Cleaning News RUST anyone? What do YOU do....

[LFC]

Lotta great stuff here Lately on the Removal of Mustard/Tumeric stains..Great Work Randy @wandwizard . Also Bleach stains have gotten plenty attention as late. But what about RUST? That is ran into just as often if not more. What do YOU use. What do YOU charge? What do you tell your customers the reason for the xtra charge as not to appear as a Bait n Switch hack? Let's hear it Gang....

It's a bleach spot not a bleach stain....honestly some people.

 

[aloha one]

It's a bleach spot not a bleach stain....honestly some people.

Got me Thar! Fugging Perfectionist..dont you have some Bubble N Squeek to eat? lol

 

[wandwizard]

I don't think I've ever really charged for rust stains unless it was in the form of a little higher cents per sq. ft. rate. I've done some pretty bad ones,but normally I don't have to spend a lot of time or money to get rust stains out. It's normally one of the easier stains to remove if you have a 1/2 way decent rust remover. I've used Chemspec too for many years. Since I've been using it a quart has nearly doubled in price. I decided to pick up some Matrix Rust Remover @ 8.95 a qt. and give it another go. The last time I used it was several years ago and it was an abysmal failure. They evidently have improved it. So far it's worked every single time. I'm a bit afraid of Whink even though I know there is little chance I'll get that stuff on me. It is a dangerous acid and I just don't feel the need for it personally. Maybe I've read one too many msds sheets so I'm a little over paranoid. I don't normally charge anything for treating a few rust stains. Not knocking anyone who does.

There have been many times I haven't charged extra for certain stain removal that I know I should have. I got into a job about 2 years ago where I was doing a pretty large 2 story home and the stains were numerous and VARIOUS! I think I can say with pretty much certainty most cleaners would not have went to the extremes I did to remove almost every stain in that house and trust me, there were some difficult ones. I easily spent double time cleaning that place as a direct result of the stains. Name a stain and it was probably in there accept I don't think there was any mustard or turmeric. Food dyes, numerous food stains and drink stains, lots of UFO stains. (Unidentifiable Freaking Objects). There there was the huge stain from a printer cartridge that somehow exploded they told me. Made a very large stain in a computer room or office. I knew going into it that this place was going to be trouble. It did not disappoint cause it was a LOT of trouble!!! I let myself get taken on that job big time!!!!

 

[Mike Krall]

I use Bridgepoint's T-Rust. melts before you eyes. My customers love it because I don't charge extra.

 

[aloha one]

I don't think I've ever really charged for rust stains unless it was in the form of a little higher cents per sq. ft. rate. I've done some pretty bad ones,but normally I don't have to spend a lot of time or money to get rust stains out. It's normally one of the easier stains to remove if you have a 1/2 way decent rust remover. I've used Chemspec too for many years. Since I've been using it a quart has nearly doubled in price. I decided to pick up some Matrix Rust Remover @ 8.95 a qt. and give it another go. The last time I used it was several years ago and it was an abysmal failure. They evidently have improved it. So far it's worked every single time. I'm a bit afraid of Whink even though I know there is little chance I'll get that stuff on me. It is a dangerous acid and I just don't feel the need for it personally. Maybe I've read one too many msds sheets so I'm a little over paranoid. I don't normally charge anything for treating a few rust stains. Not knocking anyone who does.

There have been many times I haven't charged extra for certain stain removal that I know I should have. I got into a job about 2 years ago where I was doing a pretty large 2 story home and the stains were numerous and VARIOUS! I think I can say with pretty much certainty most cleaners would not have went to the extremes I did to remove almost every stain in that house and trust me, there were some difficult ones. I easily spent double time cleaning that place as a direct result of the stains. Name a stain and it was probably in there accept I don't think there was any mustard or turmeric. Food dyes, numerous food stains and drink stains, lots of UFO stains. (Unidentifiable Freaking Objects). There there was the huge stain from a printer cartridge that somehow exploded they told me. Made a very large stain in a computer room or office. I knew going into it that this place was going to be trouble. It did not disappoint cause it was a LOT of trouble!!! I let myself get taken on that job big time!!!!

Gotta charge for rust stains...Your Knowledge has value! If they knew how to do it..it wouldn't be there. Aint no mechanic gunna show you how to turn a wrench for 2 seconds to fix your car..They will Charge You!

 

[aloha one]

I use Bridgepoint's T-Rust. melts before you eyes. My customers love it because I don't charge extra.

CHARGE you Big Dummie! Todds stuff is a lot cheaper.....Why leave ducketts on the table? What..you give the money back when you win in Vegas...Geeesh some people...lol

 

[wandwizard]

Gotta charge for rust stains...Your Knowledge has value! If they knew how to do it..it wouldn't be there. Aint no mechanic gunna show you how to turn a wrench for 2 seconds to fix your car..They will Charge You!

I'll be brutally honest here. I've always been a bit timid in my pricing, especially in the past. I honestly can't remember a situation quite like the one I described above ever happening in nearly 29 years of business. That place was off the charts! I've always considered stain removal part of the job with the exception of urine. There are a lot of stains I should be charging extra for that are much more trouble than rust and take more skill to remove. I'm charging more these days than I've ever charged in my life, but normally I'll just add 5 to 10 cents a sq. ft. to the bill rather than pick out individual stains. I'll consider how long it's going to take and go from there. Trying to figure out how much to charge per stain would just cause my brain to freeze up. If I was there for only stain removal though I would most likely ask my minimum at least and I remember a few instances last year where that happened.

 

[wandwizard]

Gotta charge for rust stains...Your Knowledge has value! If they knew how to do it..it wouldn't be there. Aint no mechanic gunna show you how to turn a wrench for 2 seconds to fix your car..They will Charge You!

I actually agree with you. I would bet money that a lot stains get left behind every year because guys don't want to take the extra time and it some cases don't have any clue what they should be charging for it. so they just opt to leave it Most of us are flying by the seat of our pants. I know I have been for most of my life. You figure this stuff out as you go and sometimes you make wrong choices. I know I've made plenty of them and it's cost me, big time!!! I know knowledge has value, but I've been prone to under value my knowledge. I'm getting better, but I'm not where I should be even at this late stage in my career. I've been an O/O since day one.

 

[aloha one]

I'll be brutally honest here. I've always been a bit timid in my pricing, especially in the past. I honestly can't remember a situation quite like the one I described above ever happening in nearly 29 years of business. That place was off the charts! I've always considered stain removal part of the job with the exception of urine. There are a lot of stains I should be charging extra for that are much more trouble than rust and take more skill to remove. I'm charging more these days than I've ever charged in my life, but normally I'll just add 5 to 10 cents a sq. ft. to the bill rather than pick out individual stains. I'll consider how long it's going to take and go from there. Trying to figure out how much to charge per stain would just cause my brain to freeze up. If I was there for only stain removal though I would most likely ask my minimum at least and I remember a few instances last year where that happened.

I hear ya Randy, was once the same but forty years of getting Diked (self imposed) changed my tune! I always did residential by the room so hard to compare. If a stain doesn't come out with ordinary cleaning and requires any additional Work & or Chems..in my book that's XTRA Honey! lol

 

[aloha one]

I actually agree with you. I would bet money that a lot stains get left behind every year because guys don't want to take the extra time and it some cases don't have any clue what they should be charging for it. so they just opt to leave it Most of us are flying by the seat of our pants. I know I have been for most of my life. You figure this stuff out as you go and sometimes you make wrong choices. I know I've made plenty of them and it's cost me, big time!!! I know knowledge has value, but I've been prone to under value my knowledge. I'm getting better, but I'm not where I should be even at this late stage in my career. I've been an O/O since day one.

Aw..the beauty of TMF! I don't think you realize what you taught the Old timers last week here. I for one knew Jack Chit nothing about lights to remove stains. Of course I learn it in retirement..Go Figga Eh?

 

[wandwizard]

I hear ya Randy, was once the same but forty years of getting Diked (self imposed) changed my tune! I always did residential by the room so hard to compare. If a stain doesn't come out with ordinary cleaning and requires any additional Work & or Chems..in my book that's XTRA Honey! lol

I couldn't make a go of it doing by the room here. I switched to sq. ft. back in the early 90's. I just recently upped my basic clean charge again. I started out at only .10 per sq. ft and believe it or not that was still a lot more than I was getting per room at the time. I'm considerably more than that now and I am charging more in most cases for those jobs that I have to pull out all the stops to clean and get those stains out!

 

[wandwizard]

Aw..the beauty of TMF! I don't think you realize what you taught the Old timers last week here. I for one knew Jack Chit nothing about lights to remove stains. Of course I learn it in retirement..Go Figga Eh?

I've known about that procedure for a while. I bet I've read every stain removal guide on the internet. Maybe not every stain, but every guide. I didn't have a lot of confidence in this process. I was surprised as anyone at the results and the difference the UV made. Btw, both Interlink and CTI guides both mention use of UV to remove mustard so credit where credit is due.

 

[aloha one]

I've known about that procedure for a while. I bet I've read every stain removal guide on the internet. Maybe not every stain, but every guide. I didn't have a lot of confidence in this process. I was surprised as anyone at the results and the difference the UV made. Btw, both Interlink and CTI guides both mention use of UV to remover mustard so credit where credit is due.

But was YOU who brought it to the forefront..

 

[wandwizard]

But was YOU who brought it to the forefront..

Thanks. I seem to always specialize in small stuff, but we all know sometimes small stuff can make a big difference in how your day turns out. A lot of times it's little things that make the day go horribly wrong.

 

[Andrew Taylor]

We have a special procedure for removing rust from carpets. First we remove the source of the stain (old table legs or other items which might get rust over time). Then we remove all the excess rust from the carpet gently with a knife, we get a sponge and some dish soap, we add a little water to activate the soap, and then we put that sponge on the stain. After it sits there for a couple of minutes we start pressing white cloth to the area and bloating it until the stain becomes less visible. If this doesn't work, we try the same trick but with some water and household ammonia solution.