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Let us cover some up front problems with upholstery cleaning.First, there are no standards for the manufacture of upholstered items.
By that, I mean that there is more information on a $10.00 shirt from Wal-Mart then on a $2000.00 Sofa.
At present, there are no government standards of fiber content. The tag you see on the decking (that
is what the cushions sit on) is specific to the materials used under the fabric namely, the batting, ticking, and cushion
materials. On some items, you will find a consumer ‘information tag’ that may have cleaning
codes. I will get to the codes in a minute but, it is very common for us to take in two pieces (say a sofa
and love seat) with identical fabric and identical structure, bought in the same store at the same time and they have different
cleaning codes. If we ‘solvent clean’ one and ‘wet clean’ the other, the results
can be and usually are significantly different. If we clean as the cleaning code indicates, we are covering
ourselves. The manufacturer cannot come back to us and say, “You voided the warranty”.
On the other hand, the consumer is paying us to clean an item. Regardless of the fabric, the soil
is the deciding factor in getting an item cleaned. We often ‘wet clean’ things that say ‘dry
clean only’. If you are dealing with food or beverage spills or body oils (both hand and hair) or pets that love to
rub up against the furniture, then you are dealing with water-soluble soils that will only respond with wet agents.
Of course, that is not the manufactures concern. His concerns focus on what will not affect his
fabric.
Let me give you the cleaning codes:
S
is for dry clean only. This means no water.
W
is for wet clean. This means no solvents.
S-W
is for dry or wet methods of cleaning
X
stands for vacuum only. No cleaning agents are used.
Let us touch on the cleaning methods as we did for
carpet cleaning. I know that here we actually do have dry cleaning. Again we have ‘wet’ methods, ‘dry’ (most are low moisture) methods and
actual ‘dry’ methods (absence of water and using solvents). ·
Dry solvent method – this is primarily used
on delicate or non-colorfast fabrics that damage easily by water-based methods. It is safe on almost all fabrics and dyes
but may damage adhesives used on the back of fabrics. Dry cleaning solvents are hazardous chemicals, which is why we will
not use them in homes. It takes about 16 hours for the solvent to off-gas or evaporate out of fabric.
·
Absorbent compound method – is minimal moisture
that classifies as dry cleaning. This involves treating the granular powder with cleaning agents and then sprinkling on the
fabric which is brushed uniformly over the fabric to suspend soils and dries in about a half hour. A dry vacuum is necessary
to remove the soil that was absorbed into the compound.
· Dry foam method – dense foam made by machine and distributed over the fabric with a brush.
Suspended in foam, the soils then extracted using a wet vacuum.
·
Shampoo method – a foaming cleaning agent applied
to the fabric using sprayers, sponges or brushes. Suspended soils then extracted using a wet vacuum. While the dry foam and
shampoo methods are similar, the shampoo is wetter than the dense foam.
·
Water extraction – a cleaning solution injected
into or flows across the fabric. Suspended soils then removed by the flushing action and vacuuming with a wet vacuum. This
method usually give the best results but used only on fabrics whose fibers, dyes and composition are not adversely affected
by water or water-based cleaners. We can often clean on location but upholstery that requires solvent cleaning,
or has delicate fabric or is very heavily soiled are brought in to our plant for cleaning.
In the home, we are limited to a one-time cleaning but, at our shop, we may clean something several times to make sure it
is as clean as possible. Often times knowing how to correct problems is our strong advantage. I cannot
tell you how many cleaners have bought upholstery to us because they thought they ruined it. Many times
these “ruined” items are easily fixed and it actually comes down to education.
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