New to Carpet Cleaning

[your_good_sons]

If you want to make money, try something else. Here in the north east, wall to wall is dying fast in residential other than low end rentals and commercial. With the prices running well under 75¢ per sf for Lowes and Home Depot olefin disposable carpet, there isn't much point in cleaning it, just replace it. Try wood floors, will cost less to get in, will make more per sf, but you get no repeat business because your work will last 5+ years.

 

[Chris A]

Geeze Pete are you always suck a Debbie Downer?

 

[Desk Jockey]

What about area rug cleaning? I hear all you need is some garage space and an inflatable raft? They say they get $5.00-$6.00....$20.00 a foot to gently bathe and pat dry area rugs.

I hear their is sooo much money to be made they need wheel barrows to contain it on the way to the bank.


WHAT? Oh never mind, that's the money the rug guru's are making selling cleaners the poop on getting into the rug cleaning business. Sorry!

 

[Shane Deubell]

Back in the day all we had was a rake and a shop vac...

We had to make our own water too.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We had to make our own water too.

Shane...did Jimmy teach you how to make yellow water?

 

[Shane Deubell]

Shane...did Jimmy teach you how to make yellow water?

Yes but we only use that "empowered" water for the cheap customers or PIA.
He taught me that too.

 

[J Scott W]

Much good advice. Each one based on their particular situation and history. I started with a shampoo machine but that was before portables or truckmounts were invented.

My best advice is to decide the job you want to do before you decide on the best tool with which to work. It is hard to be everything to everyone. You have to have a niche. Look at the local market and decide what needs to be filled. Then get equipment that fills that need. Get your own unique selling proposition.

 

[Rogerjr]

Think I've narrowed down what I'm looking to get for equipment to start on a lower end budget. I've got a few homes lined up with two and three bedrooms and halls to do. I got these side jobs through the real estate agents I know. I'm looking to start with a Ninja portable and wand. Don't hate me for trying

 

[Desk Jockey]

You're dead to me Roger.

Naw that's cool. Its a start most of us are familar with. Who knows you could be the next Willy Parsons. Gawwwd knows we could use a new one! ; )

 

[Ron K]

Much good advice. Each one based on their particular situation and history. I started with a shampoo machine but that was before portables or truckmounts were invented.

My best advice is to decide the job you want to do before you decide on the best tool with which to work. It is hard to be everything to everyone. You have to have a niche. Look at the local market and decide what needs to be filled. Then get equipment that fills that need. Get your own unique selling proposition.

Roger I started with a Ninja and a 20" General floor scrubber. It did a great job cleaning, drying times were longer but it was a great cleaning method except for the hard work involved.

 

[Rogerjr]

Well I just didn't feel comfortable with the fast talking salesman at the other company product. I'm sure I would have been fine but I found a company more local and willing to help all they can. I like the rotary machines but this get me going. Things work out can always upgrade little at a time.

 

[Buck1955]

If you go with a truckmount, you'll have to either winterize it every night, or have heated space to keep it in. I started with a new Butler but I had a full time job that afforded it. If I had to start over, I'd do it with a porty, wand, and a 175 rotary, and keep my full time job with benefits, co. car, etc, and do the cleaning evenings and weekends. Since you have a lot of realtor friends, why not be a mortgage banker? You'll earn as much as we do without the stupid overhead.

 

[Spurlington]

Dont forget defoamer .. the least amount of foam you have in your waste tank, the beddar your suck-shen will bee

 

[GeeeAus]

Agitation, chemical and heat are king. If you can apply a good pre-spray nice and warm, work it in and break surface tension then rinse you can clean anything.

This is my portable. Your machine by comparison is a raging bull on crack and steroids. But here's what my portable has done with Agitation, chemical, time and temperature.

























My Kid Thinks Dad Has Kicked The Dirty Carpet's Arse



She's right.....


















Grant

 

[Spurlington]

WW .. nice job !!

 

[jcooper]

Heck yea, Grant very nice work.

Think about getting a sticker or something and cover that giant bissell logo!

Not sure if you moved couch etc. but make sure you have some blocks and tabs. Any dark wood(couch legs and so on) can bleed onto the carpet, wood stain can be a VERY tuff one to remove. Metal will obviously rust.

 

[GeeeAus]

Thanks, we do use blocks and we check for timber and steel feet too. If it's one of those big plastic feet with no exposed metal we'll clean them and set it back.

So far no problems. In this case this customer doesn't like furniture moved, common here actually. So I do open areas, walk ways, stairs, bedrooms etc.

Grant

 

[GeeeAus]

Hey Rogerjr.

I reckon the best thing you could get in a disc machine for agitation. Having gone through the progression of tools I think it represents the most versatile investment. In your market they are dirt cheap.

Here in Australia you pay much more. Used ones do come up but the market is smaller and we see more used machines for high speed buffing than for use as suitable pre-scrubbers.

I bought a new disc machine, a locally Australian made one from a company called PoliVac. They actually export 120v machines to your market too actually. It has been very good and I was sceptical about how efferctively we could carry the ting in our car, which is a bit of a pain I will admit.

It cost me.........

Ready.......


$2,400 AUD which at the time was about $2,320 USD at the time. And even at that it has been brilliant. So for you to grab one for a few hundred bucks - or less - is a boon.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOcBRw_VER4&list=UU6cd8SFJOCItoU8vbHCaWwg

Grant

 

[Vivers]

Have you work for a carpet cleaning company before?

 

[GeeeAus]

Have you work for a carpet cleaning company before?

Are you asking me or Rogerjr?

Grant

 

[thecleaningdude]

Here's an option for you Roger....start with commercial.

Your equipment costs would be a lot less (in my opinion). Good vacuum, rotary, OP or Cimex, pads, chems, sprayer and you're off an running. Lots of guys use VLM on commercial and it's a great way to get going.

If you need/want HWE immediately then look for a smaller, light weight portable and use a short hose run. You'll almost never deal with stairs or some of the other challenges that residential can pose when using a portable. Commercial customers are far less likely to give you flack for a porty to boot. Keep in mind that some of the porties out there weigh a ton and loading/unloading will get to you quick, so the smaller the better.

I'm also of the opinion that it can be easier to market to businesses.

 

[GeeeAus]

**HIGHLY** recommend you get yourself a Kirby no matter what wet system you use. Get as much dry soil extracted from the carpet and lift the pile as much as you can before you start wet cleaning. Makes for better cleaning, longer term results and fewer complaints leading to lost customers and free repeat cleanings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrxscIDIMI8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHZGNOGuRdY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlaUoUq8Vb0

It's just nasty what it pulls out.

Grant

 

[Shane Deubell]

Think I've narrowed down what I'm looking to get for equipment to start on a lower end budget. I've got a few homes lined up with two and three bedrooms and halls to do. I got these side jobs through the real estate agents I know. I'm looking to start with a Ninja portable and wand. Don't hate me for trying

Thank god you avoided that trainwreck!

I wouldn't go full time until you have a TM and at least $20k in cash. Being self-employed we need to make 1.5-2x of what you make as an employee.
Now you have to self fund health insurance, disability, and retirement.

 

[C&S]

Well I just didn't feel comfortable with the fast talking salesman at the other company product. I'm sure I would have been fine but I found a company more local and willing to help all they can. I like the rotary machines but this get me going. Things work out can always upgrade little at a time.

I started with a portable, then went to a bigger high performance portable, then. A tm, now I also have encapsulation machine for commercial. Built slowly over the past 8 years. Thanks to Jim Pemberton! Tm is faster and hotter but with a good porty and good chems, agitation, (floor scrubber, bonnet, tan pad, or carpet rake )and to you can get most stuff as clean as a tm can. Better dry times to. Call me if you have questions.

814-547-1848

Scott

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk

 

[Spurlington]

View attachment 4266View attachment 4267View attachment 4268


I know this guy trying to sell this set up for $7500 BO .. 2001 Extended E250 5.4 with 122,000mi and a 3.2 newer version Spitfire with 800 hrs .. portables are fine and dandy but I think Truckmounts are more efficient .. youll probably spend close to $7500 anyway with a decent van and new portable ..

Welcome aboard !!

If you do go portable, since I love my Edic Galaxy 2700 which holds 17 gallons, heated, 500psi and great suction, I HIGHLY recommend getting one .. or at least try it!!

I'm thinking a $7000 loan would be about $150 a month ... seems pretty doable .. save time

 

[Mikey P]

Starting on a budget..

If you pursue residential and or commercial you'll need an extractor either way. Get a simple one with lots of suck. 500 psi and at least two 3 stage vacs. External heat source is best. EDIC, Masterblend or Ninja all offer nice compact units. Many portable are so damn big you'll need a helper just to lift and load.Keep your hose runs short and use a wand with 6 flow (ask the salesman to set you up)

a 175 rpm floor scrubber is a must. It will pre-scrub, post bonnet and allow you to shampoo/encap areas as well. Get a 17" version and if you can find a two speed 175/300 in your budget it will speed things up. You'll need a pad driver for fiber pads and cotton bonnets and you'll want a shampoo brush as well for digging deep on pile carpet.

A basic PMF internal upholstery/stair/detail tool with a hideAhose set up is a must too. Get a glide for you wand and or a hard surface wand and you can scrub and rinse tile, VCT, Concrete and other hard surfaces as well. Always look for additional work once you've gotten in the door but don't be stupid about it and start cleaning surfaces you know nothing about.

Get a smart phone and use this board's search feature as an on the spot resource.


Check your Private Message box.

 

[Willy P]

I'm gonna pipe up here in a while, but just too damn busy (with my porty) to give some quality help yet.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'm gonna pipe up here in a while, but just too damn busy (with my porty) to give some quality help yet.

or ever!

 

[steve_64]

get a used buffer with a shower feed some bonnets a case of releasit and a grooming brush.

its the lowest investment you could make and still be able to do a reasonable job. you dont have to be the best to get started. a cheap porty wouldnt hurt neither.

you need to tell as many people as possible that you are a carpet cleaner. start with friends and family. you need to get some experience under your belt.

get your insurance get registered get a tax I.D. number and a commercial bank account.

find what your market is. some only like high end residential some like commercial. i like rentals.

determination is your best asset.

 

[Russ T.]

Mike gave you some great advice. You'll learn that Willy, Ofer, and and Grant (GeeAus I think?) will be so helpful to learn from as you get started with portable equipment.

I've been cleaning carpet, almost always from a Truckmount, since '99 and can't tell you how much I've grown in my profession over the last year and a half or so of being active here. Welcome.




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