Sofa call today

[jtmellon]

Got a call today, lady says I just purchased a used sofa and it smells real bad of cig smoke.  Can you clean it and will the smoke smell go away after you clean it?  I told her I can clean it but I can not promise if the smell will be gone.  She said ok so I booked the job for Monday.  She calls me 2 hours later and says well since you cant promise me the smell will be gone I am going to cancel the job.

Would the smell have come out if I did a hand shampoo?  Should I have made a promise that it would have been all peachy clean and fresh?

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[Mike M]

I would not have promised odor removal either.

You don't know how long it was exposed, etc.

Ozone is one treatment I've had good luck with but you never know..................

[azsteamer]

Smart move JT.  I know everyone around here usually backs each other up anyway, but in this case you really did the right thing.  Smoke gets into the underside of the fabric, into the foam, goes under the couch and into the wood framing, pretty much goes everywhere and absorbs into everything.  Only way to completely fix it is to cover with plastic (airtight bubble for the most part) and ozone.  Oh, and a cleaning of course before ozone.

[jtmellon]

Thanks guys, I had the feeling to walk on this one.

[luvsnow]

You did the right thing. I NEVER make a guarantee for odor removal because there are just too many unknowns. It's better to lose the job rather than do it and have an unhappy customer in the end.

[sully]

I've already turned down three sofa jobs this month because i have no experience in this prosess. Maybe it might be worthwhile to take the course and learn how to do it Seems like a lot of work and not too much in return. Does anyone actually make money doing this service or is it just an add on for the main job ?

[ChemBright]

I've already turned down three sofa jobs this month because i have no experience in this prosess. Maybe it might be worthwhile to take the course and learn how to do it Seems like a lot of work and not too much in return. Does anyone actually make money doing this service or is it just an add on for the main job ?

I make a crapload of money cleaning upholstery. Once you have your system down it goes quick.

[luvsnow]

The upholstery cleaning jobs I usually get are from people getting their carpets cleaned. Not too many people call asking to just come out and clean their upholstery. I've come to the conclusion that upholstery cleaning just isn't popular in my area, but there are many areas where it is popular. I'd imagine if you cleaned a lot of upholstery it wouldn't be as much of a pain as most people say. If your only doing a few pieces here and there though, it is usually pain. Especially for me because I use a porty for upholstery cleaning instead of VLM. If your using HWE for upholstery, I think a good upholstery tool makes a world of difference.

[haciendaheights]

You need to right on your work order that the smell may not be removed.

[Pat Carroll]

I agree with everyone. I never guarantee smoke odor removal in upholstery for the simple fact that some people will still smell it even if you can't. What I will tell customers is if the odor is still present after I'm done, I won't charge them for deodorizing it.

[Big O]

She did you a favor.  She probably would have shoved her face into it to see if there was any odor.

Sully get a small porty or spotter and start making more money. 

[Bud B]

    Have had a couple of stinky ones.    I lay down a deodorizer and let it dwell, this is one of them no no's in upholstery cleaning, (overwetting).   Then prespray heavy so it will soak in, let dwell.   Then just clean regular.
                       I then get the BIG syringe out that is used for injecting glue in air pockets of glue down carpet.   Mix deodorizer up, heavy concentration, fill syringe and inject deodorant into foam cushions. They smell good for about a week?
              Had heavy wet dog odors masked this way off sofas before.    Cig smell, I'm not sure if it will mask it or not?   
     
   Do not let your wife know this or you'll find your deodorant levels seem to drop frequently.