Smart Tip
Keep your back in mind when shopping for equipment. Look for tools and designs that reduce the stress on your back so you can work longer hours and be less tired at the end of the day.
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
Sixty years ago, most homes had hardwood floors and commercial establishments had tile floors. Today, you’re likely to find wall-to-wall carpeting in every room of the house, often even in bathrooms and kitchens. Businesses do everything with carpet but line the walls—and a few (some would say misguided) decorators have even done that The on-location carpet cleaning industry was born because removing wall-to-wall carpet to clean it is highly impractical.
It’s important to recognize that there has been a shift among consumers to alternative floor coverings. About 70 percent of floors in homes and workplaces are covered with carpets; the remainder are such materials as laminates, ceramic tile, stone, and hardwood. This means a clear opportunity for carpet cleaning services, especially those that are diversified and clean area rugs, upholstery, and those alternative floor coverings.
Most carpet cleaning services start as homebased businesses. As you grow, you may choose to move into a commercial location, but many highly profitable carpet cleaners never move out of their homes.
“This is a business that the average guy can really do without an enormous amount of education or expense,” says Mike Blair, who owns AAA Prestige Carpet Care, a carpet and upholstery cleaning business in St. George, Utah. “It isn’t for everybody. It’s a physically and emotionally demanding business. You do it all when you’re starting; you’re the chief cook and bottle washer. But it’s profitable enough.”
Who Are Your Customers?
Every homeowner and business owner with installed carpeting and/or upholstered furniture is a prospective customer. Targeting a residential market will mean less in the way of startup costs and equipment since businesses typically require more than just having their carpets cleaned (you’ll need more equipment to service them). However, because of the wide range of commercial businesses that use carpet and upholstery cleaning services, this is a lucrative market that is worth pursuing. Commercial operations that use carpet and upholstery cleaners include apartment buildings and condos, offices, schools, banks, restaurants, hotels, churches, bowling alleys, transportation terminals, and more.
Who Are Your Competitors?
Of course, you’ll be competing against all the other carpet and upholstery cleaners in your area who target the same markets, but there are other sources of competition you need to be aware of.
Many commercial accounts prefer to contract with a janitorial service for their carpet cleaning and other miscellaneous cleaning jobs; it’s easier for them to have a single source for these types of services. You need to convince these prospects that as a specialist, you’ll do a better job. Or find out who their janitorial service is and work out a subcontracting deal with the service.
In the residential market, your primary competition (besides other carpet and upholstery cleaning services) will be the do-it-yourselfers. This includes people who rent carpet cleaning machines from local supermarkets, people who buy their own machines, and people who use spray-on-and-vacuum carpet cleaning products available in supermarkets and retail stores. One carpet cleaning service owner in Florida says that many of those spray-on products are the best sources of business he has, because they’re often not used properly, don’t generate the results people want, and may even leave carpets looking worse—which means he gets the call to do the job right.
Equipment
You have a wide range of choices when it comes to carpet cleaning and auxiliary equipment, and it could take you months to research them all. The following information should save you some time, but it’s not a substitute for doing your homework and finding out what’s on the market and how it works.
It’s a good idea to avoid the older type of rotary-brush carpet cleaning machine. This is typically what’s available for consumers to rent at retail stores. This type of machine is available in both consumer and commercial sizes, but even the large machines do an amateurish job—and therein lies the reason on-location carpet and upholstery cleaning businesses are booming. If homeowners and building superintendents were happy with poor results, they could hire any kid on the block to do their carpets and/or upholstery with a rented machine.
However, there’s a demand for quality work—and if you provide it, you’ll have a customer who will call you again and again. But you can’t provide a better result than customers can achieve themselves if you don’t use better equipment, and in most cases that means using commercial-grade machines.
Smart Tip
Keep your back in mind when shopping for equipment. Look for tools and designs that reduce the stress on your back so you can work longer hours and be less tired at the end of the day.
Equipment manufacturers offer a wide range of styles and features with an equally wide range of prices and payment terms. Consider issues such as versatility—is the machine multifunctional (can it do more than just clean carpets?), and if so, what will you need in the way of accessories? What sort of warranty does the manufacturer provide? What about service contracts, training, and other support issues? Also, keep in mind that whether you choose truck-mounted or portable equipment, each of your service vehicles will need a carpet cleaning machine.
Carpet cleaners
Carpet cleaning machine (truck-mounted unit)
Carrying case for accessories
Emulsifiers
Groomers
Horsehair brushes (for upholstery)
Miscellaneous
Pile brushes
Pre-spray and fabric protector
Signage
Spotting brushes
Utility brushes
Wall cleaning machine
Before you can decide what type and brand of equipment is most appropriate for your business, you need to determine which cleaning methods you want to offer. Let’s look at your options.
Cleaning Methods
Each system has its own merits, and the industry itself is divided over which is the “best”—wet shampooing, steam cleaning (which uses hot water extraction), or chemical dry cleaning, often followed by application of a fabric protector such as Teflon. Blair uses a combination of steam and chemical dry cleaning methods, depending on the circumstances and needs of the customer.
Upholstery can be dry-cleaned or shampooed, depending on the fiber content, using the same equipment you use for carpet cleaning, with some additional attachments, which, among other things, help guard against overwetting. Or you can opt to purchase machines specifically designed for upholstery and drapery cleaning. As you do with carpet, follow upholstery cleaning by treating the furniture with a fabric protector to prevent future stains.
Smart Tip
Take advantage of all the services your equipment vendors offer. Equipment manufacturers want their customers to be satisfied, and most will work with you as you learn their equipment. They usually provide training in the form of classes and seminars, both when you first purchase the equipment and later, as you hire new people. They’ll also help if you encounter problems.
For carpets, use a pile brush to remove loose soil and precondition the carpet pile. Then use a high-powered vacuum for further soil removal, followed by one of these three methods:
1. Wet shampooing. At one time, the rotary scrubber was the most popular cleaning apparatus. But if it did a good job, your business opportunities would be seriously reduced because, as we have already mentioned, rotary scrubbers are commonly available to rent at retail stores. These machines apply detergent solutions to the carpet by rotating brushes that ostensibly work on the top carpet fibers to prevent wetting the bottom of the carpet. A wet pickup extractor is then used to remove excess moisture and soil. Critics claim the agitation by the brushes loosens the surface soil but then drives it deep into the pile backing, and the soil later works its way back to the surface. Also, despite the extraction process, it can take a wet-shampooed carpet up to five days to dry, which is a major inconvenience to consumers. Other cleaning methods have made wet shampooing outdated.
2. Steam cleaning. The term “steam cleaning” is a misnomer because the process doesn’t use steam. Steam applied to a carpet could damage some materials because of the high temperatures involved, or it might cause shrinkage.
What’s often called “steam cleaning” is actually a hot water extraction process, which involves the application of a detergent by a spray-on method, employing water heated to approximately 150 degrees. The hot solution is forced into the pile through controlled jet streams and immediately removed by a powerful vacuum. The process is also known as “deep soil extraction.”
This method of steam extraction is commonly used on residential pile carpets. The criticism that shrinkage is a factor only becomes a problem if a nonprofessional overwets the carpet. Even so, the quality of the results depends on the skill of the technician.
Critics claim that when cleaning a carpet with heavy traffic patterns laden with dirt, such as those in offices, the steam process is insufficient, so shampooing is recommended. They also claim that steam extraction is more of a “wet” steam method; the carpet pile becomes saturated, and the washed-down soil works its way back to resoil the surface. After a steam cleaning, it typically takes from two to four hours (and sometimes up to six hours) for carpet to dry. Blair believes this method provides the best overall results of all the carpet cleaning methods.
3. Chemical dry cleaning. The name may give the impression that no moisture is used in this method, but that’s not the case. The carpet is sprayed with a carbonated chemical that breaks down the soil, then buffed with a pad to pick up the dirt. Surface soil is removed, but if the vacuum is too weak, the sand and grit that grinds down the fibers remains, thus decreasing the life of the carpet. Critics of this method claim that while the carpet may appear cleaner, the dirt actually becomes smeared through the fibers, and most of it remains deep in the carpet. Many experts recommend that chemical dry cleaning be used only on an intermediate basis—in other words, between steam cleanings.
Beware!
The average carpet cleaner will burn out in five years, says St. George, Utah, carpet and upholstery cleaning entrepreneur Mike Blair. The most common reason is failing to hire appropriate support staff as it becomes necessary. Another reason is not buying the right kind of equipment.
Most carpet cleaning services do more than clean carpets. They also might offer:
Application of a fabric protector on carpet and upholstery
Carpet dyeing
Carpet restoration
Ceiling cleaning
Cleaning and restoration of other flooring materials, including tile, laminate, stone, and hardwood
Drapery cleaning
Flame-retardant treatment for drapes and upholstery
Odor control
Smoke damage cleanup and fire restoration
Spot and stain removal from upholstery
Upholstery cleaning
Wall cleaning
Water damage restoration
Chemicals
As wide as your selection for equipment is, your range of choices for solvents and cleaners is even greater. A good way to educate yourself in this area is to visit a local supplier where you can learn about the different types of chemicals available for cleaning carpets, draperies, upholstery, ceilings, walls, etc.
What you purchase depends on what you need to accomplish. There are spotters, liquid and powdered cleaners, sanitizers, stain-resistant coatings, concentrates, wrinkle removers (for drapery cleaning), deodorizers, anti-static protectors, and more.
With today’s concern for the environment, many of these chemicals are supposedly nontoxic and/or biodegradable. The toxicity of chemicals and solvents can only be determined by visiting the supplier’s warehouse and scrutinizing container labels. Many operators claim to use nontoxic chemicals, but the only way to be sure is to check with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). Most state laws require that every business or service possess a material safety data sheet (MSDS) that spells out the contents and level of toxicity (or nontoxicity) of each chemical agent used. Ask your supplier for copies of the MSDS for each product you’re considering purchasing.
Bright Idea
Offer to clean the carpet at your place of worship at no charge for the opportunity to demonstrate the quality of your work. Be sure the arrangement includes displaying a flier or other information about your service in the building, and perhaps even an announcement in the newsletter.
Your chemicals and cleaning solutions will account for the majority of your inventory requirements, and you don’t need to keep large quantities on hand. You can buy what you need to meet your customers’ demands and avoid tying up your cash in excess inventory.
Larger carpet cleaning companies or those with multiple outlets or franchises typically keep a large inventory of cleaning supplies in storage at a central location. This allows them to take advantage of volume price breaks because their consumption rate justifies the investment in inventory and storage facilities. But this isn’t the best strategy for a small startup operation.
In the beginning, buy your cleaning supplies in small amounts of about a gallon or so, and keep them in their original containers with the labels affixed. Depending on the type of equipment you have, you’ll need different chemical compounds and solvents, such as special solvents for removing spots and stains. Your supplier can advise you on the types of solvents needed for removing specific kinds of stains.
Your initial supply, including the necessary brushes and applicators, should cost no more than a low of $500 to a high of $1,500.
Carpet Cleaning Basics
A great way to find out how to run your business in a way that will generate plenty of loyal, satisfied customers is to talk to people who have used carpet cleaning services. Find out what they liked and didn’t like, what made them happy and what caused dissatisfaction. Then use that information when formulating your operating procedures.
Some of the most common complaints:
• Carpets taking too long to dry. Customers don’t mind waiting three or four hours for carpets to dry, but three or four days is too long.
• Carpets not drying when promised. Customers see this as a broken promise, and it makes them distrust you in the future. If you tell customers the carpets will be dry in a certain time, be sure they will.
• Carpets still dirty after cleaning. Inspect each job carefully to be sure you’ve gotten the carpets as clean as possible.
When the Damage Is Done
In addition to basic cleaning, many carpet cleaning services also do water damage restoration. Though the volume of this type of work is hard to predict, it can be lucrative and could help even out your workload during the year. And since you already have the ability to remove water from carpets, it’s relatively easy to add this service to your business.
To offer water damage restoration, you must remove the water (which typically comes from a flood or a plumbing leak), dry the carpet with fans, and apply appropriate chemical compounds to sanitize and remove odors. St. George, Utah, carpet and upholstery cleaner Mike Blair recommends taking classes in the process before you begin marketing the service.
“Water damage restoration is a higher profit area that will sustain many carpet cleaners through the lean months of the winter and throughout the rest of the year,” says Blair. “It’s less competitive, meaning that it’s a better-paid service, than a typical carpet cleaning business, which is very competitive.”
Of course, there are reasons this service pays better than basic carpet cleaning. Water damage doesn’t always happen during normal business hours, so you may be called out in the middle of the night to handle a job. The work can sometimes be dangerous; you’ll risk exposure to molds, mildew, and potentially dangerous fungi. Also, combining water and electricity—which is necessary to get the work done—offers the potential for shocks.
Another profit center is in the rental of drying equipment, Blair says. Once you’ve done the primary water removal, you’ll set up fans to blow the area dry, and you can charge for the use of that equipment.
• Carpets not looking better after a professional cleaning. Many do-it-yourselfers will hire a professional carpet cleaner expecting better results than they get from their own efforts. With your equipment and skill, you should be able to accomplish this.
• Unprofessional service people. Customers who are impressed with your sales presentation will be very distressed if your service technicians don’t live up to your promises of professionalism and quality.
Stat Fact
In 2007 (the latest stats available), U.S. carpet manufacturers shipped 1.6 billion square yards of carpet (14.4 billion square feet), up from 97 million square yards in 1950, according to the Carpet and Rug Institute.
So what can you do to make sure your customers are satisfied and that they’ll call you again and refer you to others?
• Learn about carpet cleaning. Cleaning a carpet isn’t an exact science, and there’s no one-size-fits-all formula that will work in every situation. Various materials require the use of different types of detergents, and different types of dirt and stains need different treatments. Your equipment manufacturer should provide you with guidelines that address just about every cleaning situation you’ll encounter.
Keep in mind that the companies that make carpet cleaning machines work closely with carpet manufacturers and will always be current on technological innovations, new carpeting materials, and improvements in the industry. They can keep you up-to-date on these matters. Most also offer training for you and your employees at either no charge or a nominal fee; your primary cost will be transportation to the training and lodging (if necessary), and it’s well worth the investment.
• Supervise your employees. Don’t just hire service technicians and turn them loose immediately to work on their own. Be sure they’re trained and then accompany them on their jobs for at least the first few weeks (until you’re certain they really know their jobs and can deal with both routine and unexpected situations). Then periodically drop in on a job in progress and follow up with your customers to be sure your service personnel are maintaining a high level of performance.
• Estimate carefully. This takes more time in the beginning, but it’s critical that your estimates be accurate. When you overestimate, you’ll lose jobs to your competition; when you underestimate, you’ll either lose money on the job or you’ll irritate customers when you present a bill for more than you said it would cost. (See Chapter 9 for an explanation of how to set your prices.)
Smart Tip
Take your vacuum and solution hoses to the furthest point in the house; then work backward toward the entry. Don’t pull hoses around corners; doing so could damage wallpaper and woodwork.
Use caution signs where needed and warn customers that smooth surfaces may be slippery after cleaning.
• Avoid high-pressure sales tactics. Try to close the sale on the first call, but don’t use high-pressure techniques. If your prospect hesitates and says he wants to shop around, don’t immediately lower your price. Instead, call back in a day or two and ask if a decision has been made. You shouldn’t have to pressure your customers or cut prices if your rates are competitive; you’ve made an accurate estimate and you did a good job of selling your superior service on your first contact. Consumers tend to be impressed by an honest salesperson who’s easy to decline, rather than having someone shove the sale down their throat. In the end, even if you don’t get a sale, you’ll have a better reputation—and you may get the call the next time.
Carpet Cleaning Specifics
Specific aspects of your operation will be determined by which type of cleaning you decide to do, which chemicals suit that particular cleaning method, whether you want to charge for moving furniture, if you give estimates over the phone or in person, etc. However, you can still follow a basic planned procedure in conducting your operation, from the customer’s initial call to collecting your final payment.
Handling the Initial Service Request
When a new customer calls for an estimate, their first question is likely to be about price. They’ll also want plenty of other information, such as whether you’ll move furniture, how long it will take for the carpet to dry, and if you can handle special situations, such as pet stains and odors. Give honest, complete answers and stress why your cleaning methods are superior. If the customer fails to ask questions most people ask, volunteer the information anyway.
Visiting the Customer’s Home
If you can’t avoid giving an estimate over the phone and the customer commits to the sale during the call, set an appointment for the work to be done. If you’re going out to do the estimate in person, set an appointment that’s convenient for the customer with the understanding that if the estimate is acceptable, you’ll be prepared to do the work at that time.
Good News Travels Fast
Once you’re up and running, the major portion of your business will come from referrals and repeat customers, so pleasing your clients with quality work and top-notch service is critical. St. George, Utah, carpet and upholstery cleaner Mike Blair says 85 percent of his business comes from existing customers and referrals. “We have worked hard to establish a reputation for reliability in the community with property managers, realtors, homeowners, commercial establishments, and insurance professionals so that they call us and refer us,” he says.
Because so much of your carpet cleaning business will come from referrals, be sure you market to people who can refer customers to you. Blair says one of the most effective marketing techniques he has used is to work with retail carpet salespeople. He gives them a demonstration of his cleaning skill, either in their showrooms or in their homes. “When they see the quality of our work, they are comfortable referring us to their clientele,” he says. “Most of the carpet suppliers in town refer cleaning to us, and we work hard to keep that relationship alive.” He also maintains relationships with residential and commercial property management companies, which can both use his services in the properties they manage, as well as refer other customers to him.
When you arrive at the home, calculate the square footage of the areas to be cleaned. Check for especially soiled areas that may need extra pre-spotting and/or conditioning. If you think certain areas will need extra work and, as a result, will cost more to clean, be honest about it upfront. Your customer will greatly appreciate knowing this before, rather than after, the bill is written up.
Writing the Invoice
On the invoice (or service order), list the specific tasks you’ll perform, as well as each room and its dimensions. If you have to pre-spot and specially treat any areas, note this. Next to each task, list the price; then total the charges. Have the customer sign and date the invoice before you start to work.
Smart Tip
Remind customers that you have to leave the door slightly open so they’ll be sure to supervise small children or confine their pets.
Your invoice should also include the estimate date, job date, day of the week, what time the job is to be performed, a job number, and the customer’s address and telephone numbers (home, work, and cell). Make this task easy on yourself: Use the “Service Order/Invoice Worksheet” on the next page.
Performing the Service
With the paperwork done, you’re ready to begin the job. First, move whatever furniture you need to and have agreed to. Do any pre-treating and conditioning. Then shampoo the carpet following the equipment manufacturer’s instructions.
After cleaning, carefully put the furniture back. Use foam blocks or some other shield to protect wood pieces from damp carpet. Tell the customer how long it will take for the carpet to dry; suggest that they keep fans and/or air conditioning units on to help speed the process. You may want to invest in a dryer as an additional service to your customers. Collect payment under the terms you agreed on when you made the estimate (cash, check, or credit card). Note the payment on the invoice and give the customer a copy. You may want to give the customer some advice on caring for their carpet, and tell them you’ll be in touch in about six months to schedule their next cleaning.
Smart Tip
Place a furniture pad under your hoses when they’re stretched across wood and tile floors to prevent scratches from the couplers.
Furniture Cleaning Specifics
A significant percentage of people who are having their carpets cleaned want their upholstered furniture cleaned at the same time. Most carpet cleaning systems include tools for cleaning upholstery, but it’s important that you understand the intricacies involved before you provide this additional service.
Inspecting Furniture Before Giving an Estimate
You need to determine the overall condition of the furniture and the best cleaning method to use. Ask if the piece has ever been professionally cleaned and, if so, when and how. Also ask if the customer has ever done any spot cleaning, and have them show you the areas involved. Find out how old the piece is, what the material is made of, and if it has ever been reupholstered.
As you inspect the furniture, look for a recommended cleaning label; if it has one, follow those instructions. Note the overall condition of the fabric, check the back and arms for body oils and soil, check skirts and corners for shoe polish and scuff marks, check sides and back for dust or dirt filtration from exposure to air vents, examine heavily used areas for fabric fraying or thinness due to wear, look at both sides of cushions for stains or spots that may require special attention, unzip cushion covers and check the foam material inside for ink or marker that may have bled through. In homes with pets, look for pet oils, hair, and other stains. Confirm the sturdiness of all legs before moving the piece. Pretest to determine color-fastness and shrinkage risk.
Stat Fact
Most carpet manufactured today is tufted. The process grew out of the chenille bedspread industry.
Writing Your Estimate
Make notes on your invoice or work order of all problem areas, such as loose buttons, tears, holes, burns, shaky legs, and stains, and bring these imperfections to the customer’s attention. Calculate your estimate, based on the cost of labor, supplies, overhead, and desired profit, and present it to the customer. See Chapter 9 for general price ranges of items you’re likely to be cleaning. Before you begin, have the customer sign the work order, acknowledging that they’re aware of the condition of the furniture.
Smart Tip
The weight of heavy pieces of furniture can cause indentations in carpet. Encourage your customers to use furniture glides or cups under the legs of heavy pieces, or to periodically move furniture a few inches backward or sideways so the weight isn’t concentrated in one place. To remove depressions, the Carpet and Rug Institute advises working the carpet pile back into place with your fingertips or the edge of a spoon, then dampening the area and heating it with a hair dryer, working the fibers with your fingers or a spoon.
Cleaning Furniture
Generally speaking, you should follow the furniture manufacturer’s cleaning instructions, which are usually listed on a tag attached to the item. If there’s no tag, use the procedures recommended by the equipment and chemical manufacturers.
Position the furniture toward the center of the room, away from walls and other furniture, and on pads to prevent overspray on floors, carpets, and other pieces. Most upholstered furniture can be wet-cleaned. In that case, begin by vacuuming to remove loose dirt and debris. Pre-spray and brush with a nylon brush to loosen embedded dirt; then clean. After cleaning, use a thick towel to wipe down furniture to remove residues and quicken the drying time. Wipe off any exposed wood. Arrange cushions on brown paper for drying, and be sure they’re not touching each other.
If you’re dry-cleaning furniture and drapes, be sure the area where you’re cleaning is well-ventilated. Use the same procedure for positioning and preparing furniture; then follow the chemical manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations.
Cleaning Drapes
As you do with furniture, reinspect drapes for spots or damage and bring those details to your customer’s attention before you begin cleaning. Dust the surrounding areas; then vacuum drapes thoroughly, paying special attention to pleats or other areas where dust or dirt may have collected. Use a drapery board to prevent overspray on walls and windows. Take care to remove all solvent when finished; then towel the pleats to remove any remaining soil and help set and realign the pleats. Lined drapes may be cleaned on both sides; if you do this, adjust your price accordingly.
