewis]

Well, between Hoody and what you just said I think this discussion is over.

It will be color sealing. Like I've said I've turned down a dozen or so jobs and don't even have it listed on my services sheet that I hand my clients when I do the walk thru.

Now Mikey in your experience how long does the color sealing last when applied correctly.

 

[tmdry]

I've done color sealing now for over 4 years, however I no longer push it.

If someone calls for it I charge big bucks or else it's not worth the pain on the body color sealing will do to you (if you're thinking about doing it on your own).

I would highly recommend having your helper and or a part time guy (someone w/ tiling/grouting experience) to do the color sealing for you, and all you do is close the jobs. That is what I do now, but I still don't push it as for the reason(s) above.

I have an entire shelf of colorsealers from every color and bottles in the book, just collecting dust, I don't miss it. Carpet cleaning to me is far less back breaking and profits are higher due to getting more calls for carpet vs tile.

If done correctly, color sealing with (grout perfect or grouterra) should last a lifetime w/ proper maintenance. Some areas may come off over time, usually high traffic areas here and there (oven, fridge, etc), but it is not too common.