[dannymack]

I've been cleaning windows for 28 years now, had my own company for 14 years where my wife came in and son. My wife don't clean windows by the way she takes on old peeps homes communal cleaning. I started taking on bits of communal cleaning, done abit of jet washing occasionally and also started doing bits of gardening which is ok nice in summer and makes a change from window cleaning as been wfp for about 11 years now. I'm getting more and more gardening now and maybe taking on two big schemes and also a block of flats cleaning communal area once a week which would be a good payer. I've still got tons of window cleaning but I now enjoy the cleaning and gardening side of things quite cool. Anyone else doing other things quite abit than window cleaning !!!!

[C o z y]

Yes, about 40% of our work is now carpet and upholstery cleaning. Love it. Very good hourly rate and getting a good name in the market now. Got quite a lot of work coming in now, and have to work most weekends to get it all done alongside the window work. An example, this Saturday, 3 jobs bringing in around 400 quid. Equipment is expensive to start, but you get out what you put in and more really.

Had to split the business to avoid the VAT threshold, but not complaining. I was tempted to take on lawn mowing when the MOD contract came up last year, as it paid well. I wanted to get our youngest son to work it for us. My wife talked me out of it though, and we concentrate on carpets and upholstery now. Just had the van sign written for it too. It's in Guurmun, for obvious reasons.

[Deangsi]

my old man is a window cleaner and a roofer he had a roofing company for 10 years let it go and works on his own now window cleaning and roofing repairs 

[Mick Kent]

Yes carpet cleaning and jet washing, gained quite a few contract cleaning contracts as of late too which are weekly which im going to pish more into in the near future. The cleaning sector is multibillions so a small slice isnt that hard to find! Just trying to find the nice juicy slice's is where it takes time but well worth doing.

[dannymack]

Cozy van looks great m8, a question to yourself and Mick regarding carpet cleaning. I was cleaning the windows to a school we do and the caretaker was cleaning the carpet, we was talking about the carpet cleaning and he said they have carpet machines that run into a few grand but he was using one of those buffing machines with a bumper mop under the spinning disc, he uses that with good quality carpet floor liquid cleaner, when it starts to dry out he puts it in the bucket with the cleaner rinses it out then puts back under the disc and the carpet comes up beautiful, not that wet either and he does it in half the time, wondering if yous two have done it this way as he said it beats all these expensive machines. The only thing you have to watch out for is that you don't let the bumper mop dry out as it could burn the carpet

[C o z y]

There's so much that can go wrong doing that mate.   The machines we use were between 2500 and 3500 a piece. Van mounts are over 15,000 !!! It's not that bad really, as we have few breakdowns etc. If you look in the carpet muncher's section on here, you'll soon see how much there is to it.

We specialise in upholstery cleaning mostly, and the results make the punters over happy   Get good prices and it's a lot easier on the body than window licking mate.

[Mick Kent]

yes i have 2 buffing/polishing machines but am not that keen on them, i prefere using my prochem steempro 2000 powermax and find it much quicker and a more thorough clean however i havnt used the buffers a great deal to call myself an expert with them.  

[Walter Mitty]

I'm getting older so I'm doing something less physical along with the windows.  I do a fair bit of writing now and hope to make enough for a part-time income eventually.  Walter Mitty?  Maybe so.  I won't be the next J K Rowling but I do believe that I'm becoming good enough to make some money at it.  If I won the lottery and could retire, I would still write - because I enjoy it.  There is material all around us - everywhere we look.  You just need to have the sort of mind that can tune into it (i.e. a bit eccentric) and convert it into something that others will enjoy reading.  I genuinely believe that I can do this.

[TomCrowther]

We do guttering in the winter and spring. Pressure washing mainly in the spring and summer while the bread and butter is window cleaning year round.
Bought a small contract cleaning business early this year which is doing well just now. Some decent new contracts and that business also feeds the window cleaning side. Got 24 employees on the contract cleaning and this is about to grow substantially. Eggs in baskets and all that.

[PoleKing]

I'm getting older so I'm doing something less physical along with the windows.  I do a fair bit of writing now and hope to make enough for a part-time income eventually.  Walter Mitty?  Maybe so.  I won't be the next J K Rowling but I do believe that I'm becoming good enough to make some money at it.  If I won the lottery and could retire, I would still write - because I enjoy it.  There is material all around us - everywhere we look.  You just need to have the sort of mind that can tune into it (i.e. a bit eccentric) and convert it into something that others will enjoy reading.  I genuinely believe that I can do this.

Rain won't affect you either!

[dannymack]

Thanks for the replys cozy, Mick and all

[slap bash]

I do gutters, widows, pressure cleaning and also have a small manufacturer business. Making specialized products for a few shops.Cannot say much about that as is a bit sensitive.

[Ian101]

During 2014 ive gone from 100% windows to about 70% windows and 30% connies, gutters, upvc cleaning ... for 2015 I expect to go 50% windows with pressure washing being the other 20% ... if for no other reason just to get some variety into the working week.

Would like to grow the pressure washing to 50% of turnover with large commercial jobs being most of that.

[wfp master]

cool story bro.

[Darranvps]

Get an Orbot Sprayborg for carpet cleaning - makes life easy

[dannymack]

Never heard of that Farran an Orbot Sprayborg lol !!  Sounds like some sort of Alien pmsl !!! Hope alls well your end, starting to get sooooo cold in the mornings, this is when a lot of windys chuck in the towl until summer arrives !!!
It's called sorting the men from the boys he he !!!

[Tom White]

I'm getting older so I'm doing something less physical along with the windows.  I do a fair bit of writing now and hope to make enough for a part-time income eventually.  Walter Mitty?  Maybe so.  I won't be the next J K Rowling but I do believe that I'm becoming good enough to make some money at it.  If I won the lottery and could retire, I would still write - because I enjoy it.  There is material all around us - everywhere we look.  You just need to have the sort of mind that can tune into it (i.e. a bit eccentric) and convert it into something that others will enjoy reading.  I genuinely believe that I can do this.

About ten years ago I did a creative writing course with a local writer called Paul Groves:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Groves_%28poet%29

It's a very tough market from what he was saying, but if you enjoy it, then that's great.

[Walter Mitty]

I'm getting older so I'm doing something less physical along with the windows.  I do a fair bit of writing now and hope to make enough for a part-time income eventually.  Walter Mitty?  Maybe so.  I won't be the next J K Rowling but I do believe that I'm becoming good enough to make some money at it.  If I won the lottery and could retire, I would still write - because I enjoy it.  There is material all around us - everywhere we look.  You just need to have the sort of mind that can tune into it (i.e. a bit eccentric) and convert it into something that others will enjoy reading.  I genuinely believe that I can do this.

About ten years ago I did a creative writing course with a local writer called Paul Groves:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Groves_%28poet%29

It's a very tough market from what he was saying, but if you enjoy it, then that's great.

I agree that it is a tough market out there.  Fortunately, money isn't my main goal.  Ironically, that's one of the reasons I believe I will be fine with it.  The stories that have been buzzing around in my head for years are finally finding their way onto paper.  Even if no-one else likes them, it's still an exhilarating experience.  I have some unusual stories to tell with my own unique perspective on them.  The only failure is in not trying.