Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: twt on January 14, 2008, 05:49:47 pm
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hi currently im a window cleaning ive been reading with intrest alot of the posts on this part on the forum as im bored with window cleaning and see carpet cleaning as a future altarnative (sometime during next 18 months to 3 years). Ive learnt from you guys that i need to attend a cc course before i even consider buying any equipment, i 've also spoken to someone i know who used to carpet clean about 20 years ago and he said the money is better than window cleaning but if he was me he would stick to window cleaning as my being 6 foot 7 would be a disadvantage because he said he spent most of his time cleaning on his hands and knees. is this right,im 24 and fit and agile but do you think my height would be a problem.
thanks phil.
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Why not do both?
In the US they are 6ft 7 around the waste and still clean carpets! only difference with carpet cleaning is that you won't get work all year round on contract like Window Cleaning.
Shaun
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Shaun's right, keep the " drip feed "that window cleaning gives and if you really want to clean carpets try to find someone local to let you have a go.
C/C can be a problem for many and your height could be a disadvantage, although longer wands are available,but you might have to get one from the U S A .
I've been lookng into window cleaning recently, as my son was struggling with c/c at 6' 4", seems more of the flash houses, cars, boats, etc, are owned by window cleaners, than c/c'ers.
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ROFL............... seems more of the flash houses, cars, boats, etc, are owned by window cleaners, than c/c'ers.
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It's OK for tall people, when it comes to jobs, short people can't cherry pick when choosing a career. ;D
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all aboard the band wagon! There's so many window cleaners jumping on I think it might collapse!
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It's wet and cold outside what would you rather do? perhaps they've seen the post about £100 an hour :o
Shaun
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I have 600 residential window cleaning customers - cleaned monthly, we look after bank head offices, we clean windows for inumerable high street names, nationally we do external cleans on one of the top 3 supermarket chains and do all the high and low level cleaning on these contracts.
Would I be a shrewd businessman if I tried to capitalise on my existing customer base by offering carpet cleaning or would I be jumping on the band wagon??
Rob
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Good post Midas, I have recently been approached by a window cleaner, with an impressive portfolio looking to do just that, but he decided to take the easy option and offer a deal with an existing c/c business.
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Two of my guys will be doing the NCCA course this year and I will make sure they have future courses marked in on the calendar for later on in the year.
I cannot ignore this market as we are asked to clean carpets all the time, I have some equipment but we got a little busy last year and this has sat idle all of last year.
I am committed to developing this side of our business and when we launch it properly it will be carried out to a very high standard. This may take this year to get to this stage and we wont run before we can walk but we will be running soon enough.
Rob ;D
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I think window cleaning is the ideal business to be in if you want to cross over to carpet cleaning, we did windows for 12 years and slowly introduced c/c for 2 years before going over fully to carpets.
What it did was give us a good steady income while building a new business and a good customer base. originally we were going to do both, but we gained so many carpet customers we ended up selling the window business for a tidy sum.
Without the cross over it would have been difficult to keep going, as you only get 1 or 2 jobs to start with and slowly increases, plus you need money for advertising, training, equipment, tools etc.
been doing carpet cleaning for 12 years now and dont miss the cold winters one bit ;)
regards
steve
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Ive been doing windows for 18 years and carpets for the past 3 years they both work well together.I started doing carpets because i was getting fed up doing the same job day in and day out its good to try something different.The carpets are going realy well but i have the bug back for the window cleaning and starting to hit the commercial side of it.
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Rob, I don't like to cast a shadow, but watch out for those National shops being taken over by National cleaning companies, we got out of cleaning - window cleaning many years ago,I could see what was coming.
C-C in our opinion is far more lucrative that w-c.
S
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stick to window cleaning as my being 6 foot 7 would be a disadvantage because he said he spent most of his time cleaning on his hands and knees. is this right,im 24 and fit and agile but do you think my height would be a problem.
thanks phil.
Hi Phil,
I'm 6'2 and have no problems cleaning carpets or upholstery, standing or kneeling down.
I cant see you being 6'7 would make a difference with most procedures, if anything an advantage over shorter guys having problems with equipment thats too big. I use a standard sebo bs36 for pre-vaccing and standard length wands without a problem. Cant see your extra 5" height making any difference at all.
Go for it!
P.S. You're more than welcome to come and spend a day cleaning with me to give it a try.
All the best,
Jason.
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600 custys is a lot on a monthly basis. U would think you would be lucky to clean 50 carpets a year out of them. Alot of marketing will be required if you plan on having to staff carpet cleaning. The band wagon wasnt aimed at you in particular by the way.
Cheers & Good luck
Justin
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Phil
I'm 6'7'' and havent found any major probs just yet.
Go for it
Simon
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Thanks for that Spencer - we are casting our net wide and I have money coming in from different avenues and one that has nothing to do with any cleaning - thank god!!! I hold all our work very lightly and am very aware that it could be here today and gone tomorrow.
Max no offence taken
Rob ;D
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thanks guys for your opinions those who were constructive
all aboard the band wagon! There's so many window cleaners jumping on I think it might collapse!
oh dear i can see a way to make a good living and remain self employed but i better not do it as im jumping on the bandwagon.
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on the other hand im only 4ft 9 and a do ok i also can lug a extracta exle about
ok its not easy but thats the way it goes im also looking in to getting a wand shortened as im finding it hard to get the angles right :(
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I'm sure you bend over every day to tie your shoelaces, put on your socks, pick up you mail... etc so the actual physical effort of carpet cleaning will be no problem.
as for the equipment, most of us use wands and vac at an angle, the smaller you are the greater the angle & visa-versa so being tall won't be any different.
Mike
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most back pain comes from poor method and use of equipment. I know from experience. if you let the science do its work then you do less.
respect
Ian Harper
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Spot on Ian, but taken to it's logical conclusion, that would mean using one of the dry systems, would be the healthiest option, but how many would go down that route.
From a health point of view, I see nothing wrong with it and excellent results are achievable for anyone who really applies themself.
I've seen a number of posts suggesting it's less stressful on the back using a t/m but with a constant downward pull and body torque from hoses, I'm not so sure
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Rob, is a dry system movement on the body less harmful to the body? I have no idea which is why I am asking.
If a truckmount had a pull effect on the body then maybe I would understand a bit more. But it is more of a push movement that is the aggresive part.
I use side to side motion when I clean Orientals and that is far more damaging to my back. I would have thought the same with the dry systems that aquire the same type of movement.
A truckmount is certainly less effort or damaging effort than a portable but again wondered medically about dry verses a truckmount.
Best, Dave.
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The use of any machine, or device, which involves lifting, pulling, pushing, will affect spinal stability, as stability the spine / pelvis is dependent on Balance, that is, muscles in balance.
All physical work, which entails extended use of specific muscle groups requires a balancing action, otherwise body balance / alignment is comromised.
Bear in mind, I'm NOT suggesting that any particular system is the equal to, or superior to another, just saying that different people will achieve hugely differing results from the same machines and some people will get perfectly acceptable, in some cares exceptional results, from, lighter, less expensive, easier to use devices.
As most L/M systems tend to glide, with little effort, the will be less demanding than the downward force of hoses.
In terms of how little this affects the individual, it's a lottery.
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have you though that our work might be beneficial to our backs, like they say use it or lose it all the bending & stretching will keep everything moving, better than been sat at a desk all day
Mike