Rug shop blues

[Nomad74]

I can officially say cleaning high end rugs are a pain in the ass. Especially alone. I offer free pick up and delivery. Often times i get rugs so huge i can hardly lift them or even can’t lift them at all.

I think i'll be buying an automated rug washing machine. Seems the word has gotten out I clean rugs and that side of my business has slowly been picking up. Not sure I want to continue washing rugs unless I can get some automated equipment going.

 

[Mikey P]

I hate washing rugs.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

It ranks up there with wdr, but without insurance interference. They both suck if you’re not equipped.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Raise your prices until you quit hating it Damon.

A centrifuge will take the bottleneck out of your process.

 

[Nomad74]

Raise your prices until you quit hating it Damon.

A centrifuge will take the bottleneck out of your process.

Honestly, the centrifuge would be a waste of money right now. The bottleneck is in the cleaning, not the drying. I can hang the rugs or lay them flat in places for days at a time if needed. Rugs will dry without me being around. However, they will not dust and wash themselves if I am not there. Having a dedicated washing machine would save a lot of time. No set up and breakdown with the truckmount, no filling and pumping out the rug pitt.

I would love to get the CentrumForce rug tub, but Tom keeps his prices in the upper atmosphere. Who knows, maybe I'll find a deal somewhere.

A centrifuge would be nice, but for now it would just be a luxury expense. It would probably be one of the last pieces of equipment I would buy after a washer and duster. having all three would make the Triad complete.

 

[roro]

Wash pit first and one with a nib wall where you can control the drainage so you can leave the urine ones in for a day or more if needed.
Cleaning is relatively quick but rinsing and drying process are the time killer for us so centrifuge would be our best timesaver if we could get to a regular volume of 10+ per week. We would look to Turkey or perhaps India for machine due to the significant price differential.

 

[hogjowl]

You’re rich
Just buy your way out of this

 

[Nomad74]

I charge $5 per sqft on wool rugs with fringe and go down from there. I just delivered one tonight. I think I’ll put the money toward a rug washer.

 

[Nomad74]

Just buy your way out of this

Buy LTCN and BCHG and you will also be rich. Clock is ticking.

 

[Cleanworks]

I can officially say cleaning high end rugs are a pain in the ass. Especially alone. I offer free pick up and delivery. Often times i get rugs so huge i can hardly lift them or even can’t lift them at all.

I think i'll be buying an automated rug washing machine. Seems the word has gotten out I clean rugs and that side of my business has slowly been picking up. Not sure I want to continue washing rugs unless I can get some automated equipment going.

View attachment 125910

Anything over a 9x12 I charge a fortune for so I can hire a guy to help me with it.

 

[Luky]

Honestly, the centrifuge would be a waste of money right now. The bottleneck is in the cleaning, not the drying. I can hang the rugs or lay them flat in places for days at a time if needed. Rugs will dry without me being around. However, they will not dust and wash themselves if I am not there. Having a dedicated washing machine would save a lot of time. No set up and breakdown with the truckmount, no filling and pumping out the rug pitt.

I would love to get the CentrumForce rug tub, but Tom keeps his prices in the upper atmosphere. Who knows, maybe I'll find a deal somewhere.

A centrifuge would be nice, but for now it would just be a luxury expense. It would probably be one of the last pieces of equipment I would buy after a washer and duster. having all three would make the Triad complete.

 

[Luky]

The Chinese manufacturer is awaiting your order.

 

[The Great Oz]

The Chinese manufacturer is awaiting your order.

Damon knows he'd just get socks.

 

[KevinL]

I can officially say cleaning high end rugs are a pain in the ass. Especially alone. I offer free pick up and delivery. Often times i get rugs so huge i can hardly lift them or even can’t lift them at all.

I think i'll be buying an automated rug washing machine. Seems the word has gotten out I clean rugs and that side of my business has slowly been picking up. Not sure I want to continue washing rugs unless I can get some automated equipment going.

View attachment 125910

I couldn't agree more. I have a machine but I still scrub on the floor then have to pick them up to feed into the machine by myself. Sometimes impossible.

 

[Nate The Great]

I couldn't agree more. I have a machine but I still scrub on the floor then have to pick them up to feed into the machine by myself. Sometimes impossible.

So you have the equipment but no help to clean/load? I'd rather have a press wringer than be without one.. That's the last piece I need.. The amount of time it would save me would be priceless..

I agree though, sometimes I still need to hook up the tm and extract a pit washed rug.. Diapering with a centrifuge is lame..

 

[Lc17smp]

Buy LTCN and BCHG and you will also be rich. Clock is ticking.

Up 28% on LTCN since I read this a few days ago. Up just 1-2% on BCHG. I figured rug cleaning was a loosing proposition and if I was going to loose money I certainly dont want to have to work to loose money. lol.

All kidding aside thanks for the tip Damon. My kids UGMA/UTMA accounts have benefited from this and so have I. Not going to lie, I’m tempted to sell already.

 

[Nomad74]

Up 28% on LTCN since I read this a few days ago. Up just 1-2% on BCHG. I figured rug cleaning was a loosing proposition and if I was going to loose money I certainly dont want to have to work to loose money. lol.

All kidding aside thanks for the tip Damon. My kids UGMA/UTMA accounts have benefited from this and so have I. Not going to lie, I’m tempted to sell already.

Just keep in mind it may pull back as much as 50% but just hold it. The next bull run will make you wealthy. I’ve got total of $800K tied up in these between the four accounts I control. Looking at a 50-200x return.

 

[KevinL]

So you have the equipment but no help to clean/load? I'd rather have a press wringer than be without one.. That's the last piece I need.. The amount of time it would save me would be priceless..

I agree though, sometimes I still need to hook up the tm and extract a pit washed rug.. Diapering with a centrifuge is lame..

I haven't had a office manager or helper in the last 3 years. Trying to sell the place if ya know someone that wants a business. I'm getting old fast.

 

[Papa John]

I can officially say cleaning high end rugs are a pain in the ass. Especially alone. I offer free pick up and delivery. Often times i get rugs so huge i can hardly lift them or even can’t lift them at all.

I think i'll be buying an automated rug washing machine. Seems the word has gotten out I clean rugs and that side of my business has slowly been picking up. Not sure I want to continue washing rugs unless I can get some automated equipment going.

View attachment 125910

I see Money not problems.
You will need two people to load large rugs unto a auto washing machine.
And most places prewash the rugs before going into the auto washer.

getting to most water out of the rugs will reduce problems and decrease drying utility expenses in non summer months.

IMO--A tumbler and or a centrifuge should be your first investment.

 

[BIG WOOD]

IMO--A tumbler and or a centrifuge should be your first investment.

I agree. A tumbler will do more cleaning than the rug washing machine

 

[Nate The Great]

I agree. A tumbler will do more cleaning than the rug washing machine

To an extent.. The tumbler can and will do damage to rugs with dry rot, weak foundations, edge damage, insect damage, even with an experienced eye.. Your inspection skills better be on point because it's not a set-it-and-forget-it tool..

All tools have it's place and knowing which tool to use is key..

 

[LOV3Y]

To an extent.. The tumbler can and will do damage to rugs with dry rot, weak foundations, edge damage, insect damage, even with an experienced eye.. Your inspection skills better be on point because it's not a set-it-and-forget-it tool..

All tools have it's place and knowing which tool to use is key..

i saw a facebook post asking about tumblers vs auto slappers.
after reading that i think im going to with a slap style machine over a duster.
do you have an opinion on whats better?

 

[Nate The Great]

i saw a facebook post asking about tumblers vs auto slappers.
after reading that i think im going to with a slap style machine over a duster.
do you have an opinion on whats better?

I have a rug badger, tumble duster, flatbed (slap) duster, true air dusting, and a vacuum as well..

I really liked the Protima flatbed duster for size of slimness and function.. I didn’t go that route as I couldn’t get what I wanted in the budget I had to work with at the time.. Hanta is also another nice one, not sure the cost..

Flatbed is used for tufted, synthetics, and lightly soiled..

True Air dusting works well but can cause streaking/corn rowing if not paying attention.. Also, doesn’t get the heavier gritter soil out.. The fine dust it well remove even after a tumbler and/or a slap duster can’t be matched..

Tumble dusting is great for less labor intensive but has its hidden flaws.. Also great for post dusting to “polish”/soften rugs.. Better be familiar with a needle and thread whichever route you go..

What I have learned is “who will be using the equipment most” and type of clients you get..

When you observe other shops and what they use and employ, and if they have a repair team on staff tells a lot.. Everyone has their opinion in this industry and philosophy..

 

[LOV3Y]

True Air dusting works well but can cause streaking/corn rowing if not paying attention.. Also, doesn’t get the heavier gritter soil out.. The fine dust it well remove even after a tumbler and/or a slap duster can’t be matched..

what air dusting system do you have?

yeah i understand that everyone seems to have strong opinion with non consensus. Not doing repairs is basically why im thinking a slap would be a better way for us to go. But i also know i need to start learning repairs so *shrug*

 

[Nate The Great]

what air dusting system do you have?

yeah i understand that everyone seems to have strong opinion with non consensus. Not doing repairs is basically why im thinking a slap would be a better way for us to go. But i also know i need to start learning repairs so *shrug*

Like Phil Auserehl air dusting.. Minimum 80psi, 80cfm.. You need a big compressor to maintain the psi and cfm for it to work correctly.. They aren't cheap, you either need a large screw compressor, a jackhammer compressor, or a very big reciprocating compressor.. It vacuums out the dust/dirt using the Venturi effect.. I have different wand heads, 1 from Ellen in Texas, and 2 my friend made for me..


The pet dryers hooked to a carpet wand are a joke.. That just blows air over the surface..

You'll eventually need to repair a side/end.. It's not that hard but it comes with the territory.. Even overcasting fringe ends..

 

[Walrus Gumboot]

We have two young/strong guys that handle pick up & delivery. Some of our rugs weigh 300+ lbs.
We have an elevated wash pit so we just roll them over the side onto a rug dolly and push over to the drying rack. It's electric/ 12 ft tall.
Wet wool rugs are a killer.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Wet wool rugs are a killer.

That drove me out of taking it very far. Yeah, no thanks!

 

[Jimmy L]

I would give the customer the illusion of a dedicated rug washer by picking up their rugs. Then driving home only to throw them on the driveway and clean them with my TM. But alas I grew tired of picking up those 9x12 rugs and going back a couple days later to deliver them.
So I said fook it and either do them as they lay or tell them to drag them out on their driveway. And that's all I got to say about that.

 

[Walrus Gumboot]

lol

 

[Papa John]

I would give the customer the illusion of a dedicated rug washer by picking up their rugs. Then driving home only to throw them on the driveway and clean them with my TM. But alas I grew tired of picking up those 9x12 rugs and going back a couple days later to deliver them.
So I said fook it and either do them as they lay or tell them to drag them out on their driveway. And that's all I got to say about that.

Why not get paid 4x more for the illusion?
But one should clean the back as well and put the rug in a drying room.

My "Rug Plant" is my "Man Cave".
I would rather clean rugs AND MAKE MONEY in My Man Cave than watch TV.
I got vacations and a retirement acct to fund.