How efficient are you at cleaning?

[jcooper]

I stay pretty busy, have great clients that I very much enjoy. Got home today and my wife tells me we are booked up three weeks out! I've never been booked that far in advance. Never in six years.

This has me thinking how can I get more work done. So generally speaking those of you who work by yourself, no helper, no employees...


How efficient are you? I feel like most(of my) jobs generally take about 3 to 3.5 hours. Depending on how much furniture to move and other b.s., but generally speaking... How fast/efficient are you at cleaning an avg, sized client of yours?

For us a nice avg. sized job is 5 rooms a hall and a flight of stairs. Add some protector and could easily be a 3.5/4 hour job. I don't understand, I'm totally highspeed - it's like like I'm stopping to get water or take a break or dilly dally around.

Any tips, or things you do to be more efficient/get more done???

One thing I'm thinking of doing is starting earlier. My first appt. is 9am, maybe try starting at 8am?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Congrats Jerry that is an awesome problem to have but it is still a problem. You certainly don't want any oc your clients to wait that long. Especially any new ones who have yet to experience your services.

Can you hire a helper part time? A helper would certainly speed you up by keeping the wand moving across the carpet. Do you know of any retired friends relatives or neighbors that would enjoy some supplemental cash. They could vacuum, move furniture blo k and tab, spot for you.

 

[Doug Cox]

Maybe you should consider raising your prices. That will weed out the dirties and price shoppers on the lower end of your customer list.

 

[Russ T.]

Ive had my brother helping me get through July, our busiest month. I cant believe how much more I can get done when I have a helper! Congrats on being booked so far out. I think you're smart to be thinking about efficiency because people may not want to wait a month to have you in to clean. Knowing how to grow is something we are wrestling with too. Winter is around the corner...

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[Art Kelley]

Like you Jerry, I am booked beyond three weeks now, and customers are booking but asking to be put on a cancellation list if I can get there sooner. I start at 8 a.m. and work to past 6 p.m. doing 3-4 jobs a day, sometimes starting at 7;45. The extra hour helps over starting at 9. There's nothing more you can do if you work alone. I don't take breaks and eat in the van between jobs. I gave up worrying about it a long time ago. I'm not going to change my business model. I tell them to call Ken Snow's company or Modernistic, both good places that can get to them much sooner than me. Don't stress over it, winter will be here soon enough.

 

[Out of Character - 0]

Hire an assistant. Clearly you can afford it and I guarantee that your clients will be much happier that your not in their home half the day. When we send 1 tech we get negative feedback about how much longer it took than last time. Even if that 1 tech is me and I bust ass.

 

[jcooper]

Yea, Richard. A helper is the next step, hopefully next year.

Doug, That's too funny. My wife has actually been answering the phone/booking jobs for the last two months(she's off work, broken leg and 8 months preggo) and she's a ringer. I get home yesterday, she tell me she booked some guy for $400 bucks in rug cleaning. I look at her notes and say that's way too much we don't charge that... Her exact words, "we do now"! lol!

Thanks Art, starting earlier would help and will be implemented, starting in three weeks!

Thanks fellas...

 

[Jim Nelson]

Stop moving furniture. One of the best moves I have made . If I do move it ,it is 40% of the cleaning cost. They either say go a round it or they will move it. Either way I win. I do move one or two pieces if it will look bad if i don't for free. I never ever move every thing any more.

 

[Able 1]

With me and my helper there is NO one more efficient! NO time on a job there is any stand around... You will add at least 2 jobs a day with a helper, and ask yourself why you didn't do it sooner...

 

[Able 1]

We move everything(to a point) for free!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Jerry
Do you use a powerhead to clean with? It would help keep up production numbers and reduce some fatigue on your body. What about adding a "Y" for a second solution line attached to your injection sprayer. Then you can just set your wand down and spray with your sprayer and then pick the wand back up. No disconnecting and repeatedly going back and forth.

I know it's going to look goofy but one of those Batman untility belts would save trips to get spotters in you had them around your waist. You could even work on spot as you are vacuuming prior to applying precondition.

Use Sticky Tabs so you can shuffle the furniture back and forth and not worry about wood staining or tabs falling off.


That's al I can think of off the top of my head.


What about a helper?

 

[Jim Martin]

I stay pretty busy, have great clients that I very much enjoy. Got home today and my wife tells me we are booked up three weeks out! I've never been booked that far in advance. Never in six years.

This has me thinking how can I get more work done. So generally speaking those of you who work by yourself, no helper, no employees...


How efficient are you? I feel like most(of my) jobs generally take about 3 to 3.5 hours. Depending on how much furniture to move and other b.s., but generally speaking... How fast/efficient are you at cleaning an avg, sized client of yours?

For us a nice avg. sized job is 5 rooms a hall and a flight of stairs. Add some protector and could easily be a 3.5/4 hour job. I don't understand, I'm totally highspeed - it's like like I'm stopping to get water or take a break or dilly dally around.

Any tips, or things you do to be more efficient/get more done???

One thing I'm thinking of doing is starting earlier. My first appt. is 9am, maybe try starting at 8am?

if you ever get up this way..come and do a ride along with me......my middle name is efficient......

how to set up your truck.....re-think how you clean 101.....and yes..you too can do 4 to 5 jobs a day and still be home for dinner.......

 

[ruff]

Jerry, you're in a very good position to be, congratulations.

A lot depends on your final goal. If you have no aspiration to have a multiple van business. Efficiency is important but working like a super efficient banshee can be quite taxing.
I did it for a long time (currently have an assistant) and eventually it does wear you out. So as my business got busier I tried not to schedule too tight and crazy.
Was I maximizing my earning potential? NO
But I was a lot less stressed out and enjoyed my work more.

Which brings one to the second issue that others were referring to (and I'm not sure where your price structure is at) - Charging more for your work and having less need to work fast and being able to enjoy it more. And spending less time working, yet not necessarily earning less.

 

[Ron K]

Jerry congratulations for being booked out that far. But are you making money at that speed? Are you loosing customers at that speed? Do you have time off at that speed? If you like your answer to those questions then good for you!

 

[jcooper]

Generally, I feel like I'm the slowest cleaner on earth and need to be much more efficient. Need to complete more jobs per day, to grow. At some point(hopefully a long time from now) I'm simply not going to be able to do the cleaning anymore.

What after that? Collect S.S and live in a tent down by the river. Lol!
My wife actually broke her leg about 8-9 weeks ago, if that happened to me... I'd be outta biz! Kinda forced me to think about these things.

Last thing I wan't is to be some guy racing through jobs just to get done(like most, imo). One thing I've learned - you have to take some time with people/clients, give them advice, listen to them, actually want to help them. Miss. Smith just gets home from the grocery store when I get there. Ask her if she wan't help(hopefully she don't, but I'm there if she does) crap like that.


I like Richards tips and Art's advice to start earlier. Scott, who the heck want's to move furniture anyways!

yes..you too can do 4 to 5 jobs a day and still be home for dinner.......

Jim, I'd be home free at 4-5 jobs a day. By myself, that seems impossible! Unless it's all 3 rooms and a hall, empty! And real close to each other!


Also, as far as my biz goes. We can go from feast or famine in a matter of days. However this growth spurt has lasted for about 4 month so far.

 

[Jim Martin]

Jim, I'd be home free at 4-5 jobs a day. By myself, that seems impossible! Unless it's all 3 rooms and a hall, empty! And real close to each other!

I promise you .......it is not impossible.......

 

[Able 1]

You can actually chit chat with custy's more if you have a helper also. And YES if you brake your leg you are f'd! If you are down.. at least 50% of your custy's will find someone else and continue to use them instead of you.. It's reliability as well as having a great service! I love when inefficient cleaners say that the efficient companies are "racing" through jobs.. Think about it as man hours, for you to clean three rooms and a hall by yourself with a little moving of stuff, but some moving involved should take about 1.25 hours(maybe 1.5 hour if your REALLY slow) if you have a good helper you should be around 45mins. The nice thing about having a helper is no matter what they want moved you can schedule the same as far as time and almost half of the time that it would take you by yourself.

You can do what you want, and feel that YOU need to clean everything, but it will only hold you back.. I don't advertize except for SM and flyers here and there and biz is booming! This was my day today:
9am-Empty house referral(with 2 trucks)-1.5hours $400($800.00 cali
11am-3rd floor-2BR,den,stairs,loft,LR,DR(rental) 1 hour 2 guys 1 truck..$185
12:30-2 rental units $185 each cleaned with 2 vans
2pm-1 van rental unit $115
2pm-1 van rental unit $110
AND home by 3:30..

 

[allanhamilton78]

Hi Jerry! Is your problem already solved? I'm looking for a industrial commercial cleaning now and I'm really willing to pay good.

 

[mirf]

Jim,
next time I am out on the west coast I may ask you to do just that. Sound like a great time and

learning experience. Be carful I might start to send my techs out for training. How Much?

if you ever get up this way..come and do a ride along with me......my middle name is efficient......

how to set up your truck.....re-think how you clean 101.....and yes..you too can do 4 to 5 jobs a day and still be home for dinner.......

 

[Dave Rampage]

Jerry,

If you are scheduled out 3 weeks, you need to hire somebody. You must be losing work because there are always people that want it now. What are you going to do around Thanksgiving and Christmas? Go hire somebody. You will not regret it.

 

[hogjowl]

I do move one or two pieces if it will look bad if i don't for free. I never ever move every thing[/COLOR] any more.

I don't move things on most jobs, but I always give them that option.

 

[Goomer]

Yea, Richard. A helper is the next step, hopefully next year.

Why would you choose to wait until next year?

Sounds like the right time is now.

I can see how one may want to be cautious and selective if searching for a full time assistant/tech, but even a mere HELPER, performing only the most basic of tasks, can dramatically effect overall efficiency and help to maintain ones sanity.

Having an extra set of hands to help set-up, be your go-fer, pull hoses, fill bottles, pre-spay ahead (with separate sprayer), move things, vacuum, etc, can easily chop hours off any busy day.

I have a few different guys that help me on an "as needed" basis.
One is my 21 year old nephew, another is my good friends unemployed brother who can't hold a real job, and I have a few other kids that are my nephews friends who are always looking to make a few extra bucks.
All I do is slap a blue Dickie button down work shirt on them, and dictate tasks to them one at a time.

Nothing to do at the moment??

Clean out and organize the van.
Fill/condense sprayers and bottles.
Empty vacuum
Go grab me a cold drink
Emotional support when the reality of being a porty hack is too much to bear.
etc.....
etc.....

How many trips to the truck, how many simple, menial tasks do you have to do yourself during any busy day that can easily be done by someone else without any training or knowledge of the business, leaving you to better focus on what is most important?

 

[TomKing]

I get home yesterday, she tell me she booked some guy for $400 bucks in rug cleaning. I look at her notes and say that's way too much we don't charge that... Her exact words, "we do now"! lol!...

Listen to the lady 4 rugs a day and you have $1000 dollars.
you married well

 

[Desk Jockey]

Emotional support when the reality of being a porty hack is too much to bear.

I'm sorry Frank you know I'm just kidding with you............................about Tony Stewart.





Ya damn Porty Hack!

 

[Willy P]

I'm sorry Frank you know I'm just kidding with you............................about Tony Stewart.





Ya damn Porty Hack!

Pucker up Chavez!

 

[Willy P]

Be sure to watch out for the Rocky Mountain barking spider.

 

[WillS]

I get home yesterday, she tell me she booked some guy for $400 bucks in rug cleaning. I look at her notes and say that's way too much we don't charge that... Her exact words, "we do now"! lol!

Very nice! We have been trying to figure out how to get more business in to, your average cleaning time per house is a little more than ours, 5 areas, stairs, vacuuming, etc with 2 people takes approx. 2 hours. We just recently raised our prices and haven't had any complaints. We charge more for restorative cleaning (really really dirty carpet) compared to just full deep cleaning. It encourages people to keep their carpet in better shape so they won't be paying the restorative fee in the future. Now that those people have turned into return customers, we can speed through the house even faster because it's nothing like it was the first time we got there, allowing for increased productivity.

I read on a post on here one guy keeps an average production rate at $100/hour. Which I think is really a good goal to be at if not above. I'm not sure if he was cleaning by himself or had a helper though.

Can I ask, how much do you charge for the 5 areas w hallway?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Pucker up Chavez!

LOL

 

[Desk Jockey]

Can I ask, how much do you charge for the 5 areas w hallway?

How many sq/ft? We charge by the sq/ft, if that totaled to 1000sq/ft $350.00

 

[WillS]

How many sq/ft? We charge by the sq/ft, if that totaled to 1000sq/ft $350.00

Is that for full deep cleaning with stain removal and everything included? That's around $60 a room then right? Considering the rooms are 300sq ft. etc.