[d.ward]

Hi im a window cleaner looking to build a large cleaning business.
Im looking to start carpet cleaning next year nad im just wondering how often a year a domestic customer has their carpet cleaned and how much do you charge?

Second question do you need a license to carry any chemicals that you require???

[jasonl]

I have been told about 15%of domestic properties clean thier carpets, about half of that nmber professionally  .

Charges vary from less than a pound up to 5 pounds a m2.  . . . .  Profit , that is a whole different question.


I have never had a licence to carry chemicals ,, but have always carried data sheets for them.

[Joe H]

I heard the % of houses having carpet cleaning is somewhat less the 15% but may be wrong.

You do need to carry the manufacturers safety data sheets that are provided for all chemicals.
Would be very foolish not to anyway.

Maybe easier, and cheaper, to get into driveway cleaning.

[derek west]

i know a few guys who are doing fantastic at just window cleaning, stick to what you know and put all your energies into growing your business.

don't understand why people want to add new strings to there bow without taking on staff to cover the extra work, if your not busy enough doing what your doing, then your doing it wrong and no amount of diversity will make up for it, while your putting your efforts into carpet cleaning, your window cleaning will decline and you'll be back to square one.

just my opinion, not having a go.

derek

[Ian Gourlay]

I think it is easier for a Carpet Cleaner to become a Window Cleaner  and build a round than a Window Cleaner to become a Carpet Cleaner.

Carpet Cleaning is about marketing and even Robert Saunders of Alltec admits there is no magic bullet

The famous Pink Flyer produces around about 1 per thousand and is done on A3 paper  and distributed by Post Office.
Add all these costs up and you are talking £50 to £75 to find a customer.
Therefore to clean a carpet for £50 is not viable.
So if you are in the  £50 to £75 or even £100 average sale market the going is not easy
When you find your customer  they are not going to have their carpet cleaned every four weeks as in window cleaning, so you have to cons tantley market.
The good news is there are people in the industry who can afford  70k truck mounts  and turnover a considerable sum of money. But you will need to market to the correct demographic group.

[Steve Chapman]

Or if you want something positive 

Alternatively use your existing window cleaning database of customers to market to and grow the carpet cleaning slowly but steadily, you've aready got the customers there so should take minimal cost on the marketing side and you have the income of the window cleaning to fall back on.

We did this and have never looked back,

From my own experience you can earn double what you can window cleaning if you do it right.

Regards
Steve

[Mike_Roper]

I would agree with Steve, thats what I did. 20yrs ago I started  carpet cleaning in addition to windows - I had the customer base. Let it grow naturally cos still getting income from windows.
Eventually dropped windows altogether and have a strong carpet cleaning business.
Had a good mentor , did training etc and gained experience.
Mike

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

Spot on Steve we have run the Decorating business for !8 years now.It was a good customer base when we started the CC before that we passed it on locally now it's all ours. : : :

Cheers Tony

[d.ward]

Or if you want something positive 

Alternatively use your existing window cleaning database of customers to market to and grow the carpet cleaning slowly but steadily, you've aready got the customers there so should take minimal cost on the marketing side and you have the income of the window cleaning to fall back on.

We did this and have never looked back,

From my own experience you can earn double what you can window cleaning if you do it right.

Regards
Steve

Thats what im looking to do - thanks for the replys

[d.ward]

How often would the customers require the cleans?

[Carpet Dawg]

probably averages out to once a year. you get the odd one that once them twice a year.