New Ideas to speed things up

Joe Sharpe

Cleantalk Member
Hi

If you are only doing 2 a day you will never get your time down as you have no reason to work smart and speed up.

Try doing 3 a day and your times will come down.

Steve
Sort of agree, but for example with me i drop off the kids and pick them up so work 10am to 2pm, so 2 a day maximum.
I agree if i worked 9am to 5pm i'd do aiming for 4 a day though.

9am to 5pm doing 2 a day would be nuts, i can't even imagine how i could take that long.
 

Daniel Burt

Cleantalk Member
Sort of agree, but for example with me i drop off the kids and pick them up so work 10am to 2pm, so 2 a day maximum.
I agree if i worked 9am to 5pm i'd do aiming for 4 a day though.

9am to 5pm doing 2 a day would be nuts, i can't even imagine how i could take that long.
Agreed, people wouldn't want you in their house that long.
 

Gareth Hill

Cleantalk Member
Been a bit happier this last week or so.

Got a bit more of a routine with unloading/reloading van.

Got my double oven cleans down to just under 3 hours and single ovens to 2 hours.

Did a filthy range yesterday that took 4 hours, but it was a minger with 5 burners. And 7 shelves and grill pan.

Also did my first oven that had been cleaned regularly by another cleaner, and what a difference doing a reclean is!

I should say I don't plan on doing more than 2 ovens per day as I also take kids to school and I like to be able to go home at lunchtime to walk my dog 🐶
 

Chris Tozer

Cleantalk Member
I have been using a cordless drill with a rotary disc attachment that has a velcro surface. I attach 3m abrasive pads to the attachment, the type of thing used on floor cleaning machines. Works really well on ovens with flat surfaces and edges. Saves me a lot of time but more importantly reduces manual scrubbing and scraping so reduces fatigue and possible strain.

Something like this:

 

Gareth Hill

Cleantalk Member
I have been using a cordless drill with a rotary disc attachment that has a velcro surface. I attach 3m abrasive pads to the attachment, the type of thing used on floor cleaning machines. Works really well on ovens with flat surfaces and edges. Saves me a lot of time but more importantly reduces manual scrubbing and scraping so reduces fatigue and possible strain.

Something like this:

Are you using this after you've bladed and used degreaser, instead of the stainless steel scourer?
 

Gareth Hill

Cleantalk Member
Any less scrubbing is always welcome. Was thinking of using a cordless dremel type tool with wire brush for the moulded shelf supports.
 

Rolph Groth

Cleantalk Member
I have been using a cordless drill with a rotary disc attachment that has a velcro surface. I attach 3m abrasive pads to the attachment, the type of thing used on floor cleaning machines. Works really well on ovens with flat surfaces and edges. Saves me a lot of time but more importantly reduces manual scrubbing and scraping so reduces fatigue and possible strain.

Something like this:

Thank you, this is the kind of thing i was hoping for when i mase the original post
 

Duncan Bramwell

Cleantalk Member
I have had training, and to be fair I think I'm just making classic newbie mistakes, and maybe being a bit slow over cautious when splitting door/cleaning glass.

I also have a portable tank set up, so I understand i might be bit slower than a van mounted setup.

Feel a bit happier today, did a single oven clean in just under 2 hours, and that includes a good chat with customer and a brew.

I think I just need to challenge myself to be a bit quicker, and challenge myself to start shaving minutes off each job.
Taking your time in your early days is valuable. Build reputation for quality, not speed!
 

Joe Sharpe

Cleantalk Member
Taking your time in your early days is valuable. Build reputation for quality, not speed!
That's all well and good, but it depends on why you are slow doesn't it?
Taking 3 hours to do a double oven compared to someone taking 90mins to do one, it doesn't automatically mean one of them rushed it and did a worse job.

Bumbling around for 3 hours doing stuff out of sync and drinking tea wouldn't mean the oven is any cleaner....

I'd stick with "learn to do a good job in 90mins"

I would also say if it takes you 3 hours to do a double it will always take about 2 or 3 hours to d a double.
First oven i ever did after 2 weeks training (used to work for a oven clean company) took me 90mins.
Basically the company was simply "you will do them in under 90mins customers signs a sheet with a mark out of 10 has to be over 8 before you leave, send before and afters to office each clean"
 

Steven Johnson

Cleantalk Member
I agree if you have no routine and take 2 or 3 hours on every double oven you will never get your times down.

If you are happy to bumble around fair enough but i would sooner work smart and efficient and my average for a standard 60cm is about 1 3/4 hours and that's with a portable tank I fill up.
 

Gareth Hill

Cleantalk Member
I've been trying hard to get my times down(I'm still a newbie) I've been managing to get most singles to 2 hours (from pulling up/to pulling away). I do have a portable setup so I expect to be a little longer as I'm not van mounted.

Just trying to stay focused and not plod,making sure I have a set process and that I don't have wasted trips to the van.
 

Joe Sharpe

Cleantalk Member
I've been trying hard to get my times down(I'm still a newbie) I've been managing to get most singles to 2 hours (from pulling up/to pulling away). I do have a portable setup so I expect to be a little longer as I'm not van mounted.

Just trying to stay focused and not plod,making sure I have a set process and that I don't have wasted trips to the van.
Yep, i wasn't aiming my post at you, just that having worked for a company there isn't really any way of getting around the fact that once trained they expect results straight away.
I was even told to never say I was 'new' as customers are not paying for someone new to the job.
Rightly or wrongly, working for a company taught me a lot, even if at the time i didn't realize it.

Knowing there was someone pushing me and expecting good time management AND quality cleans really makes you work smart.
The only issue i ever have is talking to customers too much.
Worst bit is when they try to talk whilst you are on the scrapping bit and you have to keep stopping...
Aside from all of that, on a personal level, even working for someone else my paramount concern was the customer being happy at the end.
Which i suppose is the most important bit.
Hated the company i worked for, but that wasn't the customers fault.

We had a guy start took 4 hours on first job, i got a call saying X had left his van and could I go and get his keys and collect his van as he has had a 'mental breakdown' (their words).

And then help the customer put their oven back together.
Never saw him again. Absolutely lovely bloke though.

Turns out the office kept calling him to see why he wasn't at the next job and made him feel like utter crap, spread around the office he had mental health issues and in the end didn't return his £1500 deposit we all paid, non returnable unless you do at least 6 months.

Lasting that environment for a year, i can do anything.
 

Steven Johnson

Cleantalk Member
Joe

Why the hell did you have to give that company £1500? Were you employed or self employed is that even legal..

What a terrible way to treat someone new. The owner of the company has clearly never spent much time cleaning ovens themselves I bet.

Yes you need to be pushed to work smart. But it takes a long while to get your speed up when you first start. Fair play to you for sticking it so long

Steve

Ps name and shame them so we call let people no to avoid them 😅😅
 

Chris Tozer

Cleantalk Member
Did a pub gas hob pan stands last week that were in a bad way, heavily carbon coated to the point where the chefs had them catching fire. I used a regular drill with a wire brush attachment which worked really well. Basically boiled them up for an hour, went at it with the drill, left them to soak overnight and went at them again with the drill. Quite therapeutic and energy saving, will try on next bad range with cast iron hob. 30553
 

Steve Harmer

Cleantalk Member
I'm 6 weeks in now as an oven cleaner. I'm trying to get a good consistent clean and also not take 3-4 hours every time.

Hit a bit of a rut this last week or so we're every oven seams to not wanna scrub as well as I'd like, plus having to work in small, cramped kitchens makes a hell of a difference on my times.

I think I'm making classic newbie mistake, of panicking about not getting oven clean enough. I also seam to spend ages cleaning all the glass in the doors(probably wasting more materials than need to)

Any tips thrown them my way 🙏🏻
I got quicker with time, practice makes perfect and you soon learn to realise that it cannot always be 100% clean. “You can’t polish a turd” are the words I remember from my trainer. You will get to know a method and that will save you time. Good luck and wish you well
 

Joe Sharpe

Cleantalk Member
Joe

Why the hell did you have to give that company £1500? Were you employed or self employed is that even legal..

What a terrible way to treat someone new. The owner of the company has clearly never spent much time cleaning ovens themselves I bet.

Yes you need to be pushed to work smart. But it takes a long while to get your speed up when you first start. Fair play to you for sticking it so long

Steve

Ps name and shame them so we call let people no to avoid them 😅😅
Hi, yes i'll never name them, i think they sold up anyway or at least changed the name.
They took 1500 quid up front, only refundable after 6 months.
They said it covered training which in fairness it does cost about that.
To a degree i understood it because people would start, realise that oven cleaning involves cleaning ovens and never return...

The problem was they lied.
Tell you that you'll work your area 30 miles maximum.
Month 1 all great, month 2 someone is has left so this week you'll be driving 2 hours to first job at 9am...
start at 7am finish at 7pm.... only paid for 9-5.... ok 4 hours is driving, but still...

Yeah, that and general stuff like one job close then next 1 hour drive, then next back to where the first one was then 4th 40 mins away halfway back to where 2nd one was...

Through all of that, for some weird reason, i loved cleaning the ovens!
 
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