Get Your Head Out of the Sand…

Cut the Cable Guy!

A Short Time Ago

I received an announcement in the mail from the cable company informing me that they are going digital and I will no longer be able to receive a signal to my HDTV without the use of a digital converter or cable box.  Now wait a minute, I’m already paying seventy bucks a month for cable television and they’re telling me that I will need five boxes for each of my HDTV’s at $7.00 each? per month?
I did the math; $70+35 X 12 months = $1260.00 and that does not include phone and internet.

After thinking about it for a moment I remembered a line from the Mexican bandits in the Bogart movie Treasure of the Sierra Madre and I said to myself “Boxes? I don’t need any stinking cable boxes!”

For years we have been paying an average of sixty-five dollars per month for cable television.
Today the average monthly cable bill for one person will depend on many things. Cable companies have different tiers of programming. Your actual cost will depend on which tier and extra channels you order. The average bill is approximately $70.00.
So how many hours of television do you watch on average? How many programs can you watch at a time?

The History of Cable Television

Cable television first became available in the United States in 1948, with subscription services following in 1949. Data by SNL Kagan shows that as of 2006 about 58.4% of all American homes subscribe to basic cable television services. Most cable viewers in the U.S. reside in the suburbs and tend to be middle class; cable television is less common in low income, urban, and rural areas.

How I Cut the Cord

After doing a little research on Google I discovered a whole new world of programs; gaining access to all the local broadcasts; using devices like Roku, Chromecast or Apple TV. I understand you can do this with the Xbox too. I decided on the Roku because of its rating and popularity. The Roku is a small portable device that will fit into the palm of your hand. It has unlimited programs and games for FREE! No subscription.
I also discovered Aereo.com. Aereo is an online antenna service. It will give you access to local broadcasts for only $8.00 monthly and you get 20 hours of DVR storage.
At one point I was paying as much as $160.00 per month, now my bill is only $49.00 for internet and  phone. I have added streaming services like Netflix, Aereo and Hulu for and additional $24.00.
My total bill is now $73.00 for unlimited programs. I can look at whatever I want; anytime I choose.  

I’m saving over 50% per month!

What does this have to do with carpet cleaning?

The Carpet Cleaning Dude  vs. The Cable TV Guy

Did you know that only 20% of households actually pay a professional service to clean their carpets—the other 80% either don’t clean them at all, or do it themselves.
I have talked to many homeowners that have their own carpet shampooer and I've discovered they all have one thing in common; they all use the shampoo in their home machine. The same shampoo the folks that make the machine sell to the consumer. This happens with rentals too.
This is the problem; after all those "do-it-yourself" cleanings residue or chemical buildup from the shampoo chemical creates a sticky residue in the carpet fiber. After a while the carpet begins to look dirty and maybe even have and odor. It also creates premature wear. Shortening the life span of your carpets.

Carpet cleaning is an easy task, it involves going out, brushing a few carpets and the day is over.
If this is what you think, take a step back and think again. There is more to carpet cleaning than meets the eye. 

Read the story: A Day in the Life of a Carpet Cleaning Employee

Maybe you’ll think twice before you give your money to the humongous cable company and support the little guy in the community who’s trying to feed his family or build his business.

For more information on how to cut your cable costs follow the link.

Your Guide to Cutting the Cord to Cable TV

Marketdata Enterprises, Inc. report on The U.S. Carpet Cleaning Industry.

Cut the cable and support the small businesses in your community!

SuperClean Carpet Cleaning

Selling of the Soul for Cheap Carpet Cleaning

There’s a lot of information about carpet cleaning. It's a 40 billion dollar industry and the industry itself is deregulated and highly fragmented. With all the information, there’s a lot of misinformation. . . .
Who Do You Trust?

“Carpet cleaning companies have been springing up like weeds after a rain in the last few years. That's due, in part, to the proliferation of equipment that may be just one step above home rental cleaning machines.” TRUE OR FALSE

There are basically three different type of carpet cleaning companies for homeowners;

1.Marketing companies also known as “Bait and Switch” companies offer low prices to induce you to make the call.

This is the classic carpet cleaning rip-off. These companies spend thousands of dollars on advertising every month and use independent contractors to do the work. In this scam, the customer is lured in by a ridiculously low priced carpet cleaning offer. Often the advertisement you read will offer carpet cleaning in the neighborhood of $5-10 per room. There is no way that a company can be profitable selling its services that low. But the companies usually have no intention of leaving your home with only the advertised amount. So how do they increase the bill after you have taken the "bait" of the low price? See our blog "Carpet Cleaning Scams"

2.Mom and Pop Carpet Cleaners

There are more than 21,000 independent carpet cleaning operations based in the U.S. that perform commercial and residential cleaning. These small independent businesses usually consist of 1-5 employees and have 1-3 service vehicles. These people are very hard working and an asset to their local community. Most use truck-mounted equipment and are certified by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration (IICRC) They are usually well trained and take pride in their work. The problem is that with many of these smaller companies, if they can’t grow the business and diversify services, they are usually out of business in less than five years.
We recommend if you find a good local cleaner that provides a quality service at a good price do all you can to keep them in business by using them regularly and sending them referrals.
Remember: Once they leave your home they need a new customer to replace the one they just serviced and word of mouth has proven to be the best single form of advertising.

3.The Big Franchises

The top 10 biggest franchises in the U.S. offer a wide variety of services including a bigger price tag.
Due to the downturn in disposable income and the economy many consumers that would normally use one of these companies is now using a less expensive service or they are doing it themselves.
People are also discovering less is not greater. Here is the list of the top ten. read more

The Lowdown on Zerorez and their Empowered Water™ read more

Should I Do It Myself or Should I Call a Professional?

People are so frustrated with carpet cleaning services many choose not to even deal with strangers but instead will go out and buy their own machine or rent one. This is another bad idea. Ask yourself this question.

Have you been trained and certified on how to use the equipment and the chemicals? I didn't think so! read more

Confessions of a Carpet Killer

“I have destroyed something beautiful. I took the life of my carpet even though it was the right carpet for the job. By making the wrong decision on cleaning supplies I ruined it years before it’s time.
Now it looks worn, old and ugly. If I’d only seen the error of my ways, and looked for the Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval. Now it’s too late…

read more

Choosing the Right Company
Many articles and news commentaries have been written on how to choose a cleaning service and right at the top of the list are “Mistakes To Avoid “ and those are; “Choosing a Carpet Cleaner Based on Low Price.”
It is a fact the most consumers have no idea about equipment, chemicals and fibers. Some will ask the cleaner, “I need someone to come out and shampoo my carpets today, how much you gonna charge me?”

Follow these recommendations on what to look for in a carpet cleaning service.
Carpet Cleaning Consumer Guide


7,500 Online Shoppers Unknowingly Sold Their Souls

We live in such a fast paced world that most people fail to do any type of due diligence when it comes to making financial decisions. Just recently a computer game retailer revealed that it legally owns the souls of thousands of online shoppers, thanks to a clause in the terms and conditions agreed to by online shoppers.
The retailer, British firm GameStation, added the "immortal soul clause" to the contract signed before making any online purchases earlier this month. It states that customers grant the company the right to claim their soul.
read more

A Message from the Author

I have been cleaner for more than ten years and I enjoy my work. I also enjoy sharing information with people that will help improve the indoor air quality in their homes. Everyday we receive calls from homeowners in need of service and the first thing people will ask is “I would like a quote or an estimate?”
So often they are in such a big hurry they become frustrated or rude when you ask them, “How did you hear about us?
“Oh I just Googled you!” The question follows, “Have you have a chance to go to our website?”
And they’ll say “I don’t have time I just need a price” or “I’m really busy can you just give me a price.”
We call these callers “Price Shoppers” Instead of building a rapport they build a wall, thinking that you’re going to sell them the Brooklyn Bridge in their search for the cheapest cleaner.
They are so busy dialing numbers trying to get the best price on carpet cleaning rather getting the best cleaner.
Believe me they would save themselves a lot of time and aggravation if they just went to our site and there on the landing page they would find the best deals on carpet cleaning,how we perform our services and testimonials from previous customers whereby they could compare with other companies.
Let’s face reality many of these folks are looking for a quick fix and once their problem is solved you never hear from them again. This is one if the reasons the industry is so fragmented.
My recommendation would be to to use a local company with good online reviews. You could also use a recommendation from a friend or neighbor and follow it up with some investigation online.
I have seen situations where a celebrity down on his luck went out and bought a portable carpet cleaner and people liked him and referred a lot of business. A couple of years later he was out of business because people started complaining about the effects of his improper cleaning methods.
Calling for the best price is a crap shoot. You might roll the dice and end up with a good cleaner. This is also a risk. Information is powerful use it wisely. So hold onto your soul we want you around next Halloween…

April Fool, Are You?

April Fool’s Day sometimes called All Fools' Day is one of the most light-hearted days of the year. Its origins are uncertain. Some see it as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons, while others believe it stems from the adoption of a new calendar.

In 1508, French poet Eloy d’Avril referred to a poisson d’avril (April fool, literally "April fish"), a possible reference to the holiday. In 1539, Flemish poet Eduard de Dene wrote of a nobleman who sent his servants on foolish errands on April 1.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian calendar) to replace the old Julian calendar. The new calendar called for New Year's Day to be celebrated Jan. 1. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year's Day to Jan. 1.
According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on "fool's errands" or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventually, the practice spread throughout Europe.



Break Out of Your Comfort Zone to Achieve Success

Humans are wired to seek comfort, and as a result much of daily life is focused around familiar patterns and habits. When something threatens to break those habits, we feel uncomfortable and nervous. These negative feelings are easily avoided by continuing to live life the same way, rejecting change. If given the chance to enter uncharted territory, a situation where life’s future is unpredictable, people often prefer not to change, clinging to a comfortable situation.
I remember as a child the comfort and security of my parents and the never having to worry about paying bills or cleaning house. I realized as I grew older responsibility and decision making came with it.
It’s easy to fall into a Comfort Zone with our finances. It’s easy to pay someone else to do carpet cleaning, for example. And if outsourcing this work is embedded in your family culture, paying someone else is natural and comfortable.

Common Misconceptions about Carpet Cleaning

Dry Cleaning is better than Steam (wet) Cleaning because it is dry. If I have my carpet steam (wet or hot water extraction) cleaned, it can shrink, mold or mildew, split the seams, or otherwise ruin my carpet.
Steam cleaning a common misconception. This is a term used in the industry but a false one. The correct term is Hot-water extraction (HWE) and the method preferred by the manufacturer and referring the truck-mounted method for professional cleaning.

Rotary brush and scrubbing machines: These machines are the worst but companies still use them. These machines use the principle of deep scrubbing by rotating brushes on your carpet with a cleaning solution. Chemdry uses this process referred to as “Hot Carbonation.”
This method is commonly used in the commercial cleaning industry for restaurants and hotels. In essence, all they are doing is moving around the dirt and cleaning the top layer of the carpet. The carpet manufacturer warns homeowners that if they do not use the “Hot-water” extraction method annually it will void the warranty; also referred to as “Carpet Void Warranty.”

Shampooing is another common misconception. Many homeowners will rent or purchase a carpet cleaning machine to clean their own carpet using an alkaline base shampoo that accompanies the purchase or rental for the machine. The downside of this process it leaves the carpets with alkaline residue which leads to rapid resoiling or overwetting which causes the carpet fibers to expand creating carpet roll or many refer to as wrinkles.

Coupons; another common misconception about carpet cleaning. Companies spend thousands of dollars every month on advertising to get you to respond to that $15.00 per room advertisement; this is commonly referred to as “Bait and Switch.” Most consumers don’t even realize that many of these companies don’t even clean carpets but are marketing companies that use independent contractors to actually do the work.
When comparing DIY carpet cleaning equipment and professional cleaning services, keep in mind that rental equipment will not sanitize your carpet as well as professional equipment. A professional can typically do a much better job of getting your carpeting clean and the cost may not be much more than if you did it yourself. The average hourly rate for a professional to clean your carpets using the hot-water extraction method is about $100.00 per hour.

How We Waste Money

The pattern of how people spend money on things has changed. People spend much more on television, radio, and sound systems than they did in 1989. They also spend more on pets and toys i.e., smartphones, big screen TV’s. Etc.
Did you know that the average American household spends $914.49 annually on cable TV?
Nowadays television comes over the airwaves FREE and for $15.00 you can buy an HDTV antenna.

We all love are “Creature Comforts” and most us find it difficult to give up these luxuries or bad habits. So the next time you clean your carpets think about supporting a local business in your community. Remember, the cable companies are making millions off our bad habits!

References: Infoplease and Wikipedia

Read more:
April Fool's Day Origin and History

Ten Things Americans Waste the Most Money On - 24/7 Wall St.

Get Rich Slowly

How to Remove Pet Stains and Odor Problems Using Household Products

We all love pets. Puppies and kittens are so cute and cuddly,
but the same pets that bring us such joy and happiness, also can create
some very big problems, especially when dealing with carpet and upholstery.
Owners of even the best-trained pets will occasionally encounter pet accidents. Often, the urine is not discovered until long after the accident.

The types of damage from pet stains can be diverse and are dependent upon the makeup of the urine. Urine content will change over the pet's life because of the pet's diet, medications, age, health, sex, and reproductive cycles. Because of these variations, some urine stains may not be removable.

In the many years of cleaning carpet I have always discovered that many homeowners have attempted many different remedies only to finally have given up after damaging the carpet.

So here are a few tips:

Occasionally you will have an accident or spill that happens no matter what. You don’t need to run out to store the to buy some expensive product to clean up the problem. Chances are you have something in the house that you can use immediately. The sooner you act the better the chances are to resolve the problem. If you do go out and buy a product make sure you read the label thoroughly and always rinse with cool water.
DO NOT USE WARM OR HOT WATER.
This sets the color and always be gentle when using a brush, NEVER SCRUB!
Best household product to use is white vinegar, Woolite, and a small amount hydrogen peroxide in one cup of the 50/50 vinegar solution. Do not use alkaline base products or bleach.
Did you know that Oxiclean and resolve will bleach your carpet?

1. Blot areas with a white, clean, lint free towel.
2. If there is debris, use a spatula and dust pan and gently scrape into dustpan.
3. With a 50/50 solution of vinegar flood the area then repeat.
4. Use a wet/dry vacuum if you have one but a towel will work just fine, just
wring them out well and repeat the process.
5. When using a brush agitate gently. DON’T PANIC!
6. You can use a mild detergent like Joy or Woolite. Never use laundry detergent
or any alkaline based product.

There are all sorts of remedies there and you are most certainly welcome to use any of them, but BUYER BEWARE, the companies that sell these consumer products make millions and you come to realize that you don’t have the proper training to use them or they just are not adequate.
I recently had a customer who took me to a cupboard that had at least twenty different products. The best intermediate products to use are simple products like vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Do not use shampoo or bleach!

If this is a re-occurring problem eventually you will need to call a professional that is better equipped to resolve the issue;
A professional will exert every effort to give you the best quality cleaning possible.
Urine can affect the dyes used in carpet, although not all occurrences will result in a permanent stain. Success is dependent upon the content of the urine, the dyes and finish used, and the time elapsed after the deposit. Some urine spots may be immediately noticeable, while others may take weeks or months for a reaction. The dyes may change color immediately after contact with urine.
Another problem, especially with cats, is odor. Recently, enzymes have been developed that are more effective in treating odor problems. If odor cannot be removed, the damaged area of the carpet may need to be replaced with a piece from reserved scrap. If carpet replacement is necessary, then replacement of cushion and even sub flooring may also be necessary.
For more information on this subject read our blog “Do I Hire a Professional or D-I-Y?

Coping with the Loss of a Pet

There is no creature on earth that cements the human bond none other than our beloved pets. Even when we hate one another we love the dog or cat. That’s also true with strangers and relationships. I can be in the store or a restaurant and stranger will come from nowhere and offer an affectionate sigh and a little rub. I’m talking about our thirteen year shih tzu, Trinka.
She has been the most wonderful little creature that anyone would want to have. Not only is she cute she is also very intelligent and intuitive.
Stories like mine encapsulate the complexity and capriciousness of our longstanding love affair with animals, now our best friends and soul mates. We love animals, yet we euthanize five million abandoned cats and dogs each year. We lavish some $48 billion annually on our pets and another $2 billion on animal protection and conservation causes. The thing that really gets my blood boiling is when stupid people abuse these helpless creatures.
All that being said sooner or later we will have to deal with the parting of such a sweet creature and most of us are not prepared. I was recently in the home of a client that had a pet for seventeen years, yes I said seventeen years and I said “Wow Awesome!” but it was a sad day in this home because later that day they were going to put their precious pooch to sleep.
This left me very sad and I had to remind myself that I will have to face this same dilemma at some uncertain time in the future.
We have all the latest technology and modern medicines that sustain the quality of life as the pet gets on in years, but ultimately time runs out.
I enclosed a link to help us Pet Lovers deal with the parting of our best buddies with some encouraging words by famous authors that happened to love pets too!

Tips on Coping with Pet Loss”



Commonly Asked Questions when Dealing with the Death of a Pet

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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.
Will Rogers

If I have any beliefs about immortality it is that certain dogs I know will go to heaven, and very few people.
James Thurber

With eye upraised his master’s look to scan, the joy, the solace, and the aid of man: The rich man’s guardian and the poor man’s friend, the only creature faithful to the end.
George Crabbe

If there is a heaven, it's certain our animals are to be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own; it would take more than an archangel to detangle them.
Pam Brown

She died as she had been born and as she had lived, in my care, and surrounded by those who loved her.
Vicki W. Fowler

I guess you don't really own a dog, you rent them, and you have to be thankful that you had a long lease.
Joe Garagiola

I think God will have prepared everything for our perfect happiness. If it takes my dog being there [in Heaven], I believe he'll be there.
Rev. Billy Graham

The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master.
Ben Hur Lampman

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."
Eleanor Roosevelt

"Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome."
Isaac Asimov

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
Anatole France

"Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim."
Vicki Harrison

"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us."
Robert Louis Stevenson

From Oprah Dealing with the Death of a Pet

The Art of Deception

There is a new series premiering this week on a major network, its title, “Deception”

Wikipedia defines deception by the following;
Deception, beguilement, deceit, bluff, mystification and subterfuge are acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth (as in half-truths or omission). Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand, as well as distraction, camouflage, or concealment. There is also self-deception, as in bad faith.
Deception is a major relational transgression that often leads to feelings of betrayal and distrust between relational partners. Deception violates relational rules and is considered to be a negative violation of expectations. Most people expect friends, relational partners, and even strangers to be truthful most of the time. If people expected most conversations to be untruthful, talking and communicating with others would require distraction and misdirection to acquire reliable information. A significant amount of deception occurs between romantic and relational partners.

Deception: A New Religion ... What Price Glory?
The price we are pay for our deceptive ways

Carpet cleaners who promise to clean your entire home for $49.95 but when they arrive they use strong-arm tactics to make you pay more for services that you don’t need. The janitorial company for your office you sign a 12 month contract only to find that they are only doing half the work agreed on.
You realize there is a penalty for early termination, so now you are stuck with them until the agreement expires unless you want to come up with a lump sum to buy out the remainder of the term. The list goes on but wait! You’re forgetting about one person, who’s that, you say?
Well that happens to be you…Yes you my friend!

We Practice Deception...

Here’s an example; you call up the cleaning company for a quote to clean your carpet. The company asks, “When was the last time you cleaned the carpet and do you have pets?” You respond. “Oh Fife, she is just a little small thing and very clean and the carpet isn't really that dirty, we just wanted to spruce it up because we are having company over this weekend. When the cleaner arrives they find that little Fife has taken liberties and soiled most of the carpet and it looks and smells like it hasn't been cleaned in years. Then the cleaner tells you the good news. “It’s gonna cost you more money to do a restorative cleaning.” You start to hiss and moan and start accusing the company of bait and switch.

Let’s not forget about the one person who started this whole chain of events. Each and every one of us has the desire to be successful, admired by friends and to provide for our family. But most of the time we do this out of selfish ambition.

Richard Bach says, “Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. Listen to it carefully.”

Martin Luther King says, “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of the creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Strong’s concordance has 388 Bible references. Deception is everywhere.

Deception is a form of compromise. In Luke 4:5-8 Jesus refuses to compromise with Satan the Deceiver;
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’

To know what to do and not do it is sin. For the Scriptures says,

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’”
Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21

“…leading you out of the labyrinth…”
From a letter by Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, written in 1785:

Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear their leading you out of the labyrinth, in the easiest manner possible. The knot which you thought a Gordian one, will untie itself before you. Nothing is so mistaken as the supposition, that a person is to extricate himself from a difficulty, by intrigue, by chicanery, by dissimulation, by trimming, by an untruth, by an injustice. This increases the difficulties tenfold; and those who pursue these methods, get themselves so involved at length, that they can turn no way but their infamy becomes more exposed. It is of great importance to set a resolution, not to be shaken, never to tell an untruth. There is no vice so mean, so pitiful, so contemptible; and he who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world's believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good dispositions.

What the Devil Knows About Deception

The Devil announced a "Going Out of Business" sale - which of course we know doesn't really mean he was going out of business.

He laid out all the tools of his trade with price tags for anyone to purchase. There was hatred, jealousy, envy, greed, and more - a downright nasty bunch of devices, all for a price.

Some of the tools were pretty complicated items with buttons, spinners, ratchets, and gears. But, one was surprisingly simple. It was just a simple wedge that looked a lot like this doorstop. It was very worn, scratched, and scuffed - and it was far more expensive than any of the other high-tech tools.

Someone asked, "What's this one?"

"That's discouragement," the Devil replied.

"Why's it so expensive?"

"Because," said the Devil, "it is more useful to me than any of the others. Most people can see the other tools coming and stop me. But, with discouragement, I sneak up on them, a little at a time, slowly pry them open, and get inside where I can use my other tools."

"When someone gets discouraged, they make excuses - and I get 'em. Or, they cheat - and I get 'em. Or, they get jealous of others success - and I get 'em. Or, they just completely quit - and I get 'em."

"That's why it is so worn, you see. I use it with nearly everybody, because few people know that it belongs to me."

Remember, It's Easy to Compromise... But Costly!


Ever hear of Jodi Arias? Eyes For Lies Blog http://blog.eyesforlies.com

Are you tired of hiring and firing janitorial services?

Before you hire one more service, you need to understand the two major causes of the commercial janitorial industry high business failure rate and how it affects you.
First, some janitorial services just plain suffer from inexperience.

They just don’t know what they are doing. Cleaning commercially is not the same as cleaning your house. There are many franchises out there promising a fortune if you buy one of their franchise without any prior skills.
Second, the low bidder cannot possibly even survive in business unless they don’t do the job they were hired to do!

Yes, you read that right. The janitorial industry is a service industry based on time spent. In calculating price, a cleaning service multiplies time by an hourly rate. The hourly rate has to pay the cleaning person, the supplies, and the overhead and provide for a profit. It is not the hourly rate that varies so much between companies, it is the time allotted for the job. After you sign your long-term contract, the low bidders have to short-cut the actual cleaning process or lose money.

The profit margins are slim in the commercial cleaning industry because anybody who can push a broom can enter the janitorial industry and low-ball the work. The reputation of the janitorial industry is poor because of these want to-be cleaners.
It estimated two out of three janitorial service companies are built on the business model of constant turnover. These cleaning services force you to sign a one year contract; therefore, ensuring you will have to keep on paying them, even though they are not doing the job they were hired to do. Why do they operate like this? Small janitorial service companies do not have enough sales to pay a decent rate to their janitorial staff plus earn enough profit to pay for overhead. They only have their long-term contract.

We are so confident in our cleaning service, that we do not have long-term contracts, only a thirty day notice. Larger, established janitorial companies can charge a reasonable cleaning fee, pay their staff so they will care about the job they do and not have constant turnover plus they have plenty of customers, each contributing a small amount to overhead and profit. If the janitorial company is very large, they sometimes suffer from too much overhead - an expensive office, expensive cars for the owners, etc. SuperClean HS, Inc. has been around since 1995 and needless to say has gone through the growing pains stage. Therefore, we can charge a reasonable fee, not the lowest and not the highest.

Many franchise janitorial companies are sales organizations. Former business executives or long term employees looking for a nest egg who spend their life savings or home equity to purchase a pre-packaged business that shows them how to sell and gives them a crash course in cleaning. These poor souls don’t know that they are set up for failure. They have no capital left to build the business to a size that will support overhead. They have no prior cleaning experience and don’t know the ins and outs of the business. They only have one year contracts and low ball bids.
Hiring the low bid commercial cleaning service to do the job they were hired to do is like going to the Cadillac dealer to buy a new Catera and all you really end up with is a German Opel. You get the point. They don’t make Cadillac’s in Germany and the low bid janitorial company can’t always deliver on their promises. Were you aware that there are janitorial sales companies that make the sales call, obtain the account and then sell the contract to a cleaning service that will actually do the work? These are call marketing firms.

How to Hire the Right Company

Obtain Bids and References. When accepting bids, you will need a detailed cleaning specification to ensure that all companies are bidding for the same job. Be careful when checking references as some unscrupulous janitorial companies make sure a few of their accounts are their references by cleaning these facilities spotlessly, even though they may be losing money. Under no circumstance, should you sign a contract for more than 30 days without first using the janitorial company for several months!
Janitorial companies that service nationwide accounts are notorious for focusing on their most important accounts and treating their smaller customers as unwanted step-children. When interviewing janitorial companies, make sure they are not so large that your account is unimportant. All of our customers are important to us!

SuperClean Carpet Care
5885 Cumming Hwy #108-187
Sugar Hill, Georgia 30518
678 482-8708
supercleancare@yahoo.com