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UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: andrew stone on December 24, 2011, 03:16:34 pm

Title: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: andrew stone on December 24, 2011, 03:16:34 pm
Hi Guys

Merry xmas to all.
phoned an old mate who i met on the prochem training courses 15 years ago to wish him a good xmas.
he is now 72 and still cleaning carpets- will go out cleaning in the morning or afternoon but not all day.
he is very fit for his age -not just carpet cleaning but cycleing and circuit training.

The way pensions are going i will probably have to join him-although my backs half knackered and i am only 48!

anyone know anyone older still pushing the wand?    regards  andrew.
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: wayne zabel on December 24, 2011, 03:33:05 pm
Thats what I think i will have to do as I dont think my pension is going to be enourmous.

72 will probably be the age for claiming the state pension soon though if governments carry on moving the goal posts ;D
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: Kinver_Clean on December 24, 2011, 04:08:25 pm
I can't beat that but I am 70 in a month or two.
I aim to do 3 days a week but usually end up doing 4, and don't do commercials now.
I have plenty of long weekends during the summer when we use our caravan to visit places.
Having stopped advertising 6 years ago, except 1 carpet shop, and put my prices up considerably, I am now earning as much as when I was rushing around like a madman- I wish I had done it years ago.
I will probably carry on for a while yet until I get too decrepit, it gets me out of the house, I get to meet old friends and new, it pays for the ale and holidays and keeps me reasonably fit.

Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: expro on December 24, 2011, 05:39:40 pm
Who was your tutor at Prochem. Ron Tilley?
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: steven Banks on December 24, 2011, 05:47:29 pm
I can't beat that but I am 70 in a month or two.
I aim to do 3 days a week but usually end up doing 4, and don't do commercials now.
I have plenty of long weekends during the summer when we use our caravan to visit places.
Having stopped advertising 6 years ago, except 1 carpet shop, and put my prices up considerably, I am now earning as much as when I was rushing around like a madman- I wish I had done it years ago.
I will probably carry on for a while yet until I get too decrepit, it gets me out of the house, I get to meet old friends and new, it pays for the ale and holidays and keeps me reasonably fit.



Thats great! Good for you.  :)
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: Tony Gill Carpet Smart on December 24, 2011, 08:00:41 pm
After today I feel about 90 lol  ;D

Cheers Tony
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: andrew stone on December 25, 2011, 11:23:16 am
expro
yes the course tutor was ron tilley
good course once it got started
lunch not bad also!

andrew
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: andrew stone on December 25, 2011, 11:27:31 am
kinver-clean

really admire your attitude.still working and also getting  out doing things you enjoy at the same time..
the best of both worlds.
hope i can emulate you!

andrew
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: robert meldrum on December 25, 2011, 12:28:00 pm
Good for you Kinver, I'm two years behind you and still working and had planned to keep doing so 'til 75 although I'm depending on some help from the NHS to let that happen.  ;D ;D

Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: Dave_Lee on December 25, 2011, 06:13:26 pm
If you keep yourself really fit and lets face the job does help, you can go on (providing your health is also good) way past State pension age.
I have been busier than ever this last year and have been in this business coming up 33 years.
In April I backpacked the 192 mile Coast to Coat route carrying a wild camping pack and averaged walking over 40 miles per day to finish in 4 days 11 hours. I am going for a record sub 4 days this year and am considering a pals call to climb the Matterhorn with him.
I am 66 years in a few months time.
Never allow age to be a barruer for what you want to achieve.
Dave.
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: andrew stone on December 25, 2011, 06:20:59 pm
dave

that is fantastic.you guys have really inspired me .

andrew
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: Lansdowne on December 25, 2011, 07:21:18 pm
I am not the oldest but I been cleaning carpets for 44 years in 2 weeks & I will be 64 in June
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: benny d on December 25, 2011, 07:42:35 pm
My dad Sam is 76, and works with me most days.
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: clarkson on December 26, 2011, 04:10:46 pm
If you keep yourself really fit and lets face the job does help, you can go on (providing your health is also good) way past State pension age.
I have been busier than ever this last year and have been in this business coming up 33 years.
In April I backpacked the 192 mile Coast to Coat route carrying a wild camping pack and averaged walking over 40 miles per day to finish in 4 days 11 hours. I am going for a record sub 4 days this year and am considering a pals call to climb the Matterhorn with him.
I am 66 years in a few months time.
Never allow age to be a barruer for what you want to achieve.
Dave.
[/quote

wow
thats incredible time, i have coast to coast in my hit list to do but i reckon ten days for me .

well done dave.

respect

john
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: andrew stone on December 28, 2011, 07:24:49 am
benny

thats great!

actually if i remember rightly in an old copy of prochems cleaning specialist there was a photo of a guy in his eighties
wearing a bow tie helping his son everyday with the truckmount!

better than living on a state pension!

andrew
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: clinton on December 28, 2011, 09:27:49 am
Some great post from the older guys  and why not..

Good to hear some are still doing well in there 70s :)

Its the keeping fit thats the key too..
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on December 28, 2011, 01:03:18 pm
There's a guy who lives near to my inlaws Who is in his early 80s and he has just finished carpet cleaning he uses a stimvak but now only cleans for family, years ago he used to clean royal cinemas which isn't the one the queen goes in but a brand I'd never heard of but he was very proud to be associated with them.

Shaun
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: Paul Moss on December 28, 2011, 02:35:20 pm
Im only a youngster at 50 but i know there are cleaners out there far older than i still going strong like Derek West and Simon Gerrard ;D
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: garry22 on December 28, 2011, 04:14:21 pm
My Dad retired from driving the pilelifter at 86 a couple of years ago on health grounds.

He used to enjoy meeting different people on commercial jobs (and basically, see what was happening in the world outside the house). He said "I can stay at home and row with your mother or come out working with you"!
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: andrew stone on March 06, 2012, 09:58:25 am
Hi guys

slightly unrelated but did a job for a customer who was 81 years old and still working 4 hours a day
in B&Q.

he said he loves the job and he also seems very active with the rest of his life.
he even told me that he has got a new girlfriend!

what do you reckon?

will this be you or are you aiming to fully retire from work as early as possible?

i really admired the bloke but i dont fancy being an 81 year old carpet cleaner!

andrew
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: james roffey on March 06, 2012, 12:36:08 pm
My mother is 86 and still working as a travel agent "full time"  :o hats off to the guys who can work 70+ i feel like seventy sometimes !
Title: Re: oldest carpet cleaner?
Post by: andrew stone on March 06, 2012, 02:21:02 pm
James

i know what you mean!

andrew