[Mike Osbourne]

Interesting comments about TM from portable users.

As Jim says doing your prep upfront so you can turn the key and wand straight through is the aim. Sure sometimes you have to put the wand down and spot something or move something but on the whole it's not an issue. JKs sticky tabs are a big help here.

[Paul Heath]

Here we go again....basically we are all earning a living with whatever machine we have and what we all charge out.
Its pointless slagging of someone's machine and because he is charging x amount. Your time would be better spent canvassing......

[rich hand]

If carpet cleaning pricing was all pretty uniform  like carpet fitting we would have more competition until someone comes along and lowers prices again 

[Kinver_Clean]

Ignore what other people charge.
Price so you are making a living and covering expenses not forgetting tax at the end of the year.

Someone said we should be charging £60-70 per hour. It seems a lot but 25% will go on NI and tax, then theres van costs, 3rd party insurance and new machinery. By the end of that lot there is not a fortune left for us.

Trevor

[rich hand]

I heard it was supposed to be £100/h 

[Dave_Lee]

No truckmounts are only in a league of their own on commercial jobs. Totally inefficient on domestics, whilst your shifting furniture and bric a brac the screaming unit outside is dumping your cleaning solution and burning off fuel.

Once you turn the key on a truckmount your fingers need to be on the wand trigger full time, take them off and its costing you big time in solution and fuel.
Just an observation whilst looking at one last week.

Matt

You obviously dont own a TM and what you claim is totally untrue. Simple correct job organisation and management means your TM is running only when its working cleaning carpets. My TM doesnt dump water anyway and it runs on LPG (half the price of petrol)
As for not being efficient on domestic jobs - are you serious. I used the best portables for 23 years before going Truck Mounted. I do mostly domestic and with my first entry level TM My production doubled, and now with my Blueline TM I get through the same amount of work even faster and with better results than ever. It has also opened the door to lucrative Tile & Grout cleaning.
Dave.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

Dave, Matt likes to be controversial, of course TM's are much quicker on domestic although it does take a bit of adjusting at first.

Other benefits I have found, are less aches and pains from lugging things around and beuing able to leave very little if any chemical in the carpet, so slowing resoling.

Cheers

Doug

[Buster Ingram]

Doug you forgot to mention  leaving less chemicals and water in the carpet when using a Truck-mount they dry far far quicker ! 

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

I charge the same now with the TM as i did when i used the portable 35p a square foot been OLD SCHOOL only differance is I make a lot more per hour.

CHEERS TONY

[Ian Gourlay]

and at the end of the month I dont have much left in my pocket - the wifes grabbed most of it. 

Joe
Do you pay yourself monthly?

Due to the reccession and the infux of new carpet cleaners I am back to £1 a metre  as suggestedon Extracta Web Site for some reason the poll result is showing and nt the voting button so I could not vote.

I am going to Alltec Extacavanza  where the blind will not be leading the blind  to learn how to get £6 without scarring off the customer  Jim obviously knows as he gets £10
Thats good because next  50% OFF advert can be  20x10 lounge  £200 down to £100  Another point to bear in mind  is you should take of the areas you do not clean

In My room I have wall  units  Computer Desk piano  and if you do not calculate these out you are getting more per metre than you realise


Doug

Iam just wondering what test you did when you were useing a portable to see how much residue you left in carpet to cause resoiling

I also thought you were a convert to prochems version of micro spliter and green cleaning where you use a plain water rinse.

Also whe you were a portable owner how many complaints did you get about resoiling or drying times .?

[clinton]

I charge in the middle of this costing and on some commercials even more as some were already paying a ihgher price when i got the contracts.

Most of this commercial work is done on a l m system as well so its quieter, qucker and can be done at my convenience and not at night time

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Ian

£ 1.00 per square metre - are you serious 



Steve

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

Ian, the truckmount can flush out the carpet much better because of the volume of water and it's temperature.

I do usually use either a pure water rinse or add a little acid to balance pH, but when I am using a porty will quite often have pureclean in the tank, to give me the desired result as I believe getting the carpet or upholstery clean is the most important thing.

I have said on a previous post, can't remember which topic, that one fine day I will do a proper scientific experiment to see just what effect leaving chemicals in the carpet does have on resoiling.

Cheers

Doug

[Mike Halliday]

Ian, I was thinking of going to the Alltec day on marketing. I've kept the Thursday free but still haven't made up my mind. Might see you there

I voted £2-£3, but I've never priced by the square Metre it all goes on the individual job, how long it will take etc..etc

I did a job on Friday, the couple had just had a new staircase installed, they got charged 3 times the normal rate due to the circumstances of the job. But I asked them right from the start how good a job do you want us to do? I told them honestly that to do the best job possible we needed to completely empty the room, so we carried all the furniture into the Conservatory and I used the T/M to dry vac the carpet ...... we were there ages

[derek west]

mike
isn't dry vaccing with the tm a danger to the blower?
derek

[Mike Halliday]

Derek, I use a dust downer to inject water into the vac line, also I fit a stocking into my inline filter to catch all the crap.

I used the T/M becuase the carpet was a very long shag pile, the upright vac would have just snagged the pile but it has crap deep in the pile.

[derek west]

where can i get a dust downer from?
and i must admit, i'm condidering an inline, cleaning the tank filter is a pain. and the handles broke all ready. my fault for banging the cwap out instead of washing it out. oops!
derek

[Mike Halliday]

its quite easy to make an improvised dust-downer all you need to do is find a way to inject water into your vac hose.

I have a 3ft lengh of solution line with a jet fitted which fits into a small hole in my inline filter so as I dry vac it sprays water into the filter which wets down all the dry dust.

Ian, I was just thinking, if you take me as a guest it will only cost me £25 and I could  pay  for a slap up lunch for us both

[craigp]

As for 'new comers' we are now learning it was all deliberate!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1222769/Dishonest-Blair-Straw-accused-secret-plan-multicultural-UK.html

[calmore]

My prices vary quite widely, depending on how dirty the carpet is and how far it is from home. In other words the price is based on how much work/expenditure is involved in doing the job.

I try to be as fair as possible whilst still making a reasonable profit. I try not to overcharge as I know how it'd feel if boot was on t'other foot.