Step 9: Post Spot

Any remaining spots will be treated with special stain removal products.

Step 10: Post Groom

The upholstery will then be prepared for drying with a gentle combing of the fabric.

Step 11: Speed Dry

High velocity air movers will be placed on the upholstery to speed dry the fabric.

Step 12: Post Cleaning Inspection

WARNING: Most other cleaners don’t provide a fraction of these important steps!

Our technician will review the cleaning results with you to insure that your expectations have been met or exceeded.

Let's examine some of these soiling factors more closely, and how they differ from carpet:

1. Oily soils — Although oily soils — generally derived from synthetic oils — are tracked into homes, walk off mats catch most. Furniture is exposed to a far higher degree of human and animal body oils, which require thorough preconditioning with specialty furniture preconditioning products. In most cases, furniture preconditioners are blends of solvents and moderate pH detergents. Unlike traffic lane cleaners, upholstery preconditioner has a lower, safer pH, with a higher solvent content to break down body oils.

2. Perspiration — Perspiration stains are difficult to remove and may damage many fiber types. Perspiration causes fabrics to turn yellowish brown and contains proteins that may require enzymes for complete removal. The salts in perspiration cause serious damage to silk and weaken other fibers, though not as severely. Yellowish discoloration on the arms of furniture may be from oxidized body oils, perspiration, or both. Best results come with the use of oxidizing agents, enzymes, and/or aggressive furniture preconditioning formulas. (NOTE: Test these products and let customers know that permanent staining or color loss may have already occurred.)

3. Hair — Human and animal hair are deposited on carpet and upholstery, but can be more difficult to remove from woven fabrics as hair is held more tightly within these fiber constructions. Hair can be extremely difficult to remove if the technician does not use lint rollers, brushes and vacuuming before applying any cleaning agents.

4. Cosmetics — In today's society, mom (as well as dad) comes home from work and may lie down on the furniture for a nap. This possibility means you are more likely to have to remove cosmetics from furniture than carpet. A word of caution: Most cosmetics (make up, eye liner, eye shadow, lipstick, nail polish) need to be removed with volatile or nonvolatile spotters. Solvent spotters may damage back coatings on fabric, so be sure to inspect and test carefully before you begin any spotting procedures.

These are only a few examples of the different soiling and staining problems we might encounter in upholstery cleaning.

This general information is given to help inform you of the many challenges cleaners may have to overcome to clean a single piece of upholstery. These are a few reasons why it is best to let a knowledgeable professional handle the needs of your fine fabrics.

Furniture cleaning code labels: Friend or foe?

In the stressful, hurried cleaning world, you may be tempted to take the easy way out when identifying fabrics or leathers. Don't cut corners in making these assessments.

This temptation may be reinforced by information found on the furniture itself, such as fiber content labels, or cleaning code labels.

It's a testimony to the durability of furniture materials that so many cleaners get away with using unsound methods they think are safe, based on label information that is too often incorrect.

What are these tags that can be so deceiving?

Fiber Content Labels: These tell consumers what materials are used under the fabric, not what is on the surface. The printed information will generally say something to the effect that the contents are “blended cotton/polyester felt” and so forth. Do not rely on these tags for anything.

Fabric Cleaning Code Labels: At this time, upholstery fabric isn't covered under the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Care Labeling Rule. Cleaning codes were developed to reduce consumer dissatisfaction with their own care, as well as professional cleaning results and subsequent cleaning related damage. The cleaning codes used for today's fabrics have the following designations:

W: A “W” code recommends that the consumer use water based cleaners for this fabric.

S: “S” codes instruct customers to use dry cleaning solvents only on fabrics so designated.

W/S: This lets the consumer choose between solvents or water based detergents.

X: The “X” codes recommends only vacuuming the fabric, and warns that dry cleaning solvents or water based detergents may distort, discolor or shrink it.

We are told these codes are based on tests of dye stability that are done at the mill. Unfortunately, even at best, these care labels do not take into consideration the potential of cellulose browning, damage to back coatings from solvent use or other problems caused by the use of solvents or water. Add to this the possibility of human error when these labels are applied, and only a very naïve or foolish cleaner will trust them. We always inspect and test each fabric.

Leather Care Cleaning Codes: Now that leather is becoming popular with consumers, more cleaners are adding leather cleaning and repair to their service mix. Many leather manufacturers are providing care labels to describe if the leather is Protected, Aniline, or Nubuck. As with fabric cleaning codes, be careful here. There are documented cases where a leather article was mislabeled, and the application of a wrong product or procedure caused irreparable damage. Do not use these labels as your only guideline in deciding the safe cleaning, restoration or repair method for leather.

As a cleaning professional responsible for your work and its results, no amount of complaining about care label misinformation will absolve us from embarrassing and expensive claims. We ultimately must test these materials ourselves. A Clean & Tidy Carpet Cleaner will be certain to point out discrepancies between our test results and the label's directions, and get your written permission before proceeding.

As you see, there is more to furniture cleaning than it appears. Always entrust a knowledgeable cleaner to take care of your fine fabrics.

Give us a call at 770-929-8439 to evaluate your individual cleaning needs.

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