[richie]

We have been asked to quote for the cleaning of Vertical Aluminium Blinds.  Has anyone ever done this type of work if so could you give me a idea as to how much we should be charging.  Do you charge by the metre?

Richie.

[JandS]

Vertical aluminium blinds??

John

[Michael Smallwood]

For Blind cleaning try asking Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.  

[Ian Gourlay]

Most Aluminium blinds are venitians and the slats are vertical

The best and quickest  way to clean these is with a sonic blind cleaner
Im not sure where you are located but I think I have a friend on the window blind forum who is in the North who has one of these machines  costing  £6000
Perhaps you could Sub Contract to him

[Nigel_W]

Richie,

Hi RIchie,

You need to do a search on ultrasonic blind cleaning. I know someone in Mill Hill, London who has one if you can't find one more local. As Ian says it is a large machine specifically built for the purpose of cleaning venetian blinds. The blinds are dipped into the ultrasonic tank left for a while and then hung to dry.

Nigel
www.designcare.co.uk

[richie]

Thanks Ian n Nigel.  I know about the ultrasonic baths, i have just spoken to a guy regarding the cleaning of thee blinds and he advised the ultraonic route due to the fact 2 years ago he took on a job dusted the blinds then wiped over them.  He ended up having to take the blinds down and took them to a company that had a ultraonic bath.  The job ende up costing him money but he secured the contract in the end and bought his own setup.

Yes the blinds are VERTICAL.

Richie.

[JandS]

Ian

Venetian blinds have horizontal slats.
Vertical blinds are just that, vertical blinds.

Richie

Didn't know they did aluminium verticals.
Sure they're aluminium.

John

[richie]

Yes mate, definatley alluminium.

Richie.

[Ian Gourlay]

Yes they are available also Wooden

They cost an Arm and a Leg

[JandS]

Only reason I ask is, my mate had a blind fitting franchise complete with shop.
When he was busy, which was often, I used to go out at w/e fitting for him.
Saw plenty of aluminium and wood venetians but every vertical I fitted was
some kind of synthetic material and 9 out 10 where white, just like my own
actually.

John

[peter maybury]

Ritchie
how many blinds is it. I used to do a lot of cleaning of the fabric vertical blinds but it is very time consuming and only used to be worthwhile in large quantities, as all the chains and weights had to be removed the slats taken down cleaned and then rehung. If it is just a small amount then it would probably be better just to clean them by hand. If there is a lot there used to be an attachment for a water extractor machine but that was still a few hundred pounds and the chains needed to be removed for that the reach the whole of the slat.
Give me a call if you want a chat
Regards

Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com

[JandS]

Pete

Most fabric vertical blinds are machine washable.

John

[peter maybury]

if you are doing a lot of blinds then it is easier and quicker to do them manually. If it is just one or two blinds the fine put them in a washing machine but hundreds on a wash cycle that takes 45 minutes. Think again..............

Peter

[Ian Gourlay]

Pete

Most fabric vertical blinds are machine washable.

John

Sorry to disagree I have been selling blinds for 10 years and in my experience there are only certain Fabricsthat are machine washable.

Once I went to a Lady who had put some blinds in the washing machine as her previous blinds had been machine washable. They went out of shape she then decided to iron them and they melted.

John How much did your mate pay you to fit the blindas?

[JandS]

Ian

He used to pay me a day rate of £125 but don't forget this was w/e work.
He would give me a what he thought was a reasonable days work/route
and if it got done it got done, any problems, which they were now and again
as you probably know, wrong size blind, fitting difficulties etc.
Would re-arrange.
Hours were 9 - 5 sometimes over more often under.
It was a very formal arrangement as we were and still are good friends.
Sometimes, if the girl couldn't come in, I would front the shop all day and he
gave me a ton for that, obviously above his normal rates but then I would come
in at short notice on a Sunday.
Best jobs were the commercials long hours and nights but good money.
Biggest was a tax office, 8 floors and approx 60 venetians/verticals per floor
plus old blinds to take down.
Did it every other Friday and Saturday night plus some 6 - midnight shifts mid week
they were very flexible and the pay was good.
Not sure what he paid his part time employee per blind, would it be £4 a blind?

John