Sorry man. They seem to be lost forever, I can’t find them anywhere. Happy to help where I can tho. In short, I took a job of degreasing 50000 sqft of warehousing and really didn’t have the experience to have even quoted it. I bought chemical that wasn’t correct for the job and had to get it tweaked by my vendor. I had equipment issues because downstreaming wasn’t strong enough but didn’t want to trash a $200 12 volt lol. Most of the work was 25-30’ up on a scissor lift and it took 3 weeks, not 1 like I thought it would. Found out later that I could have made my own chems for pennies on the dollar, not $4,800. Learned the hard way not to mess with butyl and caustic soda without PPE.
In the end, I made money but it was miserable. I learned so much that I would do it again but I will never forget looking that giant in the face and worrying it would never get done, or be up to the standard I had set in my head for my business.
Thanks for the insight. I think I remember your videos and that job was quite a mess. The one I’m bidding isn’t dirty like that, just in need of some TLC. It’s quite large though, to include 150,000 ft2 of parking area, walls, ceilings, elevator landings and stair wells. I’m trying not the let the dollar signs blind me and get into something that’s way over my head. The property manager is a friend and does understand this is our first time working at this scale. I’ve got some good and reliable labor lined up. The facility has a small homeless population that I’m going to need them to address before we start.
As a side note, how is business in Nashville? I grew up there in the Priest Lake and Antioch area and went to McGavock HS.
I have done a lot of washing in Antioch and Priest lake. I left last June though, back on the Pacific Coast.
Don’t get caught up in the big numbers. In the end, it should be YOUR daily rate X’s #of days. Be happy you have straight work lined out for a stretch. Same for your guys. I happen to pay $20/hour. I charge the customer $80 as they don’t clean as fast. Also, I do 10 hour days. On bigger jobs, I am not paying for set up time 5X’s per 40 hours.
Don’t forget to sell work in the meantime. I came out of the big job with nowhere to go and nothing to clean after. I was way too locked into the immediate situation. If you can trust your guys, keep goin out to schedule jobs. Try to avoid downtime. Be sure to have plenty of extra hoses, fittings etc. When your guys are one the clock, this is important.
I didn’t get to see the videos cause they were deleted but I have a job coming up it’s a kitchen with tile and they have bad grease on the ceiling what should I be using since it’s tile and grease , read a lot on here to try and put puzzle together I have just of what happened and kinda of have a solution but I’m lost cause no videos
I’m not real big on commercial cleaning, specially restaurants… But this past week we did a trash pad and a grease container area and man!!! My machine at full heat wouldn’t do anything to the grease build up! I mean 250 degrees 3500 psi! Nothing!! It just wouldn’t break up! We had to scrape it off with a shovel
I think that once it’s real bad, you need caustic chems. I haven’t experimented with that yet… and I don’t think Ill be doing another of those cleanings anytime soon
Sorry about the videos getting lost. The job was 50,000sqft manufacturing warehouse. I spent $4800 on chems I could have made myself for under $400. I had so many other issues that made me want to quit, but didn’t because I gave my word. It made me a better business owner and more aware of what each job actually might require. In short, I bid a job I “hoped” I could do. I got it done but it took a lot of stress.
However, in this situation, the only part you need to know is you don’t know how to clean it (if I’m trackin’). Your decision is walk away or take a risk. Don’t let your pride or dollar signs lead you into a position of hating a job you should not have taken on. If you decide to take it, how can you know the time required or chem cost? Companies specialize in restaurants, I would leave it to them. I don’t know the circumstances of the job but “hood cleaners” are not cheap and this might be why they called you. Find out.
If you move forward, sodium hydroxide through a 2.2gpm 12 volt and a 3gpm for rinse are what cleans restaurant grease. It is caustic and dangerous in the wrong hands. If the ceiling is drop, or “tile”, replace the tiles (must be fire rated). Also, call your insurance provider. That call may make up your mind for you.
I did a chinese restaurant last year and won’t do it again unless I am forced by the economy.
In my case it was a dumpster pad, and the grease container happened to be in that area…
It came out great! But we literally had to scrape it off the concrete for about 2 hours straight…
When all said and done, my bid was about $130 short based on the time. So not too bad. Did I want to quit? Heck yea I did, but like my old boss once told me… “quit once, and it becomes a habit” and I agree!
I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. I’m a newbie in NYC so there’s a lot of hurdles for me. I haven’t accepted job or heard back from the really but I’ve landed jobs at local delis and just met an Individual who flips houses and he will be giving me the majority of the work I will be getting moving forward my first job is this Monday coming up I will post pictures maybe you guys have some advice I’m planning on tackling it with an XJ and a telescopic wand using a mix of SH and surfactant I also add a little Fabuloso for smell and if needed I have Eco Chem Britenol and cleansol BC.
I’d forget that telescopic wand. You’ll end up with back problems weilding that thing around. Use the right degreaser and the grease will wash away with low pressure. Heat will help too.
Thank you for your advice , so how do you suggest I clean high areas such as the one pictured ? Or if I do a house with 3 floors , I’m trying to stay away from ladders, for safety and insurance purposes
There are strong enough degreasers to where you can down stream them. Even if using that back breaker wand you likely won’t remove all the grease without a degreaser and especially if you only have cold water. You’re gonna have to figure out how to get degreaser up there. That all depends on what degreaser you plan in using, what equipment you have, and whether or not you’re okay using a ladder. You could also ask of there’s access to the roof. That would make it nice and easy. If you use a 12v or down stream you have to watch for windows and painted surfaces. Caustic degreasers have Sodium Hydroxide in them which is also used for stripping paint. Just pre-wet those areas and rinse right away.
Ladders are just part of the game sometimes. We all try and not use them but there are times you have no choice. Some houses have all kinds of angled areas to where you might need a ladder to hit an area tucked way back behind the roof.
That’s not that high. A good 4gpm with the right tip will hit that any day. You need to watch out for all those wires though. You hit a live one your career will be very short lived.
Thank you everyone for your input , that is actually not grease but dirt it’s a house in states island NY, I’m going to do either , simple SH/surfactant , or britenol and cleansol combo , I have Xjet I’ll be using as well. I have a predator 4.0gpm 4400 psi Honda engine pressure washer .
They also have wand tips that are a couple feet long with out using the harness and having a huge heavy wand should I invest in one of those ?
This job will help me close on many more contracts in the future the guy is an uncle of a close friend and he buys and sell houses , so this is a huge opportunity for me .
I appreciate everyone’s help, suggestions and comments I love being a part of this community I still have a long way to go but you guys are making it happen.
I know most on here live far from NYC , but I would love to get anyone’s number , whose willing to share it , for shooting the breeze , mentor, people with things in common we are who we surround ourselves with even if it’s over phone
