Q. Ok I tried this before but I've cleaned it up a bit to fill in the details the people seem to be getting stuck on I would like some feedback on this idea from home owners We offer a complete Home care program suited for singles, seniors and busy with life Homeowners. Were for a low monthly fee of $45 debited from your bank account a trained skilled Maintenance man ( Trade Licensed ) comes to the house and inspects, repairs and services the home. things like fixing leaky taps, draining the sludge from the water heater,clearing drains, sealing drafts, removing ice, servicing the furnace, installing and removing the air conditioner, cleaning the ducts, removing mold, cleaning the gutters, checking the electrical system,steam cleaning the carpet, changing that light bulb you can't reach, pulling out the fridge to clean the coils, keeping the dryer vent clean,caulking windows, fixing screens, repairs to decks and fences and roof's and any other Home care items that might arise ( we are not cleaners though ) you get the idea. But instead of a big bill every time someone comes out it is already covered in the $45 a month, With at the minimum of 4 seasonal visits to take care of basic maintenance and seasonal special visits like removing ice dams for you and an on call "I just can't wait " service, the Home stay's maintained because there's no reason to put off the fix and with saving on the cost of repairs and savings on utilities from having a well Maintained Home the service pay's for itself in no time. my insurance cost's are around $800 per year and don't for see an incident were I can be liable for damage like your talking about I have been in commercial construction for 25 years and have never had that type of thing happen knock on wood but good point. I have looked on line at things like Home Shield but they are certainly not close to what I am offering a customer and nothing is available like this in my area.If a house needs $800 worth of work it does and is covered other houses will need $200 some wont need repairs this year and if I just saved you $800 I hope you'd stick around. Thanks for the feedback I was hoping to hear from a homeowner as to how they feel about the product

A. I get your concept, but all I see is a lawsuit waiting to happen. For example, say I'm paying your company to keep up all this maintenance, then something goes wrong, I'm going to blame your company. Seems like insurance costs for you would be pretty high.

Q. My eight month old daughter puked on my carpet and it left a huge stain and it looks as if I burnt the floor. Please help...

A. Since your 8 month old is probably playing on the carpet a lot, you won't want to use an abrasive cleaner. If you plan on having it professionally done, make sure to ask them about their products, and let them know your concerns about your baby being around the cleaning and the type of cleaners they use. If your doing it yourself, I recommend doing this: Weather your using a home carpet cleaner or getting on your hands and knees with a scrub brush this is a safe cleaner that you make yourself. Mix a 1 gallon of warm water, 1 teaspoon of dish soap or 1/2 teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent, and a teaspoon of baking soda OR Oxy Clean, make sure the baking soda or Oxy Clean dissolves. It will not hurt carpet cleaning machines, and is completely safe around your baby. It is effective for a lot of different stains, and removes any odors. It is very effective against spit up. If your baby has stained clothes from spit up, add a teaspoon of baking soda or oxy clean to the wash. Hope this helps, as this is the mixture we use when we clean our carpets, it works, no more smell or stains, and a lot cheaper than a commercial cleaner!

Q. I rent my accommodation, and am coming up for an inspection. Is there a way to clean the carpet 'track marks' without employing a steam cleaner?

A. Not really. If you don't want to use tons of bottles for the tracks, and spend all day doing it, I'd just rent a machine and get it done quickly and better. Or, toss some throw rugs over it.

Q. I am planning on starting a carpet cleaning business (residentual and commercial) and wanted to know what is the best carpet cleaning machine. I've seen some businesses have ones that connect to their van, but then there are some basic smaller ones. Which one is the best?

A. A carpet cleaning business is rather detailed. I'm not sure of your experience, but you'll have to know a lot about stains and how to properly treat them and such, also what best to use on what types of carpets. The ones connected to vans are much more convienent for doing a lot of houses throughout one day. As far as "best", you're not really comparing apples to apples if you're talking about a basic smaller one coming from a department store.

Q. My carpet gets very dirty and lots of stains on it. I havn't hired professional cleaning company to clean it before, so I don't know I should choose what kind of cleaning. I need a kind of cleaning which can clean it thoroughly and gets dry quickly and does not need to move all my furnitures out. I asked several carpet cleaning companies, but their suggestions were all different. I wonder if there is someone knows this? Thanks for your answers, but I do not want DIY. I want hire a professional team to clean it. I consulted some companies; one said steam clean was the best; one said steam clean did not dry quickly; one said their self-invented method was the best. I was confused, so I came here to ask for help. I only want answers about professional cleaning, not cleaing by myself. Thanks. I am in Kensington, Sydney. If anyone can suggest a good company, that would be great.

A. In the past I have used Stanley you-know-who ... they arrived on time, treated my antiques with respect; when replacing the furniture they put down little pads that were easily removed the next day; the carpet was clean, fresh and ready for a dinner party within six hours. There are other companies that use the same system, I would ask friends and neighbors for referrals or ask the company for references from recent customers. Look for a company that has been around for a few years. Make sure the company is insured for any damages to your property. Also, ask if their workers are bonded and experienced. Finally, many commercial carpet cleaners apply a stain guard type of product to your carpet, which will help minimize the impact of occasional spills. This will help stretch out the time between commercial cleanings

Q. I own a two man carpet cleaning business. We are a two man team and we use the best truck mount system you can get. Our work is excellent and we do furniture as well as on-site vacuum cleaner repairs. We are commercial and residential. We charge 3 rooms for $69. Would you call us or Stanly Steamer or Sears etc.

A. That is a great price, but price alone won't get you the work. You will have to count of word of mouth and good reputation to bring in business. Can you use written testimonials from previous customers in a flyer or advertisements? Maybe offer customers a discount on future services ($10.00 off)on referrals. You may also be able to compete with the big guys on flexibility-offer more evening and weekend hours so they don't have to take a day off to get their carpets cleaned. Good luck!

Q. Do any one have any ideas or suggestions on how I can go about getting new contracts for my new Janitorial business? I offer carpet cleaning, residential and commercial cleaning, move in/move out cleaning. Should I do cold calling to different businesses? Flyers? How can I go about putting a proposal for companies to bid on my company to clean for them? Help Me out people.

A. You might as well forget the Internet because it's global - you need to target your efforts locally. This is best done in the newspaper, direct mail, and cold calling. Here's an idea: Call the business and get a price quote from THEM instead of the other way around. You'll find out what price YOU need to charge to get their business that way.

Q. I have an older Hoover Wind Tunnel. This one works well, but it is heavy and harder to push. I also have a Riccar that I use most often because it is lighter and easier to use. But then I cleaned my carpet with my carpet steamer and was not happy with how much pet hair the steamer picked up. You are always suppose to vacuum before steam cleaning and I did. I am going to be moving out of state sometime soon and wondering which one I should keep as I have too many vacuums and don't want to move them all. I don't know the age of the Riccar but it is a commercial model I think. Any expert advice would be appreciated.

A. Keep the Hoover Wind Tunnel. I had a Hoover brand and it lasted me a little over a decade. Yes, it was a heavy vacuum but it got the work done. It was the best brand I ever had.