UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Chris R on January 01, 2007, 06:44:28 pm
Title: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Chris R on January 01, 2007, 06:44:28 pm
Hello and a happy new year to you all !
I am just in the process of re- jigging my price list for the cleaning of rugs, and wondered if anyone uses a simple formula to reach the price that they charge, on the vast array of different size rugs that we have to clean ?
I am thinking of something along the lines of a price per square foot plus a price per foot length of fringe ( if fitted).
At the moment my price list is just made up of " guess work".
Thanks
Chris
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Liahona on January 01, 2007, 07:25:09 pm
It really depends on how you clean them. If you are going to clean them away from the clients house then you shouldnt charge less than £3 a square foot. If with fringes then charge an extra pound a foot. I should say at this point it depends how you clean them too. If you clean them properly, both sides by immersion then you can charge 5 or 6 pounds a sq foot. But to mickey mouse them with hwe or heaven forbid dry clean them then 3 should do. Best, Dave.
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Chris R on January 01, 2007, 08:02:21 pm
I clean rugs " on-Site" , using my mickey mouse truckmount ! ;)
Anyone else using this method of cleaning rugs ? ::) and How do you work out your prices ?
Cheers
Chris
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: calmore on January 01, 2007, 08:19:48 pm
On rugs I'd most certainly clean off site and would price depending on the job, as there are too many variables involved.
However, I'd say that a minimum charge of £25 would be in order.
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: scott. on January 01, 2007, 08:20:39 pm
I mickey mouse mine too, at £35 for an average size rug..Value for money?...but then again, i'm not a patronising, arogant europian! :o
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: *paul_moss on January 01, 2007, 08:34:26 pm
Yep I mickey mouse mine too. :'( Strange as they really come up great. :D Watched John Bolton once showing carpet cleaners how to clean them,guess what he Mickey moused them too.Are we all doin it wrong? :o As to prices.I charge individually dependant on the work needed and time its going to take etc. s a guide a small rug from £30 to £50 med £50 to £70 large upwards from £70. The most I have got for a rug is £200
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Len Gribble on January 01, 2007, 09:13:40 pm
Chris
It’s not often I clean rugs on site as I don’t have the control that I charge for it! (I don’t take the Mick)
Know a few cleaners who charged £ 3 to £15 for a £1k rug but that’s life! ::)
Understand where Dave’s coming from all down usp and no I don’t, haven’t the facilities :-[ got a big pond but the fish wont like it! But have done a pw job on two gave up customer did have a clean drive though no joke! 8)
Paul
Sold your-self short, I got £4k once never ever again took 6 of us just to turn it over to vac only 3 on the return trip.
Len (Hate rugs and sofas so a premium is there)
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Phil Marlor on January 01, 2007, 09:18:00 pm
Problem with rugs is that most on the market cost around about £100, difficult to charge say £65.00 if this is the case, so I price a rug based on quality of the item.
Always remember Ron Tilley at a Prochem training course saying with rugs & carpets, the more expensive the item the more you charge.
Phil
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: *paul_moss on January 01, 2007, 10:10:18 pm
When I did my Prochem training he told me to charge 10% of the rug value if it was an expensive one.
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: ColinFitch on January 01, 2007, 10:14:10 pm
Hi All,
I Think Liahona is saying,
Mickey Mouse[ surface clean only] Properly [total immersion/ flooding them
colin.
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Chris R on January 01, 2007, 10:41:04 pm
I certainly appreciate that taking a rug off site would be the best option.
You have more control over the drying process, and if you F**K it up you can try to put it right without the customer ever needing to know ! ;)
I used to have an area at home that I would use to clean rugs in, but since the loft conversion was done last year its now my sons bedroom ! :(
But how can you say that a truckmount gives the BEST possible clean on a fitted carpet, but then all of a sudden it turns into a " mickey mouse" machine when you clean a rug with it?
But back to the point of this thread, How do you price up rugs ?
If you are pricing your jobs over the phone ( most carpet cleaners do), would you ask the customer how much they paid for the rug ?
Does it really matter how much the rug cost ?
I find that its the size of the rug that is important ( when pricing) and if its got fringes ?
I think that its fair to say that its quicker to clean a small rug than a big rug ?
thanks
Chris
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Liahona on January 02, 2007, 09:07:29 am
Chris, I have never suggested that a truckmount was a mickey mouse machine. .... Yes it is the best and only way to clean a wall to wall carpet under normal circumstances. I said that to clean using hwe or dry was mickey mouse. The reason we use a truckmount or any type of machine at the clients house is because the carpet can not be taken away to be cleaned, whereas an area rug can and should be. An area rug needs to be cleaned both sides and ALL dry soiling removed to be called clean. If it is not done this way then it hasnt been cleaned properly. and this can not be done by hwe, especially at the clients house. As to your questions....... I have found that if the rug is expensive or very expensive the client will tell you without being prompted............It doesnt matter how much the client paid for the rug (but I will come back to that).............Yes to the size and especially yes to having fringes.................. lastly, yes, obviously a smaller rug takes less time to clean...........As to the price of the textile. A good rule of thumb is 10% of the value but more often than not you will come unstuck with this theory as, if the rug only cost 100 quid you wouldnt agree to clean it for 10. On the other end if it cost 100,000 would you be able to clean it for 10,000 quid? Probably not. However if or when you clean antique, rare or priceless rugs it is not unheard of to charge many thousands to do so, again it is the market we chose to work for..... Sadly I was working as a sub for a museum but worked on a rug that the client was charged 150,000 dollars to have it cleaned, which at the time was about 100,000quid. The textile so say was bought at auction for 1 and a half million dolars. So in this case the charge was the 10%. For the record this price was stipulated by the customer and wasnt negotiable............... Best and hope this helps a little, Dave.
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: scott. on January 02, 2007, 09:22:12 am
Dave
Planet Earth calling....This is ...England..............not texas...
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: John Kelly on January 02, 2007, 09:32:04 am
I have been involved with Dave on some projects and what he says is true.
There are a lot of very, very rich people in the UK. Their things get dirty as well.
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Terry_Burrows on January 02, 2007, 02:09:48 pm
we donald duck ours rather then micky mouse ;D :-X
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: mark_roberts on January 02, 2007, 06:43:09 pm
Reason they need to be taken away
A rug (handwoven rugs not the cheap £100 poly rugs) have very many more tufts per square foot, have different dyes than carpet, usually have fringes and hold a load more dust and grit than carpets due to the length and density of pile.
To try and clean these on site properly (either HWE or emersion) can be a real pain although not impossible using HWE. However you have no control on drying and colour testing (which takes time) and therefore this is where the problems arise.
I do clean all sorts of rugs but only classify handwoven as a proper rug. Price for taking away starts at £1.50 per foot. Price for cleaning inhome for machine made synthetic rugs will be 20% more than carpet cleaning.
Im looking at a normal machine made wool rug Monday which has been cleaned by a longstanding local cleaner and by no means a cowboy. The colour ran upon drying and he cant fix it. This is why you take them away.
Mark
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Len Gribble on January 03, 2007, 02:20:14 am
Rugs I always go and look at (after questioning the customer on the phone)
Dave
Can’t remember what course/seminar I was on, but I was talking to Paul Pearce and he showed me a quick drawing of emersion system sadly did not follow up on this, how ever if you are in my neck of the woods and need assistance for what ever give me a call.
Scot
Not into idle talk I did get £4k for a rug had to be done in situ 40ft by 20ft look back at my posts about 2 to 3 years ago.
Len
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Ian Gourlay on January 03, 2007, 11:40:01 am
Dave will hopefully explain.
He uses a hose pipe and a rotary and then Extracts.
Not sure if he pre vacs.
It is important to make syre there is no Backing as this will cause a problem.
Best to see if Dave give further details.
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Alan Brooker. Aqualink Carpet Care on January 03, 2007, 12:11:41 pm
All natural fibre rugs £45 M sq. with or without fringes. Carpet wrapped and cleaned off site using Kirby, microsplitting, Host soft brush agitation, CFR 7.5" running warm water at 400psi on both sides with drying in between using 'Downdraft'. Fringes cleaned using same process but using Drimaster handtool to 'swallow' the fringes while rinsing with white vinegar/ water then water then just vacuum. Left to air with dehumidifier running in workshop 24/7 then bagged just prior to returning to client. Hope this helps
Will shortly be going over to air dusting and scaffold pole drying for multiple rugs. Alan
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Liahona on January 03, 2007, 12:22:17 pm
Alan, good for you with what and how you clean. You will notice a huge difference with air dusting as opposed to using a vac........ Ian, I have explained before how I clean. I dont know how to post it on here but you can find the post on page 20 under "persian rug". It was when I cleaned Craig's rug for him. In quick answer about pre vac. No, never but I use a dusting machine and or air lines to remove all or most dry soils if needed. The pictures I sent to you were so how you could see it being done with the least amount of equipment. The same equipment that most people have. I mostly used the wand as a roller not so much as for extraction. Best, Dave.
Title: Re: How to price up a rug ?
Post by: Steve Chapman on January 03, 2007, 12:37:47 pm
Dave, any chance you can email me some details on how you clean rugs, i already have a workshop where i clean them but mostly just hwe, but would like to get into doing them by immersion.