New around here...

[soluble85]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the cleaning stuff, and hopefully I'm not on the wrong part of the internet right now. I started recently trying to clean my car, which led to me taking a look at the various carpet cleaners at local big box retail stores, to eventually removing the seats, and shampooing the carpets with some basic product and a wet/dry vac and was rather surprised with the results.

Soon after I started learning more about the Rug Doctor and Big Green machines, professional steamers, and extractors, mostly in the auto-detailing side from online sources and trying to figure out what equipment I should get.

Well, here I am today, and sort of unexpectedly ordered a commercial Bissell Big Green (BG10.) I have now looked a bit more into the general home or office cleaning aspects of everything, and the prospects of starting a cleaning business. I've always had an interest in the business side of things, and am intrigued by the idea of building up a company.

I don't have much experience in the way of professional cleaning, and am considering finding a position in such an area to get a basic feel for it, and a sense of the work-flow and process. Or maybe just jump right into this as a part-time thing for now.

I'm also trying to learn more about the different types and structures for cleaning businesses to get a sense of what I may be interested in, as it seems its a wide area for specialization... Carpets, general cleaning, maintenance, hardwood flooring, etc.

Would the Bissell Big Green BG10 be a fair machine to start with, if I wanted to do some basic cleaning (residential) to get started with? What else might I want or should I have instead? And maybe just carpet cleaning is too narrow of a field? I know my mom has basically replaced all of carpet with vinyl flooring these days due to pets, and maintenance issues essentially.

Thanks

 

[Dolly Llama]

Would the Bissell Big Green BG10 be a fair machine to start with

if you can't scrounge up a couple thousand for a real porty (they start at around $1500) and 175 rotary, go get a real job


..L.T.A.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Bissell Big Green BG10

Its too much of a residential tool. It would be fine if you were buying it for cleaning in your home. However its not built to professional strength and will not take the handling from job to job.

As Larry said you'd be money ahead spending more but getting more for your dollar.

 

[hogjowl]

You can buy that machine and still be successful... eventually.

In the end, you will end up where we're trying to take you, provided you have the desire and ability to learn.

We're just trying to get you to shorten the process.

So don't buy that idiotic machine.

 

[Mikey P]

At a bare minimum you'll need at least $6k in supplies in order to accomplish impressive work.

A real portable with wand and hand tool
A 175 floor machine/ scrubber
Shampoo brush head and pad driver and pads
A good vacuum
Three fans
Waterclaw
Assorted chems
Grooming tools
Buckets, hoses, tarps, corner guards etc

 

[Art Kelley]

Well, here I am today, and sort of unexpectedly ordered a commercial Bissell Big Green (BG10.)
Would the Bissell Big Green BG10 be a fair machine to start with, if I wanted to do some basic cleaning (residential) to get started with? What else might I want or should I have instead? And maybe just carpet cleaning is too narrow of a field? I know my mom has basically replaced all of carpet with vinyl flooring these days due to pets, and maintenance issues essentially.

Thanks

The poster GeeeAus (you can look up his posts using the search function) uses a Big Green and is satisfied with it's performance. You could use it as he does, it will tale longer to do a job but it is an economical machine to start with. You can sell it on EBay once you feel you require a more robust machine. Here is a quote from one of his posts:
"

"I currently use a (175) with shower feed and encap brush to apply my encapsulating pre-spray and then I rinse the crap out with my plastic toy extractor.

I did this job a little while back and made some videos and took some pics. This is a basically where I'm at.











All extracted with the Bissell Big Green.

Mardie. You offered me some good advice a while back, may I return the favour?

Go buy a $500 Bissell Big Green and try it out on your next nasty job after to use your VS machine. I'm confident you will be even more impressed by your end results than you already (and justifiably) are.

Peace.......

Grant"​

 

[Derek]

impressive pics.

huh? Mardie is Tyler?

 

[Mikey P]

 

[J Scott W]

The Bissel can be used as an entry level rinsing machine as Grant uses it. It is not a cleaning machine.

Look here for some training videos and see the variety of portable carpet cleaning machines available from about $1700 to $4000.
http://interlinksupply.com/index.php

If you wish to get on my mailing list and/or email list we can provide training information on cleaning as well as starting a business. send email to stores.csr@bridgewatercorp.net

 

[Zee]

Look, any seasoned veteran could achieve a very high quality end result with almost any type of machine.
I mean we could go and decide what the right chemical would be and the right dwell time would be and the right agitation. And go around "masturbate" the pieces of yarn with a toothbrush and rinse with a 1.5 gallon shop-vac....and do a better job than some newbie with a $60000 setup.

The problem is when the newbie believes he can do a professional job with a small home use type machine. He can't! He needs to gain the knowledge to do that. Just as he can't do a professional result with a $60000 setup either.

For those of us that can achieve the right results- it's not about the tools anymore, it's about the knowledge and experience. But our set ups- after gaining the knowledge and the financials to have the big units- allows us to be more efficient.

 

[Art Kelley]

impressive pics.

huh? Mardie is Tyler?

Mardie is Mardie. There is only one. (I was quoting Grant).

 

[Ron Werner]

The better the equipment the more efficient you will be. Take your time and you do a great job with almost anything...IF you know what you're doing.
With lower performance equipment you will have to rely more on the procedure. I used to out clean many truck mount owners in my area using just a dry vacuum, a heated 100psi portable, a pumpup sprayer, and a grooming brush for agitation. Upgrade any one of those components and it will just make you more efficient. Then there's all the complimentary tools, corner guards, blocks, tabs, lift buddy, sliders, etc.

After the equipment, as I've alluded to, you need some training. You need to know what you're doing.

 

[dgardner]

The problem is when the newbie believes he can do a professional job with a small home use type machine. He can't! He needs to gain the knowledge to do that. Just as he can't do a professional result with a $60000 setup either.

Zee, I don't get your point. At first you say the newbie can't get professional results with a low-cost machine, implying he has to buy expensive stuff to get results because a newbie can't do a good job with inexpensive stuff. But then you say he can't get good results with a 60K machine either.

Help me out here, what are you trying to say?

 

[Zee]

Dan you got my point: the newbie can't do a good job with either a cheap Bissell or an expensive truckmount. The newbie needs to learn and experience, before he can be expected to do great work with either set up.
I didn't imply that he needs to buy expensive machines. I implied he needs to "buy" knowledge and experience...

 

[Zee]

I guess in a twisted way I'm saying that a newbie shouldn't be too hung up on what equipment to order. They should be looking around to understand/learn the processes and techniques of the trade.
When you talk to your CPA, I bet they weren't looking around for the best kickass computers and printers for their business first. I bet they were getting educated about their "trade" first to understand what the heck they supposed to do on the computer.

 

[soluble85]

Thanks for the helpful responses guys. It does seem like training and having a good sense of what I intend to clean; and what tools would be required to do those tasks is the important part to know. Mikey P, that list of equipment looks like a good list for me to focus on and look into, which I certainly will do. Also, Scott W that link does have a lot of nice training videos which I'm checking out right now as well.

The picture of the Big Green above is the 86T3 (home version). Supposedly, from what I gathered from reviews of people who used the BG10 (Commercial) compared to the 86T3 are that the BG10 has "edge to edge" or "surround suction" which should extract water a little more effectively. It also has a few other differences like detachable power cable. Otherwise it's essentially the same machine as far as I gather. I was likely to just use the machine with hot water, and apply the formula directly to the carpets to allow it time to work.

If I don't hand-pick my equipment, would something like the Rotovac Business Startup package be a worthwhile kit to consider? Or is it a bit too light duty, when compared to larger floor scrubber options like the 175?

Thanks again for everyone's feedback

 

[Mikey P]

I need to start a ride along service.

Holiday Inn Express, fight, food and five grand for five days of insight at their location.

 

[jcooper]

Where are you planning on getting your clients. That would be the first thing you should figure out.

 

[soluble85]

I'm considering starting small, and be more residentially focused. Once I start to get some work going, and experience, try to aim for a mix of commercial/office work, and hopefully keep moving up from there. Just advertise with local classifieds to start. I still have a lot to learn before this though.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Well, here I am today, and sort of unexpectedly ordered a commercial Bissell Big Green (BG10.)

missed that.... you already bought that toy

I'm considering starting small, and be more residentially focused. Once I start to get some work going, and experience, try to aim for a mix of commercial/office work, and hopefully keep moving up from there..

you actually might be better off going com first.(get a rotary)
cause you're gonna have a tough row to hoe taking that toy into occupied res homes ..just the "perception" factor alone will make it tough



are planing a full time biz or a part time hobby for extra spending money??

..L.T.a.

 

[Russ T.]

If starting on such a tight budget, why not buy a Cimex and focus on commercial work first? Once you land a few regular accounts, then consider whether or not residential work is for you. A half way decent looking minivan or covered pick up bed would do for carting it around.

Residential work is different IMO, especially the higher end market. Some customers care a great deal about the appearance of your van, logo's, and PERCEIVE value in things which actually might mean very little to the level of cleaning.

 

[dgardner]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but find a good cleaner outside your planned service area that won't be a competitor in the future and offer to ride along and work for free for a few days. I think you will be surprised at what you learn.

 

[PrimaDonna]

Get involved in a local professional networking group like BNI or LeTip. (I prefer BNI, but visit multiple chapters in both organizations). This is not the same as a chamber of commerce or business card exchange group.

 

[jcooper]

Just advertise with local classifieds to start.

Tyler,
Another thing you should spend time learning about is: internet marketing, seo, submitting your sites to directories( your site/biz found), google listings etc...... Youtube is a great place to learn some of this.

When I started, had more time than money so I learned as much internet crap as I could. You'll need a website.

Have to say, not sure a local classified ad is going to bring you anymore than an occasional phone call. You will need to think MUCH bigger if you expect anything more than an occasional client or family member.

The guys your competing against have spent 20,30,40,50k on equipment and have been doing it for years. Do a ride along or better yet, get a job with them and learn.





p.s. you SURE your NOT Peter Hewell???

 

[PrimaDonna]

Reminds me of the "Truck Mount vs. Rug Doctor" video....(I'm sure many of you saw it may years ago). I thought of posting the video here, but I would likely get booted off the board based on the source of said video....

 

[soluble85]

Jcooper, I'm fairly familiar with websites. I built a few long ago, but will definitely be brushing up with the latest web technologies as it has changed a lot in the last few years for sure. I'm very much considering moving to a new city (and province) in the short term, and would be launching the venture in that area, so I have some time to think, experiment and learn about what I'll need to do. I very much want to get some competent extractors and equipment.

I guess the Big Green is just a toy for the moment to play with. I feel very motivated to attach a custom heating system to it and see how that works Maybe it will just break, who knows. It looks like a 1000W heating element can be acquired fairly cheaply, as with a simple digital thermometer. Throw a switch in there, and maybe make a separate heating tank that I fix to the back handle area, with a basic circulating pump, and it may be a cool little heated extractor. I'm not expecting to use this professionally for jobs, but simply to mess around with for the time being.

 

[ruff]

p.s. you SURE your NOT Peter Hewell???

It takes a full time job to keep up with all of Mike's alter egos. Doesn't it?

 

[Desk Jockey]

It looks like a 1000W heating element can be acquired fairly cheaply, as with a simple digital thermometer. Throw a switch in there, and maybe make a separate heating tank that I fix to the back handle area, with a basic circulating pump, and it may be a cool little heated extractor. I'm not expecting to use this professionally for jobs, but simply to mess around with for the time being.

Play all you want but don't throw more money at it.

Get some level of comfort by playing with it and then go to a professional distributor closest to you and demo or rent a (Semi-) Professional portable and experience the difference. Then decide if you want to upgrade and move on to a hobby that makes money for you.