Washed my first "pay" house today

[Oxfordlawn 14]

OK so I have been reading this forum for a couple weeks now, wanted to add pressure washing to my landscaping business. I had a couple basic newbie questions but only had minimal help before..oh well no biggie. Bob Weir saw my newbieness and was great enough to call and offer some basic help..greatly appreciated and priceless. I PM"d a couple other members who were also very helpful..again THANKS GUYS.

So today I washed 2 residential customer houses and everything went great. Im not going to lie, I was nervous as hell on the first one. I was so nervous, that I forgot to flip the on/off switch on the washer and I was pulling that darned piull start for a while before I realized LOL.

I used the soap nozzle for 1/2 the first house and then switched to the mixture I made up for the X-JET and switched to that,,again nerves kicked in. But, Holy Crap! I do like the X-jet setup for soaping down the whole side of a house in a matter of seconds.

So anyway--I just wanted to say thanks to all those that helped to get me on the way and thanks for sharing the invaluable information.

[PressureWashE 14]

Great Job man, Every job will get faster and faster,

[Simply Glass 14]

Congrats.

[Oxfordlawn 14]

Thanks:)

I believe the next purchase will be a surface cleaner for doing driveways and walkways--they are all concrete driveways in the area I work. What can a 4 gpm 4000 PSI unit handle in size of cleaner--eg. 20"??

Just asking for future reference because a customer asked the other day how much to clean the driveway as well--and I was able to convince him not to do it this time, but we will get it next time in 6 months. Most people wash homes here every 6 months like clockwork.

This was done to buy me some experience time, and also some time for the business to make enough money to purchase the surface cleaner. Mostly the first reason though:D

....and tomorrow I go do 2 more---and 1 on wednesday....and not so nervous anymore

[PressureWashE 14]

Thanks:)

I believe the next purchase will be a surface cleaner for doing driveways and walkways--they are all concrete driveways in the area I work. What can a 4 gpm 4000 PSI unit handle in size of cleaner--eg. 20"??

Just asking for future reference because a customer asked the other day how much to clean the driveway as well--and I was able to convince him not to do it this time, but we will get it next time in 6 months. Most people wash homes here every 6 months like clockwork.

This was done to buy me some experience time, and also some time for the business to make enough money to purchase the surface cleaner. Mostly the first reason though:D

....and tomorrow I go do 2 more---and 1 on wednesday....and not so nervous anymore

5 inches per GPM so 20 would be the max id run with a 4gpm, Make sure you pay the money to get a good surface cleaner, you will thank me later.

John

[Mathew Johnson 123]

Congrats and welcome to the industry.... remember the key to staying in Business is charging enough for your services, doing excellent work and providing excellent customer service.,

As far as the nervousness and forgetting to turn the switch on.... wait until you start the machine and forget to turn the water on! You will hit a few bumps in the road... learn from them and move on.

This BBS is a great resource. Just be careful and dont bite off more than you can chew.

Most successful contractors here in the BBS started out the same way as you. Again... congrats!!!

Matt

[John T 744]

OK so I have been reading this forum for a couple weeks now, wanted to add pressure washing to my landscaping business. I had a couple basic newbie questions but only had minimal help before..oh well no biggie. Bob Weir saw my newbieness and was great enough to call and offer some basic help..greatly appreciated and priceless. I PM"d a couple other members who were also very helpful..again THANKS GUYS.

So today I washed 2 residential customer houses and everything went great. Im not going to lie, I was nervous as hell on the first one. I was so nervous, that I forgot to flip the on/off switch on the washer and I was pulling that darned piull start for a while before I realized LOL.

I used the soap nozzle for 1/2 the first house and then switched to the mixture I made up for the X-JET and switched to that,,again nerves kicked in. But, Holy Crap! I do like the X-jet setup for soaping down the whole side of a house in a matter of seconds.

So anyway--I just wanted to say thanks to all those that helped to get me on the way and thanks for sharing the invaluable information.

Hey Tom,

If you feel up to it go to the the ***** website @ www.*****.org There is a Convention this week in Orlando. Its only $200 or $250 at the door and there are so many things being offered like top notch classes by some great industry speakers. There is also a Motivated speaker who will fill up his room with relative ease since everyone at this Convention wants to see him. The Prize give-a-ways is off the charts. There are so many prizes to be given away from Roof Cleaning pumps, Surface machines to a Hydrotek Hot water Skid that is over 8gpm and has a list price of over $11,000. And to top all of that off there will be many at this show who attend many Bulletin Boards such as this great one right here so there is ample opportunity to network with these people and also some Self made Millionaires. This is a Golden opportunity for you since this year its in your home state of Florida.

If you happen to go tell them that John Tornabene From Clean County Powerwashing Recommended this. I can't say enough nice things about this convention..Oh yea I am also on the Convention Committee with some other really dedicated guys in this industry. Don't let this opportunity pass you up.

Besides all of that enjoy this BB. Its one of the best in the Powerwashing field.

[Paul Kassander 26]

Congrats, keep selling!

[Oxfordlawn 14]

OK washed 2 more house today and HOLY CRAP my arms are killin' me:lgsideway

I guess sitting on that mower while someone else did all the trimmiing and edging has made me soft LOL

I even turned the PW machine on today "before" trying to start it...so much easier...whatdoyaknow!?

[Rick2 42]

OK washed 2 more house today and HOLY

I even turned the PW machine on today "before" trying to start it...so much easier...whatdoyaknow!?

That tends to help the engine start quicker. :)

[offduty 25]

If your arms are tired you must be using a wand. Take it off and throw it in the back of the truck. I flow 8 gpm machines and it is like holding a garden hose all day.

[gutterdog 14]

Congrats!!! My understanding since you have a simmiliar machine as mine, About the surface cleaner, 12 or 16 inch is about as far as you can go? Dont know till I find out for myself!

House washing is imediate gratification! I love it! Did a job today all gutter and metal capping scrub. Night and day diff!!!

I hope to sell their flatwork next, rent a surface cleaner 16 inch and see how it goes.

[Oxfordlawn 14]

If your arms are tired you must be using a wand. Take it off and throw it in the back of the truck. I flow 8 gpm machines and it is like holding a garden hose all day.

Im sorry but you lost me on this one...Im so new

I have a 4 GPM 4000 PSI machine...How would I flow without the wand..Im willing to listen and learn

[Oxfordlawn 14]

Congrats!!! My understanding since you have a simmiliar machine as mine, About the surface cleaner, 12 or 16 inch is about as far as you can go? Dont know till I find out for myself!

House washing is imediate gratification! I love it! Did a job today all gutter and metal capping scrub. Night and day diff!!!

I hope to sell their flatwork next, rent a surface cleaner 16 inch and see how it goes.

I have been doing some research on the Whisper Wash classic, which came highly reccomended. After doing some reading on the unit...seems to be a very long lasting machine. I would rather spend the extra money once..rather than buy a $200-$300 machine and have to replace it in 6 months to a year.

[PressureWashE 14]

with a 4gpm you can run a 20 inch respectively

John

[Oxfordlawn 14]

with a 4gpm you can run a 20 inch respectively

John

Thanks...that was my understanding

5 inches per 1 GPM--the Classic is either 18 or 19 inches and I will be only using on cement driveways and walkways. I have not measured the driveways but the biggest they get are 2 cars wide and about 1 1/2 cars deep, some have a little apron area for golf cart parking---nothing big at all

[gutterdog 14]

let me know how that works out?

[PressureWashE 14]

I ran a 20 inch when all I had was a 4gpm and worked fantastic.