Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: stevegunn on December 15, 2004, 09:11:17 pm

Title: How did you
Post by: stevegunn on December 15, 2004, 09:11:17 pm
Get into carpet cleaning?

I got paid off from Nissan on medical grounds after 10 years.I got a job working for BOC working shifts sun,mon & tues dayshift bought some carpet cleaning equipment and start cleaning carpets wed,thurs & fri was making more money cleaning carpets than I was at boc so left and started cleaning full time never looked back.
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Doug Holloway on December 15, 2004, 10:00:35 pm
Steve,

I didn't think looking like Minty were grounds for a pay off. ;D

Cheers,

Doug
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Michel Roberts on December 15, 2004, 11:33:31 pm
I was a self-employed carpet fitter doing a lot of adaptions, so carpet cleaning was a logical move
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Dynafoam on December 15, 2004, 11:50:10 pm
Nearly 40 years ago, I built an machine.............Then another, and another - guess I'm still testing  ;D
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: dave401uk on December 16, 2004, 01:30:11 am
i worked for a firm in Kingston surrey, we had a row one day,his only answer was "if you think you can do better on your own f,,,,, of"

Havnt looked back since,he has since gone to the wall i think

Dave
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Ken Wainwright on December 17, 2004, 07:15:13 pm
Left my job in an egg factory, started easing doors then "stepped over the threshold" onto the dirty carpet and cleaned it.

Got my initial training from a company called Carpetronic. One of the founders was Alan Brazier who went on to invent/manufacture the Vax. He was/is a family friend. The initial training was, and I quote: "Put the blue stuff in the tank, defoamer in the other tank, turn on here and here then clean the carpet. I think my trainers name was Jason. Is he still around ::)

Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: strakercleaning on December 17, 2004, 07:35:53 pm
7 years plumbing from school and had a ruck with my boss. He lived with my mum, so out of spite i went and got another job at his busiest time. Started carpet cleaning on the Tuesday, after the boot on the friday, for company in Putney called Scrubbers  ::)
Talk about TYPE CASTING  :-X
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Len Gribble on December 17, 2004, 07:50:33 pm
Chris

I’m saying nothing; by the way bullets will be flying in Streatham Cheque bounced. >:( >:(

Len
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Macarthur on December 17, 2004, 08:44:11 pm
Had a stressful and totally thankless low paid job as a domestic supervisor in a hospital, had been turned down for various jobs including I.T. for which I am trained.  After nearly loosing my rag on several occasions decided to start up on my own.

Thought I`d take the risk,went out and bought a carpet cleaning machine and various other pieces of cleaning equipment.

Started out in my spare time building it up gradually at weekends and evenings until I got several commercial cleaning contracts as well as private.

Even then many times I was earning more than my full time job.

After about 1-1/2 years of saving and when I could afford to, and gained enough regular jobs, decided to go full time with it (just nearly 6 months now).

So far I have done very well, and made alot of money, I hope this will continue. :)

Nigel. 
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Phil Marlor on December 17, 2004, 10:35:03 pm

I used to be a Deep Sea Diver.
But had to gave it up.

Just couldn't handle the pressure! :D :D

Phil
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: strakercleaning on December 17, 2004, 11:39:43 pm
These little puns........they drive me round the bends ::)
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Ian Rochester on December 18, 2004, 07:55:03 pm
Was a factory manager on a good salary, got made redundant, spoke to a friend just before Christmas, she had just spilled a bottle of wine on the carpet and couldn't get hold of a carpet cleaner until the New Year. 

"Here's an opportunity in the market" thought I, and it was.

Looked at franchaises and different machines over the Christmas and plummed for the Extracta Exel with a Scrubba Deluxe in the January.

Never looked back, love it - though not too sure about Micro Splitters yet!!  I may give them a better run out in the New Year when its less hectic.

Ian
 
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Kinver_Clean on December 18, 2004, 08:37:30 pm
In 1980 I was charged £65 for a room 22 by 26 at a business my wife and I ran. The chappie had a  mc with Rod Copes name on it. Bought a mc, upgraded over the years and when we sold the business I kept the machine. As an engineer  started to repair mcs and have scraped a living since. At 60+ I have no ambition to have a large company but I have many old time customers who are now friends more than anything.... and I still enjoy it when I look at a freshly clean carpet or suite.

Trevor
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: HolmansUKLTD on December 18, 2004, 09:00:18 pm
Its all ive ever done!!

P.s im back ;)

Nick
Title: Re: How did you
Post by: Dave_Lee on December 18, 2004, 10:01:25 pm
Started part time in 1980, whilst still in the army in the Stratford on Avon area, after a fellow squaddie got me interested in CC. Went to watch a carpet being cleaned by a Safeclean franchisee in Bristol. Made a few notes, built a foam generator out of a poultry box, fixed up to an Aqua Vac, got some brushes and natural sponges and started hand cleaning, carpets and suites. Had a disaster with a tapestry suite, when all the colours ran, wriggled out of it and booked myself on a prochem course. This led to the purchase of a Von Schrader Deterger then subsequently, purchasing my first HWE unit, a Stimvac Junior, and been mainly HWE ever since.
Dave.