Starting a carpet cleaning business can be a worthwhile career. You can earn between $75,000 and $280,000 per year as a solo carpet cleaning business owner with the right equipment, marketing, and customer base.
The cost of starting your carpet cleaning business can run as high as $150,000 or as low as $2,000 depending on the equipment you choose and where you finance your tools.
Discover six must-have tools for starting your carpet cleaning business, and learn how you can minimize professional carpet cleaning equipment costs with DryMaster Solutions.
Industry Trends to Drive Your Equipment Purchases
When you start a carpet cleaning business, you must purchase professional carpet cleaning tools to service your clients’ homes and businesses. However, it’s crucial that you understand the most up-to-date industry trends regarding carpet cleaning services and equipment so you invest in the right machinery and tools.
The newest carpet cleaning industry trends include focusing on environmentally-friendly tools and solutions, and user-friendly machines to offer excellent customer service.
User-Friendly Tools and Equipment
As you start your carpet cleaning business, investing in user-friendly equipment can help you get your company off the ground with little to no previous training. These items, such as dry extractors, carpet wands, and multi-range sprayers, are easy to learn and use. Modern equipment is more lightweight than outdated tools, allowing for easy transport.
To build your supply of carpet cleaning equipment and tools, look for items with lightweight, hand-held designs and intuitive functioning to help you and your team clean carpets more effectively.
Environmentally-Conscious, Green Devices
As a carpet cleaner, you must understand how your cleaning service impacts the environment. Outdated cleaning methods, such as vacuuming, can use as much as 500 gallons of water per day, which contains harmful bacteria and toxins released into the environment when dumped improperly.
When choosing equipment for your business, keep environmental elements in mind. In addition to water consumption, factors may include energy usage, transportation requirements, and a tool’s compatibility with green cleaning solutions.
6 Must-Have Tools for Carpet Cleaners
When just starting, you need basic carpet cleaning equipment for your company. However, if you’ve never worked in the carpet cleaning industry, you may wonder what do professional carpet cleaners use to clean residential and commercial buildings.
Professional carpet cleaners should invest in the following equipment and tools to ensure they have the items needed to handle any carpet cleaning job:
1. Modern Carpet Cleaning Machinery
Your carpet cleaning equipment must include machines that remove dirt, oil, and other substances from carpet fibers in homes and commercial buildings. Depending on your customer focus, you will want to purchase a few different types of carpet cleaning machines.
For example, the Galaxy Pro 500 PSI is an excellent all-in-one option for all carpet types. The device holds 17 gallons of water, comes heat-ready, and has a wand and hose for detailed cleaning.
If you work on smaller spaces with upholstery, such as cars, the Bravo 300MH Spotter may be an ideal piece of equipment. The 3-gallon cleaner is equipped to carry spray bottles and is easily portable with a wrap cord and 6” wheels.
2. Carpet Cleaning Solution
Carpet fibers build up dirt, debris, and pet hair and dander that cannot be removed with vacuuming alone. Professional carpet cleaning products contain high-strength ingredients to break down and lift carpet soil, allowing your carpet cleaning equipment to eliminate more grime for a deeper clean.
X Trak Low Moisture Carpet Cleaning Solution is specially formulated for low-moisture cleaning equipment and won’t leave behind detergent residue that can attract dirt. It contains natural solvents that provide high-performance stain removal while providing a gentle scent to disguise carpet odors.
For high-traffic areas in commercial and residential properties, THE FORMULA – Extremely Powerful Carpet Cleaner is a high-pH liquid detergent designed to penetrate oil, grease, and heavy soiling. It can be used on any carpet type, and the powerful formula also contains a protectant to prevent future dirt build-up.
3. Stain Remover
Stains like red wine, makeup, chocolate, and grass are challenging to remove with standard carpet cleaning detergents. Before beginning the carpet cleaning process, cleaners should apply a stain remover or spot cleaner to treat areas with higher grime levels.
There are numerous formulas available designed to treat different types of stains. Brown Away Coffee Stain Remover is formulated to treat tannin-based stains like tea, coffee, and cocoa. Rust Buster-Rust Remover is ideal for eliminating discoloration on carpets and upholstery due to rust deposits. Carpet cleaners should have a variety of spot cleaners in their kit to tackle the various types of stains on the job.
4. Effective Defoamer
Detergents and carpet cleaning chemicals often foam to encapsulate, lift and disperse stains and grime. However, when using a commercial carpet extractor, excess foam can build up in the extractor recovery tank, leading to spillage and contamination with soiled water. Investing in a high-quality defoaming liquid can eliminate foam buildup and allow your carpet cleaning equipment to function more efficiently.
Foam Away-Defoamer is an easy-to-use product that you can add directly to your recovery tank to stop suds from forming.
5. Carpet Rake
A carpet rake, also called a carpet grooming brush, is a crucial element of any carpet cleaner’s kit. The rake’s stiff bristles can be made from nylon, rubber, or silicone. They are designed to prime the carpets and loosen and dislodge debris, dirt, and pet hair, allowing the cleaning chemicals to penetrate more effectively.
Carpet rakes can also be used after cleaning to lift the carpet’s fibers which have become compressed. This restores the carpet’s pile thickness and density. Using a carpet rake also allows air to circulate more efficiently between the fibers, speeding up drying times and evening out any indentations or glide marks left by cleaning equipment. This gives the carpets the final professional finish that helps set you apart from the competition.
6. Hoses, Sprayers, and Wands
Carpet cleaning accessories like hoses, sprayers, and wands are ideal for any new carpet cleaning business. These tools help you provide specialty services like cleaning upholstery or stairs, and ensure you can clean all types of carpet, even in hard-to-reach spaces.
A 12” stainless steel wand like the GlideMaster™ is ideal for commercial spaces or homes with several pieces of furniture. The wand allows you to pick up obstructions under items like desks or couches easily, and the winged head gives you control over where you spray the cleaning solution.
With a stainless steel stair cleaning tool, you can use 1000 PSI of pressure to clean carpeted staircases in your clients’ homes. The tool’s solid construction makes it an excellent investment, as it is corrosion-resistant and should last for the life of your business.
Start Your Carpet Cleaning Business With DryMaster Solutions
Buying must-have tools for carpet cleaning is vital to the success of your new company. You must have the right carpet cleaning materials and equipment to perform professional cleaning services for your customers.
When you become a DryMaster Solutions Affiliate, you gain access to state-of-the-art carpet cleaning equipment, financing, and package deals that get you the items you need to start your business right away. We also provide marketing resources to help you get customers and see revenue quickly.
Contact DryMaster Solutions today to discuss our carpet cleaning startup packages and learn how we can help you get the equipment you need to run a successful company.
