Want to start doing an ironing service.......and have a few questions......

[TheQueenOfQuotes]

1. How much do you charge/pay (and where in the country are you - I expect London is more expensive than the midlands for example

2. Do ALL ironing services offer delivery/collection - I don't drive so that could be an issue for me

3. Do you supply/supplied with hangers/box/bag to put the washing in

4. How best to advertise??

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

I would use a service if I could be organised to do my washing.

I have only heard of ones that do provide a collection and drop off.

Maybe you could reduce you rate slightly for not having a delivery service.

Do you have enough storge space?

The one I use offers a free collection and delivery service within a 5 mile radius of their premises.

I supply my own hangers (when I remember) or they will be returned to me on wire hangers supplied free of charge which I give back the next time.

Prices are per item rather than bagload. Last time I looked I think it was something like £1 per shirt/t-shirt with long sleeves, 75p per sleeveless t-shirt, £3 for a quilt cover. I'm in Warwickshire btw.

Do think you might struggle without transport tbh. For advertising those local free "village news" booklets are popular round here.

London. I tried a local lady's service once, from the newsagents window, it was such a hassle what with getting it ready, organising hangers, pickup and collection appointments (whether I dropped it myself or not), it took about 10 phone calls and she charged a fortune and took 4 days to get it done.

Mostly I now have a cleaner do it "in house", it's a handy "extra" that they can do to fill up the time paid for if the rest of the house is fairly tidy to begin with. Also now I can pop out to corner shop while dds watch tv if she is there ironing, they won't go with me without a fight. Might miss Numberjacks.

It takes her about an hour to do 7-8 man's shirts and she get's about £8 and hour after tax.

Another service I've seen charges £1 an item, a man's shirt or single sheet being one item, minimum £19, they provide the bag, pickup and delivery, 2 day turnaround. they wallpapered the neighbourhood with leaflets.

I would love a dedicated ironer who came to my house. Even better if she came with her own equipment, the cleaners wreck mine or leave it lying around. Would you consider that and even to bring your own iron? (I don't mean for me, just in general).

I would advertise very very clearly NO SMOKING. We gave up using ironing services because first one my DH shirts came back stinking of smoke. I rang up to complain and they couldn't understand why I would find it an issue.
Second one advertised smoke free environment but the van driver smoked all over it when he brought it back, arrghhh.

Anyway rant over.

I do think you would need to do collection and drop off, otherwise I don't know how many people would use it, as by the time you have dropped it off at someones house and then picked it up I think most people might just do it themselves. Sorry not to be more helpful.

rookie - That is a good tip about Smoke Free environment.

Also consider if you have NO pets, state it

And for those with other allergies "No nuts" in house!

Hi

Just thought you might like to know a really good site to advertise your ironing service.

www.ditchyourdomestics.com

Good luck to you

hi i pay £1 for a 1ib worth of ironing which i think is really reasonable compared to my old company.
they pickup on a mon and return on a wed, or pickup tues return thurs
clothes are returned on hangers in plastic bags, once my clothes returned home smelling a bit of smoke and i did say to the company and they believe they used second hand bags and the previous customers may have smoked. we are a non smoking family and that part is one of the most important parts for us.
they do reuse the bags over and over.
the one i use advertises in local magazines on noticeboards etc and a lot of their business is word of mouth.
for an idea on services other companies offer you could nose at this companies website called www.allironedout.co.uk they allow you to book online etc aswell

Hi - my service charges £8 per hour and apparently all the girls have timers on so if they pop out / to the loo or whatever, they stop the clock!

I get mine done fortnightly and pay around £24 for that plus £3 collection and delivery. I supply all my own hangers otherwise I get those dreadful wire things. All comes back wrapped in plastic as well

Smoke free = vital IMO. The other thing that really narks me is not getting my own hangers back.

I have done other ways as well... 60p an item with someone where I delivered / collected myself and the first people I used when I moved here charged £15 for a basket...but we had a row over that cos I can fit in an awful lot into a basket!!! (same with black sacks!)

HTH

Hi,
I have my own ironing service....its a good way of making an extra bit of cash. It works well around family commitments and other employment. I have 3 kiddies and work 30 hours a week also.

I charge by the item. 95p per shirt/75p per top/ £1.35 for any trouser. A bit more for skirts/dresses and awkward items. I buy plasic covering through ebay and is about 30 quid a roll , but it last 4ever. The hangers can be bought via ebay too. They are about £20 a box and you get 500. Customer will return these so you will not need to buy as much as many as you think.

I have alot of repeat customers, as long as you are reliable thats what people want!

I tend to throw in a free box of laundry powder to new customers, they seem to apreciate that.

I offer a next day service I dont want their stuff cluttering up my place!!

I bought the best iron i could afford and once I made some money I bought a steam press- big mistake- I never use it! It is a good idea to buy a small hanging rail. Argos do them for less than a tenner.

It is hard work but it good money- I have worked it out I make about £10-£12 an hour.

It is popular with busy people and they are happy to pay.

Anyway, I hope it works out for you!

Hi ELM14.

I also run an ironing business and like the sound of the plastic covering. Would you mind telling me what its listed as on Ebay?

Thanks in advance.

hi, yep sure....have a search under 'polythene garment covering'.

Cheers!

Oh great. Thanks very much for that!

Hi. I started my own ironing service with my website and things took off faster than I could have hoped. We tried the usual leaflet dropping and things like that, but at the end of the day most of our business came from Google using their Adwords service, and taking bookings through our website. Our site was produced by startyourownironingservice.co.uk and they did a great job for us. Might not be for everyone, but well worth a look.

Good luck!

ELM14,

sounds like a great little business you've got there. Would you mind sharing some tips for us on our blog? Loads of mums in a similar position who'd love to benefit from your advice? Could you DM me?

thanks ever so.
Mary

I had someone who used to charge £22 for 40 items and £18 for 30 items and would pick up and deliver. I think its good for the customer to know in advance how much they will be charged, i don't like surprises/complex calculations/weighings. Also as I work full time it was good as she came to collect in the evening, ironed it in the day and dropped it back in the evening.

I have a cleaner who does ironing, and she is paid at the rate of £10/hour (within M25). She is an excellent iron-er, but not very quick, and she would typically do five shirts, four t-shirts, king size duver cover, 4 pillowcases, king size fitted sheet, tablecloth, a skirt, pair of trousers, single duvet cover, pillowcase and two or three children's long sleeve t-shirts in three hours.

If she were ever to leave us, and I couldn't get anotehr cleaner who did ironing, I would be looking for a weekly service like yours. But it would have to be a service who collected and dropped off, would be willing to do that when I wasn't it (I would provide keys), didn't smoke and had a two day maximum turnaround.

Well [http://sky1.sky.com/sky1hd-shows/stella Stella] managed to do all her deliveries / collections on an old trike

duh Stella

Our ironing lady collects and delivers for £3 , the charges are 75p for tshirts, £1 for shirts , not sure what it is for duvet covers and sheets . She charges a minimum £10 , excluding the delivery so you have to ensure you've got a full load. She collects on a Tuesday evening and drops it back on Wednesday evening in our case . Wouldn't be without her .

Zombie thread

You make wanna look at this to help you organise your ironing business:
www.ironr.uk

I do Ironing in London, west London, Shepheds Bush, Hammersmith, Holland Park, Notting Hill, Kensington.
I can collect and deliver or do it at client's house.
£12/h.

I have an ironing business in Stockport. £1 per item. Provide hangers and covers. drop and collect same day... have a regular customer base which builds on word of mouth etc. :-D