Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: PurefectWindowCleaning on September 08, 2011, 05:24:40 pm
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Hi guys.
Im looking into adding carpet cleaning as another service offered by my company.
I have cleaned a few carpets over the years using a little hot water extraction machine which was lent to me by a friend, but never really advertised this service as building up a full window cleaning round was my main priority.
What is the 'bog standard' machine nowadays on the market, and where is the best place to buy it from? (reason im only after a 'bog standard ' machine for now is that for time being, I shall only be using it on friends and familys carpets, untill I belive im at a decent enough standard to start then using on a few window cleaning customers, followed by advertising proper)
Thanks in advance for anwsers/advice.
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Hi
Get some training, then some more training
Buy the best machine affordable to you. There are many members on here who have been ccs for a few years and still go to courses to enhance the service. And good on um.
AS for machines a minefield.
Twin vac minimum, 135psi minimum,
Only my opinion though
Paul
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All you need to know on there mate. Can't go wrong.
http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=search
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All you need to know on there mate. Can't go wrong.
http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=search
A minefield cozy.
If you have no input or advice, Why send him to search ?
Paul
And stop pickin ur nose
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I was trying to help the guy, because on this section you can wait ages for a reply if you get one because so many windies come on and ask. I wasn't trying to be funny. There is also a certain amount of snobbery on here because some carpet scrubbers think they are a few rungs higher up the food chain than window cleaners. Childish, I know, but that's people sometimes.
So rather than the bloke waiting hours or days, he could use the search section and type in specific words to speed the process up. That's what this forum is for, to help eachother. Did it appear I was being unhelpful?
As for the nose picking attempt at being funny, I'll try and work out a witty answer when I get time.
Another way to get this point across would be to point out that after nearly 4 hours, the only answer he has so far is your first post, and your post about me not giving advice, which I did give. Do you see the point?
So knock yaself out Paul and clue the guy up. Give him all your well learned knowledge. Should only take a few lines.
Oh, you already have
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Thanks for the replys so far people.
As for getting some training, that will come from friends and famillys carpets, so dont think I need to do any courses etc.
As for the machine its self, I could invest and buy the best machine on the market but as I am only going to be doing odd front rooms here and odd stair cases there, as apposed to trying to get much larger jobs such as pubs/nursing homes etc, I think a more 'bog standard' machine will be enough for now.
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Thanks for the replys so far people.
As for getting some training, that will come from friends and famillys carpets, so dont think I need to do any courses etc.
As for the machine its self, I could invest and buy the best machine on the market but as I am only going to be doing odd front rooms here and odd stair cases there, as apposed to trying to get much larger jobs such as pubs/nursing homes etc, I think a more 'bog standard' machine will be enough for now.
Good job you asked on here first then innit?
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As for getting some training, that will come from friends and famillys carpets, so dont think I need to do any courses etc.
Think again !
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As for getting some training, that will come from friends and famillys carpets, so dont think I need to do any courses etc.
Think again !
Yep, I have thought again, and yes I KNOW I dont have to do any courses as already have past experiance.
All Id like is someome to reccomend the make and model of a machine that will cater for my requirments?!!
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Well it sounds like you need a VAX or a Rug doctor mate.
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As for getting some training, that will come from friends and famillys carpets, so dont think I need to do any courses etc.
Think again !
Yep, I have thought again, and yes I KNOW I dont have to do any courses as already have past experiance.
All Id like is someome to reccomend the make and model of a machine that will cater for my requirments?!!
I had past experience and thought i was good and knew what I was doing........then i did a course and realised i didnt.
With good training you can still do a cracking job even when your machine is not the best.
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Well it sounds like you need a VAX or a Rug doctor mate.
I just have to agree, thats very sound advice there from our resident expert!!!!!!! you'd be silly not to follow his advice!!! ;D
but if you don't want something that powerful, you could always get yourself a boxer 421! speak to Derek West!!! ;D ;D
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What can I say? The roll eyes emoticon didn't work. Was meant to be ironic. Nearly every time a windie comes in here for advice they have no intention of following, they either say "Thanks, I'll leave it" or don't even bother to answer. It's up to them. Most windies think CCing is an add on that any one can do.
If someone goes onto the window section and asks for advice about DI or WFP and can't be bothered to search the forum, they get the same response. I know we are here to help, but only help those that really want it. I don't claim to be an expert like some do on here. But any windie that wants to add on CCing and thinks they don't need training only need a crappy little VAX or something like that, as they wont really take up CCing anyway.
The snobbery thing I mentioned hasn't got a response yet. Strange that. If I need to know anything from this section, I actually e-mail some members. Too many know it alls on here who earn millions but drive around in 9 year old transits.
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Yes Cozy -Please stop picking ur nose!!
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Hey, I earn millions and drive a 5 year old transit thank you very much ;)
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what harm could it do to do a course anyway? even if you think you don't need it?
I've done a few short courses and have always actually enjoyed them, even though I didn't want to go to start with.
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James, as experienced full time carpet cleaners, we maybe see things in your words that you don't:
Im looking into adding carpet cleaning as another service offered by my company.
I have cleaned a few carpets over the years using a little hot water extraction machine which was lent to me by a friend, but never really advertised this service as building up a full window cleaning round was my main priority.
What is the 'bog standard' machine nowadays on the market, and where is the best place to buy it from? (reason im only after a 'bog standard ' machine for now is that for time being, I shall only be using it on friends and familys carpets, untill I belive im at a decent enough standard to start then using on a few window cleaning customers, followed by advertising proper)
What you're telling us is that you know how to switch the machine on and off, empty and fill it, but have yet to learn the "craft" of carpet cleaning.
It's blatantly obvious you need to do some "official" training. You don't seem very receptive to that fact, which I think is extremely arrogant.
You suggest you don't feel confident enough yet to take your service out to the wider market, which is testament to the fact that you do not have the necessary skills to market yourself as a professional carpet cleaner.
All Id like is someome to reccomend the make and model of a machine that will cater for my requirments?!!
If you walked in to the hospital with your arm hanging off and asked "what tablets do I need to make this better?", what do you think their response is going to be? Would you keep going to different hospitals in hope that one is going to give you the tablets you want?
Or would you listen to them when they say "Errrr.. actually sir we need to do some surgery on this"
Your idea is the dismembered arm, we are the hospital.
Yeah you're probably going to fling some more arrogance back at me but hey do I give a sh*t? Nope, your money you're flushing down the pan. We're just trying to do you a favour here :)
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Hi Guys
As window cleaners no doubt vary so too do carpet cleaners.
Most on here aspire to be the best they can and therefore look to learn and earn as much as possible.
If you want to do very basic carpet cleaning, learning as you go along from your successes and failures, then a cheap machine like a Craftex Grace will suffice. However if you want to be good, then a higher powered porty or even a truckmount is required and these cost up to £30,000.
Training is vital if you want to be any good as is experience.
Cheers
Doug
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Hi Guys
As window cleaners no doubt vary so too do carpet cleaners.
Most on here aspire to be the best they can and therefore look to learn and earn as much as possible.
If you want to do very basic carpet cleaning, learning as you go along from your successes and failures, then a cheap machine like a Craftex Grace will suffice. However if you want to be good, then a higher powered porty or even a truckmount is required and these cost up to £30,000.
Training is vital if you want to be any good as is experience.
Cheers
Doug
This is the reply I was looking for, thankyou Doug.
Thanks to everyone else that has took the time to reply, appreciate it!
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As for getting some training, that will come from friends and famillys carpets, so dont think I need to do any courses etc.
That's not true! You need to at least be trained to a decent standard, not matter how many carpets or upholstery you clean.. I come across so many wana be carpet cleaners who think it's well paid easy work which requires no training! You could cost yourself a fortune if you manage to damage a customers expensive carpet or suite! And because you have had no training you'd be lucky to claim on the insurance, IF you can get it.
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thks for your constructive comments yesterday James :P
In a 'Nutshell' take the advice and get some training ;D
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He wont..............
He'll buy a second hand grace, and work away merrily flooding and leaving soap everywhere
one day he will do it, and not be able to sort it out and wonder where he went wrong...
Everyone else will get the blame, wrong machine etc but not him..............
oh no he is experienced now, so nothing can go wrong........
see it a lot mate..../.
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;D ;D ;D
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Is it just me who gets pi**ed off with people who just come here to take without giving?
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Hi Guys
As window cleaners no doubt vary so too do carpet cleaners.
Most on here aspire to be the best they can and therefore look to learn and earn as much as possible.
If you want to do very basic carpet cleaning, learning as you go along from your successes and failures, then a cheap machine like a Craftex Grace will suffice. However if you want to be good, then a higher powered porty or even a truckmount is required and these cost up to £30,000.
Training is vital if you want to be any good as is experience.
Cheers
Doug
This is the reply I was looking for, thankyou Doug.
Thanks to everyone else that has took the time to reply, appreciate it!
Looks to me that you just wanted to be told you are right! ;)
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Hello all, hope everyone is well.
You wont find arrogance here I hope because I'm too bewildered and ignorant to have self-confidence let alone cockiness. I've trawled the site and been glad of the input from some obviously very knowledgable and experienced operators. I've not quite found the exact answers I've been looking for, carpet cleaning certainly has more to it than most people would imagine so you'd need volumes to cover everything it seems.
Anyway, to narrow things down a bit .................. carpet cleaning would be a supplementary income for me and I'm not looking to make a fortune at it. The part-time job I've just been made redundant from paid a humble £170 net per week and if I could equal this I could keep the wolves from the door. That's not to say I'm looking for an easy life, I don't underestimate the work involved. Unfortunately I'm having recurring back pain and would need to ease myself into the work gradually even if I did want to make a king's ransom.
Reading through the information available, would I be correct in saying that while not necessarily the best cleaners on the market, HOST Freestyle and Reliant are at least fairly 'idiot proof'. By that I mean I'm less likely to destroy someones carpet with one of these rather than with a more complicated cleaner? It does seem that whatever model I choose you guys would still say do as much training as possible?
Needless to say for the relatively modest sum I want to earn per week the Reliant is much more likely to pay for itself in the short term. I have to admit to being fairly surprised at the cost of some of the more proficient models out there. You get what you pay for and pay for what you need obviously Do you think the Reliant would be up to the average job (!?!?) if I was patient and learned the basics over time?
Sorry if these seem like rather naive questions or if they've been asked before numerous times and I've just failed to find the answers.
Any feedback gratefully, and definitely not arrogantly, received ;)
Tony
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Hey, I earn millions and drive a 5 year old transit thank you very much ;)
Jim what is this all about, have i missed something here ???
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Ricky,
I just realised you're on here - I just bought the Numatic off you! lol
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As for getting some training, that will come from friends and famillys carpets, so dont think I need to do any courses etc.
I'd think twice, perhaps even thrice over that if I were you. You can do an awful lot of damage in a very short space of time simply by not knowing what you are doing. Plus, it's not a very professional appraoch, if you don't mind me saying so.
Simon
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Oh he won't mind, he won't even read it Simon... he's been told he's right by someone and now he's off round Auntie Mabel's to slop some detergent round her lounge carpet ;)
Ricky, if you convert it into Japanese Yen I earn millions!
Tony, training is essential no matter what level you're wanting to take it to. You need to know what you're working on, whether you clean one carpet a week or a hundred.
However if you wanted to just start something part-time you could get something like a HOST system and market yourself accordingly. However (and this is a real can of worms) it's my opinion you should market "dry" systems like HOST as a maintenance cleaning system and not try to pretend, as others do, that it is anywhere near as effective as Hot Water Extraction in the majority of cases.
Indeed, you wouldn't need to be anywhere near as wary about ruining carpets, however you wouldn't want to attack a 100% wool velvet pile carpet with your coarse brushes! I would market to hotels & conference centres first, as they are the most likely to want the number 1 advantage of a dry system - no down time and no drying time.
Could say lots more but need to walk the dog. Good luck ;)
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As for getting some training, that will come from friends and famillys carpets, so dont think I need to do any courses etc.
I'd think twice, perhaps even thrice over that if I were you. You can do an awful lot of damage in a very short space of time simply by not knowing what you are doing. Plus, it's not a very professional appraoch, if you don't mind me saying so.
Simon
Nursery rhyme,
Simon says, :D
And he is spot on
Paul
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No, that's more than enough Jim, really appreciate you taking the time. Cheers.
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No problem Tony :)
Further to my previous post, the one thing many would-be carpet cleaners fail to spot is that this business is all about marketing and salesmanship, if you want to ever get off the ground. You could train a monkey to do the work, it's getting the work in the first place that is the difficult bit!