Aplus

Scott, you might also consider tinting the windows so people won't see you growling like in your mug shot....;) BE..... I have a hard time with the WANTS and NEEDS. Fortunately my wife helps me with that. Gav, throw a K&N air filter on your truck. You'll be surprised how it improves mid-range torque. Also switch to Mobil 1 oil, and I'll bet you see an improvement in gas mileage.

And if it is a latex product, and does not strip with the HD-80, politely decline the job and save yourself a major pain in the rear.

I've gotten 15's and 30's at coin operated car washes for free. Look around and you should find some with out having to spend dollars.

I only crank up the heat for areas like dumpster pads and heavily soiled areas. For those I crank up to about 180. For general concrete cleaning in a commercial setting, I use about 150. For residential settings, I try to avoid hot water so I don't burn up the grass.

Hey welcome aboard Joe! You may want to take a closer look at that deck, because usually the vertical surfaces hold up much better than horizontals, and a closer inspection may reveal just that. A driveby may not be accurate enough to assess the stains' performance. On another note.....from a marketing stand point, I like to mention the fact that I use contractor grade products that are not available to the general public in stores like Lowes, HD, etc. I believe it plants a seed in the customers mind that premium grade products are key in acheiving good results. Of course, the reality is that surface preparation is the real key to a quality result, which I also stress.

I price according to several factors.....number of stories, whether or not I have to get on the roof, and amount of gutters. Although I prefer to not have to go on roofs, often times I have no choice because with certain attached garages and roof styles, there is no other way to get that side of the home. Those starting out may want to measure, but I've got a pretty good eye for spotting and can usually price properly most of the time.

Gav, I like the front end style of the 02' better than the slant-lights on the 03' and newer. But, I'll have no choice when my lease runs out. I wanted the 2500HD crew cab, but it was a little too pricey at the time. The rebates were about $2000 less, since it was aimed for business use rather than personal use. I figured if the biz continues to do well, then I'll look at a pricier truck. But at this time, I really don't need it, but rather I just wanted it. Big difference between need and want.

The way I see it, the topic regarded Simple Green. Someone pointed out another chem that can accomplish the same task. It was then pointed out that some chems are significantly more toxic than others. I stick to my belief in using the least toxic approach to get a job done. Of course that's my .02.

I've had all Chevys. First was a 93, which I bought used. Then started leasing, a 98, 2000, and now an 02. All 1/2 ton 4wd, short box extended cab, gas with all goodies, since I use the truck for work and personal use. I tow 2 different trailers, depending on what I'm washing. The bigger trailer is 6000# loaded. None of my leased trucks have had mechanical failures of any kind. If I had to tow something heavier, I'd move up to 3/4 ton or beyond, but so far, not needed. The trucks average about 13 mpg city towing, which isn't too bad. The good experiences I've had with Chevrolets convince me not to look at Ford or Dodge, of course that's just my opinion.

That's not the pictures I originally posted. I don't know what happened here.

Regarding Simple Green....it has worked well for me cleaning vinyl awnings. It's also great for cleaning up tools after using latex based products. I always have SG in my trailers.

I have seem liquid chlorine at Meijer and K-Mart. Also the ACE hardare chains usually have it. Some times there are weekly coupons to get cases of four at about $9.00.

Sounds like potent stuff!!!! Whenever I see something that's a known carcinogen, I do my best to stay away from it. Hey Paul, are the any carcinogens in GZ?

I think a match and lighter fluid would have done a better job sanitizing.....:D

Personally, I don't care what the book says. There are certain acceptable rates in various areas, and that's it, for the majority of jobs. There is absolutley no way I could sell house washes at $150/hour. At least not in my market. Anybody who can, that's great. As an example, in Michigan, auto repair shops are required to post their hourly rate in plain view for customers to see. $65-85 per hour is typical, depending if it's a smaller garage, or an auto dealership. I could bet that any shop that posted a rate of even $100/hr would be out of business in short order, regardless how good their work was. Just my .02

3000 @ 6gpm will be a good all around machine.

Ad-Aware is the one I use.

Rob, This is my 9th year in business, and I honestly have never been called to wash a house during January and February. It is rare that any days during these months will reach 40 degrees. It's a service apparently not on a home owners mind. I'm in Detroit suburbs, no shortage of people or $$ here. During summer months about 10-15 calls per week are from yellow pages. Every area is different.

I'm thinking a hot tub on my patio will release tension and stress as well, and should extend my life.....:D I'd be fine with a 6 pack of Budweiser and a hot tub to soak in after a long day of power washing.....:idea:

It's amazing......this is my ninth year in business, I too run yellow pages ads, as well as others, and I've never been asked to wash a house in the winter. Actually I'm kinda glad, I really don't like working with water when the temps get cold.....:)

Here is a pic of me using a 9' extenda wand. It is much easier to handle than the fiberglass models.

I tried the Skyline chili once....didn't care for it. Reminded me of the spice used in pumpkin pie....allspice, or nutmeg or some thing of the like. The chili dogs are miniture sized, like two bites, but they charge full sized prices for them. At least that my humble opinion. Paul, if you come up this way, I'll treat you to some real coney islands, and you'll forget about Skyline.....:D

Hey.....I'm half Italian, and I don't drink excessive amounts of wine. Actually I don't drink any wine. I prefer a nice cold beer.

Sheesh, Discussing Politics and Religion will always cause disagreements.

Rob, It just seems to me that the soap would start to dry on the house doing two sides at a time. Do you keep the soap off the windows completely? I prefer to soap the windows because it cleans them as well. It's super important to not let the soap dry on the windows. Have you actually done things this way, or are you just thinking aloud?