Interested In Advertising? | Contact Us Here
Warning!

 

Welcome to Clean It Up; the UK`s largest cleaning forum with over 34,000 members

 

Please login or register to post and reply to topics.      

 

Forgot your password? Click here

wpclean

How did you start pressure washing ?
« on: May 20, 2013, 09:21:17 pm »
Curious to know how you guys started up in the pressure washing game ?

Were you in full time employment, and fancied a change ?

Did you have an existing cleaning business, and added pw ?

What was your first job, and what did you learn from it ?

Thank you.

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2013, 10:27:17 pm »
Most of the successful pressure washers among us were window cleaners who initially were doing it as an add on. I retired from cleaning stone professionally 5/6 years ago and now just do grannies patio's etc. for pocket money.
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

wpclean

Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2013, 10:45:33 pm »
Is that sand blasting you did ?

wpclean

Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2013, 10:47:11 pm »
Love the website by the way  ;D

BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2013, 11:46:44 pm »
I was never a widow washer - what are you on about ? You speak for yourself. I was an engineer chargehand in a factory doing 4 on 4 off 12 hour shifts. I blew my generator and was looking in exchange and mart for a new one when I saw the Tech clean advert for their set up so I bought it and a secondhand generator from a burger van. I did it on the 4 days off, then went part time for a couple of years and then left to clean 6 years ago. They all laughed when I left saying I'd be back but I have young kids and I would never see then doing 12 hour shifts. Now I take them to school and start at 9 am most days.

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2013, 06:49:18 am »
I was never a widow washer - what are you on about ? You speak for yourself. I was an engineer chargehand in a factory doing 4 on 4 off 12 hour shifts. I blew my generator and was looking in exchange and mart for a new one when I saw the Tech clean advert for their set up so I bought it and a secondhand generator from a burger van. I did it on the 4 days off, then went part time for a couple of years and then left to clean 6 years ago. They all laughed when I left saying I'd be back but I have young kids and I would never see then doing 12 hour shifts. Now I take them to school and start at 9 am most days.
I said successful pressure washer Carl..... unless you are earning £80 per hour as some on here (see another post) you do not fall into this category  ;D ;D ;D
Myself like Carl believe nights are for sleeping and everday is a family day...clocking on cards should be in museums and curry swallowers should.....   
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

APWS

  • Posts: 179
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2013, 03:55:00 pm »
got made redundant in 2008 someone put the idea to me about pressure washing, liked it so bought washer & rotary plus the rest of it out of redundant pay from jet-mac, started steady learned the ropes as i went along,
now 4 years later i have two full set up's, a full time lad, and an almost full diary, (off today though booked 2, P-I-C re-seals rained all morning)
and like Carl don't start domestics till after 9,
love it!! ;D
!! if it can get dirty it can get clean !!

Andrew JP

  • Posts: 27
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2013, 04:44:26 pm »
Well i,m being made redundant next Friday after 17 years from a very big company , so will be going live mid June .
Luckily i have already secured a few contracts with the company i worked for , as they say don,t burn your bridges , and hopefully it leads to more .

I have wanted to work for my self for 20 years , so here,s my chance.

BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2013, 05:51:22 pm »
I was never a widow washer - what are you on about ? You speak for yourself. I was an engineer chargehand in a factory doing 4 on 4 off 12 hour shifts. I blew my generator and was looking in exchange and mart for a new one when I saw the Tech clean advert for their set up so I bought it and a secondhand generator from a burger van. I did it on the 4 days off, then went part time for a couple of years and then left to clean 6 years ago. They all laughed when I left saying I'd be back but I have young kids and I would never see then doing 12 hour shifts. Now I take them to school and start at 9 am most days.
I said successful pressure washer Carl..... unless you are earning £80 per hour as some on here (see another post) you do not fall into this category  ;D ;D ;D
Myself like Carl believe nights are for sleeping and everday is a family day...clocking on cards should be in museums and curry swallowers should.....   

I really must look at my rates but the new trailer has definately saved almost an hour on every job

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2013, 06:16:15 pm »
Did you sort the boiler set up mate?

When do we get to see this trailer??  ;D

Blast Away

Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2013, 06:47:17 pm »
From a previous thread;

For 6 years I worked for my brother in law, he's got a road sweeping company and has PW bowsers too. I used to go out with a driver gully sucking up until I got my license then went out in van pulling trailer pressure washing sites mainly tarmac paving in prep for final layer.

After a little bust up with bro in law he got rid of me, desperate for work I took on a labouring job with some mates dry lining for 9 months, in the mean time having the idea of setting up pressure washing myself.
I was on £200 a week(2006-07)so struggled to save money in the midst of wanting to go out to the pub with mates and keeping my girlfriend happy. My dad bought me a van for £1000, this encouraged me to spend my wage on kit.

In late 2007 I thought of Blast Away and bought the domain name and started a free website on 'Piczo'.
I stole images from google and if I remember rightly some of them were Roger Oakley's(and I bet he forgot)he emailed me telling me to remove them! 
Into the new year I bought a chinese snide petrol washer for about £400, an IBC tank for £20 and other bits and bats.
I cleaned neighbours, friends and families paving etc generating money thus investing in new stuff.

I abused Google Maps at the time(of which can't be done any more), there was a cheeky way of adding a business of which I titled the business name as for example 'Driveway Cleaning in Bolton'. I began gaining more and more work via this method as I was coming up in search results.

After numerous changes to the website and commercial work coming in, I was keen on taking images to put on the website to keep on improving.

Equipment got better, sticking to diesel machines, using heat and experiencing different chems etc. Bought better vans for cash and never leased.

Had a stint with Yellow Pages and Yell.com and wouldn't bother with them again, I don't think they're any good.
With the website content and keywords, the website all of which I have built and maintain myself, speaks for itself and that's where the majority of the work comes from, from search engines.
I do adword campaigns sometimes but not a lot. Never advertised in newspapers etc, done leaflets countless times and only get the odd job.

One thing that keeps me going is from what a guy on site once said to me where I was labouring. He said ''What do you wanna clean peoples drives for, they do it themselves and you'll have no work in autumn and winter!''

People think pressure washing is a spring and summer job. It is if you're a mard ar$e that doesn't like getting your B&Q Karcher out in rain and wind.
We've worked through all weather and the demand for pressure washing both commercial & domestic in autumn and winter is there, without a doubt.

My success, I believe is down to my pricing. Yeh I am cheap but I enjoy what I do and I'm not greedy(although there's a gut). I suppose when you have good equipment you can charge less if you're doing work faster. We're well prepared when turning up to a job so a good routine cuts time.

To be 100% confident at the time of doing a professional job it depended on the type of job. Mistakes were made for example paint stripping, I'm not an expert in this and to be honest I don't like doing them. I've damage a front door through not using the best of tape when sheeting. I've also damaged glass from HF acid again from sheeting not applied properly, although as they were wooden frames it's a nightmare to keep a good bond.

There is competition in Manchester but very few who are hands on like myself. There's companies that are run by guys sat behind desks sending out their operatives to do the work. Not producing the best results as there's a lack of desire for the work, only a desire to finish the job as fast as they can so they can get home.


Today I've just discussed a contract worth £70k plus further work.

Time to wind down and off out for an Italian.

 8)

BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2013, 07:24:48 pm »
Did you sort the boiler set up mate?

When do we get to see this trailer??  ;D

The boiler is on and I've valved it with just the one valve to completely disconnect the boiler. I just need to sort the coverings but thats a winter job now its up and running - I'm off to France for half term  :'(

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2013, 07:36:51 pm »
When you get a chance mate can you get some pics of how you have valved it? (easy to understand pics please  ;D)

Or draw me up a diagram.. ;)

The only problem with France is that its full of French people..

Ian101

  • Posts: 7887
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2013, 07:42:54 pm »
Im just getting into it as currently window cleaning but the way weather has been last few years during the summer with constantly hissing it down I decided to add pressure washing onto our list of services - best thing I ever did ... love it and love seeing summit minging coming up like new .... would like to do it full time which eventually I will but is going to take time ... thru this forum met Simon of pristine pathways who sold me his old set up at a fair price and even let me pay for it after I had done a few jobs and got dosh in bank - top chap !

wpclean

Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2013, 08:23:09 pm »
Excellent comments  ;D

BDCS

  • Posts: 4777
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #15 on: May 21, 2013, 11:46:55 pm »
When you get a chance mate can you get some pics of how you have valved it? (easy to understand pics please  ;D)

Or draw me up a diagram.. ;)

The only problem with France is that its full of French people..

I've sent a thumnail sketch by royal snail of the valving as I have no idea of how to get onto e form. The snide about the French is a bit rich from someone who lives in Scotland  ;D

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #16 on: May 22, 2013, 06:02:15 am »
Yeah but im Australian so it cancels the scottishness out ;D

chris scott

  • Posts: 3414
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #17 on: May 22, 2013, 06:44:08 am »
Yeah but im Australian so it cancels the scottishness out ;D
Mel gibson? ;D
www.cleaning-service.uk.com
www.render-cleaning.co
https://www.cleaning-service.uk.com/bromoco-systems/
Exterior cleaning specialists covering Merseyside,Lancashire and Cheshire. TEL 08000 933267

Matt Gibson

  • Posts: 2482
Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #18 on: May 22, 2013, 07:46:38 am »
Nah, I like jews..   ;)

Rob_Mac

Re: How did you start pressure washing ?
« Reply #19 on: May 22, 2013, 07:51:21 am »
I had a successful window cleaning business - good, reliable, steady stream of income before I started pressure washing.

Looking back I wished I had kept it now and then I would have been earning even more per hour (that is a dig at my own personal troll ;D)

I had pressure washing on the website but never really did any - that was rather fortuitous, wouldn't you say Chris? as now I have a reasonable pressure washing business that puts a crust on the plate.

Yesterday I was in Crosby, Liverpool, two of us on days - tidying up a store that didn't really look any better, when we'd finished. Has anyone ever been to Crosby - you will know why my troll is the way he is, if you ever go ;D

I also had a van with two men working on nights, down in Bristol, they are there till Friday and then I have had confirmation of works commencing in York next week, plus anything else we have going on.

Some I feel don't like people having some success, it brings out their jealous side and they want to criticise and try and belittle, from the flighty vantage point of their keyboard, when invited they don't show, we never see their set up, we have seen their plagiarised website and every now and then they contribute something of worth to the forum.

If I have seen some small success I believe that I have tried to be helpful in the things I have learned, as I posted 500SQM per day has been posted by me as a rate that we can hit regularly - why - because we have the best kit and have done this for a long time.

If I wasn't doing the M2 that was professed by others I wouldn't one word reply I would possibly look at what i wasn't doing and possibly try and tweak my operation to make it happen and use it as a goal to aspire to.

We all have different capabilities & restraints, reasons for not being where others are, whether they are personal, financial or other. I  realised the massive potential, of the opportunity I was given seven years ago and I ran to catch up.

I haven't got it all my own way and there is much to do but onward we will move and if I only gain one new client per year I will be happy.

When you think big, all things are possible. We can all think big but it is the biggest step to put those thoughts into action.

Rob ;D