Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: calmore on August 24, 2006, 07:45:13 pm

Title: First suite!
Post by: calmore on August 24, 2006, 07:45:13 pm
I have just been asked to clean my first suite!

Fortunately, it has a label on the bottom which reads:

50% Cotton Chenille
41% Polyester
9% Viscose
Do Not Dry Clean

It's in good condition but a tad faded in places. There is the usual 'blackening' on the arms and along the front edges.

Can anyone please give any tips on the best cleaning method to use, eg chemicals etc.

Attached is a pic of the fabric.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: calmore on August 24, 2006, 07:47:04 pm
Oops!

here's the pic:
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: calmore on August 24, 2006, 07:51:50 pm
Forgot to mention: there is a slight water mark where one of the kids spilt a drink.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: rich hand on August 27, 2006, 08:00:30 pm
Whowww dont take things so seriously!!! just hwe it unless its suede etc. ive never had a problem and only please custards, just do it in under 2.5h and making sure the dye doesn't run. What are you charging them? I just prespray with spitfire btw and maybe try citrus gel.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: darren_metcalfe on August 27, 2006, 08:12:25 pm
pre spray with Prochem Fab Restorer and extract with Fab Clean (Fab restorer for heavily soiled areas).  or prespray with Chemspec Prekleen (heavily soiled areas and extract with  Powdered Extraction Upholstery Cleaner.  As above this is the standard of suites you will get.  I would also suggest a good pre vac first, you never know what you can find down the edges of the sofas.  Good degree of agitation with soft brush and dwell time, this is all after of course carrying out usual pre tests.

One other point worth mentioning make sure you brush the pile after each extraction clean with a horse hair brush, not the same you used for agitiation just to make sure you have removed the tool stroke marks.

Regards

Darren
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: calmore on August 27, 2006, 10:16:27 pm
Whowww dont take things so seriously!!! just clean it unless its suede etc. ive never had a problem and only pleased custards, just do it in under 2.5h and making sure the dye dont run. What are you charging them?

Me? take things seriously? Nah!

What I don't want to do is C*ck it up by making a stupid mistake or missing something obvious.

Quoted £175 in total but there are various bits to it like footstools etc.

Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: rich hand on August 27, 2006, 10:45:08 pm
Did edit that post slightly but dont worry just clean it with a decent prespray and hwe. If you have to use any agi then fine and explain any over wetting from hwe an area twice. Thats a great price for any suite, what area are you working? I charge £95 on average (NW) and clean 3-4/week.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: calmore on August 28, 2006, 10:01:53 pm
Remember it's a suite, not just a sofa.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: rich hand on September 01, 2006, 07:54:33 pm
Probably cleaned 150 suites all in under 3h, majority in under 2h. Typical 3 piece 5 seater takes 2h including machine setup/packup and I charge £95 but will be gradually rising to £115. £50-60h.

I know if I spent alot more on advertising I could hit the more up market areas and charge more but at present my advertising is very cheap and hits the average areas hence such prices. Also, there are competitors charging £40/suite, yes per suite.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: *paul_moss on September 01, 2006, 07:58:59 pm
I charge around £125 per suite.
Usually £25 per seating area for sofa's and £30 for chairs.
Add £75 to £95 for a protector.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: Derek on September 01, 2006, 08:27:37 pm
 :o I can't clean five unit suite in under three hours 
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: *paul_moss on September 01, 2006, 08:31:23 pm
Usually takes me between 3 and 4 hours.
Derek most guys dont pre vac and dont do backs and sides, thats why it takes them 2 hours.

Ill duck now. ;)
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: Derek on September 01, 2006, 08:32:32 pm
But some of the furniture I clean the back and sides are the dirtiest...haven't they ever heard of filtration soiling?
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: *paul_moss on September 01, 2006, 08:35:15 pm
Especially if they are smokers.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: Derek on September 01, 2006, 08:43:51 pm
I have some wonderful pictures of far worse....traffic fumes  ::)
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: *paul_moss on September 01, 2006, 09:00:24 pm
Derek did your wife take those ones when you wern't looking.  ;D
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: Damian on September 01, 2006, 09:10:07 pm
Did you manage to light a flame?  ;D
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: Derek on September 02, 2006, 07:07:04 am
Very droll...please don't mock the afflicted  ;)

Seriously I have some superb pictures that show the effect of filtration from traffic passing by outside.
The house was next to traffic lights on a main road... the frightening thing was the owners were breathing the darned stuff.
This was an exceptional case but highlights the existance of such soiling and why 'all' areas of furniture should be cleaned...its a selling point dammit ...simply because so many cleaners don't clean everything
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: Mike Halliday on September 02, 2006, 08:02:01 am
 I was paid £45 to just vac a suite this week :D :D I went to survey the job and had to tell the woman that the suite didnt need cleaning.

when I asked why she wanted it cleaning she said they had just had the builders in and the place was filled with dust.

so I offered to vac it for her & she went for it.

Mike
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: carpetclean on September 02, 2006, 10:37:31 am
mike i cleaned a house about three months ago all carpets and suites beds etc i was called back a couple of weeks ago to do them again because of builders dust but to be honest i saw no evidence of any but she insisted i clean the whole house. i was not going to argue.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: calmore on September 02, 2006, 07:30:46 pm
I charge around £125 per suite.
Usually £25 per seating area for sofa's and £30 for chairs.
Add £75 to £95 for a protector.

This is a three seater, two seater, one seater plus a footstool.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: *paul_moss on September 02, 2006, 07:34:55 pm
Dependant on  the flock and soilage ,I would charge around £150 to claen and add £75 for protector ( deal price offer)
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: HolmansUKLTD on September 02, 2006, 07:35:49 pm
flock and soilage  ;D ;D

I love that phrase

Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: *paul_moss on September 02, 2006, 07:39:06 pm
Nick flock off  :-X
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: calmore on September 02, 2006, 08:49:06 pm
Talking of stain protection, I have found that people who purchased a "Stain protection GUARANTEE" when they bought the suite new never want to buy a proper "stain guard".

People don't realise the difference between a "stain guarantee" that the stores offer and proper "scotchguard", the fact that one is merely an insurance policy and the other a genuine chemical applied to the fabric and believe that "stain protectors" are therefore crap.

Has anyone found a way to overcome this? I find it impossible to convince some customers that there is a difference.

"Well I purchased stain protection and it didn't work"

"No, you purchased an insurance policy, not a stain guard"

"No I didn't, they told me it was scotchguard and it's crap"

etc..etc..
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: rich hand on September 02, 2006, 09:39:54 pm
I have to say I didnt realise that about stain protectors and stain insurance Calmore.

75+ for  stain protection is bursurk Paul, it costs me £10-15 and 10 minutes to correctly apply stain shield professional to a suite and I charge £45.

Btw I clean ALL surfaces leaving NO dirt and I dont take a break. Suites rarely need a seperate vac in my opinion. I am FAST, Ive been a sprinter for 10 years.
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: calmore on September 02, 2006, 10:25:32 pm
Well, we fell for it about 10 years ago..

Bought a sofa from a famous sofa chain store and paid ££££s for "Stain protection". It was sold to us as being "similar to scotchguard" in that the furniture was "protected" from stains..

It wasn't until 6 months after buying it that the sofa was stained so we contacted the store. It was only then that we learned that we'd actually purchased an insurance policy! What's more the Insurance policy had exclusions in it that meant that almost all stains were excluded! Anything "alkaline" or "acidic" were excluded from the guarantee meaning only "neutral" stains were covered!
Title: Re: First suite!
Post by: calmore on September 02, 2006, 10:26:18 pm
Dependant on  the flock and soilage ,I would charge around £150 to claen and add £75 for protector ( deal price offer)

Well I quoted £175 for the clean and £50 for protection, so the same price in total. However, they didn't opt for the stain protector :(