mattress cleaning

[Perry]

I added furniture to my buisness two yrs. ago along with residential carpets.the residential came along o.k,furniture only if needed cust. will clean it.
Now thinking of adding mattress cleaning and was thinking the same way,if I invest money in steam equipment will it just sit and be used only handful of times.
How long did it take some of you guy's to get mattress cleaning up and running and what helps to get customers?

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[Big O]

Perry,

I bought a vapor steamer a year ago.  I've only used it a few times.  twice for tile & grout, twice for showers.  I have a Von Schrader Esprit upholstery machine that I also use for mattress cleaning.  I have only cleaned mattresses for two or three customers so far.  I haven't had anyone really ask for it.

I have a plan for up-selling and will be trying to clean more mattresses, we'll see how it goes.

I wouldn't advise adding additional equipment just for this unless you have a lot of customers requesting this.

[jeffvanburen]

The perfect opportunity for mattress's is when your quoting furniture I give a 20% discount as incentive when they add a mattress, I already have my vapor steamer there and hooked up, otherwise its on my confirmation letter for appointments as a silent salesman, you would be surprised how well that works. I like the vapor steamer for a number of reasons, but for right now educate the customer that it kills most virus's and bacteria due to the sanitizing degree of heat along with being quick dry, its a no brainer for H1N1 concerns. I have been cleaning quite a bit of furniture this season for the same reason.

[TimO]

It should be a good add on if you're already there for upholstery or carpets in a residential setting. Most of mine comes on the commercial side. I have a Desiderio off of Jim E... I probably did about 100 mattress cleanings last year for $60 each (matt only, no box) So it was worth the investment although the numbers were way down from my customers estimates.

The thing is that is only takes about 20 minutes to do a quenn....so as an add on when you're already in the home its just a higher ticket. I don't think many people look or reach out for someone to do this (unless they have health or allergy problems)....but when sold properly in the home I think it is a pretty good pick up.... You already have the customer base....work it increase the revenue per visit..

Say 10-20% of your customers bite.....how many houses do you visit during the year....do the math and see if it's a fit....

My machine was like $1500. Has continuous fill, vacuum, HWE capacity and works like a gem...the ROI is there if you believe in the benefit & can ask for the business each and EVERY time you're in a new home. If you don;t believe in the value some are reluctant to ask for the add on.

[DannyD]

I'm now starting to do mattresses.   One thing I'm doing, if the situation is right, is to do em for free.   I have a vid camera now & all I ask is that they be willing to share their experiences on camera so I can use for my site. 

Another thing I think I might do, is explain to people that if they want their carpets cleaned, odds are they've got more crap in their mattress than they've got in their carpets.  The carpets might look worse, but odds are the mattress has a lot more nasty's in it.   I basically told my dad that very thing last nite.  His reaction made me think others may think in a similar fashion if they're made aware of it.

I'm also going to have mattress cleaning more of a focus on my new website rather than just being one of those "added services" type things. 

I can do a really kick **** job on mattresses.  I have a vac that ya can see the dirt. Like these lil black pads ya use on a kirby. Most of ya's know what I'm talking about.  On my own bed, I used 7 of those pads about 2 weeks ago.  However, I clean my mattress twice a year, so it wasn't to bad. 

On a free one though, I put the vac down, moved it about an inch & WHOOSH!!! black pad filled up.  Then another pad, moved it about an inch & WHOOSH!! filled up again.  I wasn't gonna use all my test pads on one mattress, so I put the bag back on.  My guess though is it would have used at least 40-50 on that mattress.

Also make sure ya vac/steam the pilllows.   Yowza.  Those things can be nasty too.  On one job where the lady saw how much crap was in the pillows, she wanted me to do her sons stuffed animals. 

IMO more people need their mattresses cleaned than their carpets.  It's just not something they think about. 

So ya wanna make sure ya vac the mattress first.  Then steam it.  Then at the end put an anti allergan on it.   All 3 are important steps.   If ya don't vac the mattress first, when ya steam it you're gonna create a lot of mud type stuff down there.  That's not good. 

[Denny Keil]

Danny:  What type of vacuum are you using?

[Jim England]

Danny, your right mattress sanitizing and cleaning is a perfect addition to carpet cleaning and if promoted properly can make really good money.  People have to be educated about it, and shown the problem.  The test cloth is the easiest and fastest way to show your customer the level of contamination in the mattress or furniture.
Your process should be pre-vacuum, steam vapor, then post vacuum, then apply an anti allergy product to the mattress and pillows.  Post vacuuming will pull out more dirt and pathogens the steam released from the fibers and also remove a little more moisture.  You should always use a clean white cloth on the steam head.  This helps super heat the vapor and also removes the soil off the mattress cover much like a pad removes dirt from the carpet.  The steam vapor will penetrate into the mattress instantly killing any living organism.  Let the mattress air out for about 30 minutes then it can be made up.  Many hospitals are turning to steam vapor for sanitizing because it is so quick and chemical free and can be done over and over without damage to the surface it is cleaning, unlike chemicals.

On the vacuum I will caution that any old vacuum cleaner is not the way to go.  And just because it says hepa filter does not mean the vacuum does not spew out contaminates.  If the vacuum spews out contaminates it can cause reactions to people that are allergy suffers, have asthma, or other sensitivities.  These contaminates can float in the air for hours.  This would be especially important if cleaning in a nursing home, hospital, or other places where people already have health issues.   Also furniture can and should be cleaned the same way.  The same contaminates that are found in the mattresses are also found in the furniture.   By the way forget using UV light it is useless for sanitizing fabric and stuffed items, plus UV light does not kill Dust Mites, Bed Bugs, Fleas, or other multi celled pathogens.

Great idea with the video and doing some free cleaning to get some testimonials.  One of our dealers in Maryland just called as I am writing this with a question.  He is going to a large hotel that just called him to clean and treat some mattresses and rooms.  Anyway good luck with your new add on business.  Don't hesitate to call if you need help or have questions.

[jeffvanburen]

Purchase a Kirby with the optional stair handle it replaces the large upright handle, has hepa filter, and can be polsihed up to look very professional and plenty of power. I bought mine on E-Bay reconditioned from Kirby dealer model G6 3 years ago for $235.00 which included shipping still works great