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"Real World" Microfiber Upholstery Cleaning Tips for Upholstery Cleaners

Today I am going to share a "shocking real world soiling story"of mine with you!

Its always a challenge to have cushions that have "real world" soiling available for my Fine Fabric Care Upholstery Cleaning Workshop.

I usually can find some dirty cushions by asking friends and employees for contributions and by the ocassional "dumpster diving" exercise, but rarely do these cushions relate exactly to the problem fabrics I want my students to learn how to clean.

On an impulse, I made up and "lent" three problem fabric cushions to a family I know. I asked them to replace the three cushions on their family room couch with one each of the following three cushion types:

White Polyester Microfiber

Natural White Cotton Damask (jacquard weave)

Rayon Chenille

I asked the family simply to use their furniture normally. Since the family has three active children, I felt I'd get the "soil I wanted".

What surprised me most was that of the three, the most heavily soiled and spotted cushion was the polyester microfiber! All three cushions have some soil and small spots, but the microfiber cushion looks terrible.

It then occurred to me that the reason why this was true was because microfiber upholstery fabric acts very much like microfiber cleaning cloths: It attracts soil and spills! (and holds them!)

The other issue that makes microfibers so challenging to clean is that most (though not all) are made from polyester fiber, which is very oil loving by nature. This oil loving characteristic causes microfiber furniture to rapidly absorb hair and body oil from people and pets, with the resulting "shiny/oily" soiling that coats the arms, upper inside back, and often the cushions.

While polyester is fairly resistant to chemical damage, microfiber fabrics may be made from laminated material that is sensitive to solvent based spotters and cleaners, and should be inspected for pre-existing delamination in heavy usage areas.

You should also be very careful in your cleaning tool selection, as some tools can cause permanent distortion in microfiber fabrics.

The best preconditioning agents to use on microfibers are moderately alkaline products designed for upholstery cleaning. Products that contain ammonia are especially useful, as the ammonia has a strong grease cutting characteristic without the harsh, highly buffered alkaline nature of traffic lane cleaners.

While an acidic rinse agent is not necessary for microfiber fabrics to protect against color bleeding or browning, its often better to use such a rinse agent so that the microfiber can dry soft, rather than with the harsh feel an alkaline extraction detergent would leave.

You must always advise your customer that while microfiber furniture is often inexpensive to purchase and appears to be easy to clean, it IS made from something very similar to the microfiber cleaning cloths that they see advertised on TV, and that waiting too long to have their "upholstery made from a cleaning cloth" serviced can result in higher cost restoration processes.

If you would like my report: "Tricks, Tips, and Tools for Cleaning Microfiber Upholstery", just email me: jimscleanchat@gmail.com and say send Free Report

It's Not Your Problem!

I frequently receive emails or calls from cleaners who, as recognized fine fabric experts, have been asked to fix something that has been damaged by another cleaner.

Some Of The Common Problems That Cleaners Cause Are:

• BROWNING (An exploding problem in natural fiber chenille !!!)
• RUST STAINS (From buttons or staples)
• TEXTURE DAMAGE (Both chenille and velvet)
• SHRINKAGE
• BLEEDING
  

When you first get the call, you might be tempted to use all your specialty cleaning agents and skills to save the "damsel in distress" and get those great feelings that all heroes must have.

STOP RIGHT NOW!

Graveyards are full of heroes! Before you let your emotions lead you down some very dangerous paths, think about what you are about to do.

CAUTION: These conditions are NOT even similar to what you might encounter after a “bad” carpet cleaning job, where the most you are asked to deal with are remaining spots or a resoiling condition. Carpet cleaning “rescues” are fairly easy to accomplish, and there are almost no risks of damage claims being assessed to you later.

On the other hand, most of the upholstery cleaning problems listed require strong chemicals, aggressive mechanical action, and somewhat risky procedures that could cause even more damage than the original problem.

If you are ever asked to correct these types of problems, you should suggest that your customer contact the cleaners who originally caused the problem and request that they correct it. It's not your problem (yet), it's the customer's and the other cleaner's problem.

If you decide to attempt any risky correction process, the problem, and any liability, will likely become yours! Even if your customer attempts to take the original cleaner to court later, the fact that you applied products and attempted restoration processes on the fabric will very likely release the original cleaner from any responsibility to replace the fabric!

If your customer does not want to pursue the issue with the cleaner who caused the damage, be sure to get a letter of understanding written up that CLEARLY explains the risks involved in your restoration processes, and the fact that your customer assumes ALL RISKS, and agrees to pay you, whether or not you are successful.

Make the following policy one that you never waver from ---

1. Recommend that the consumer contact the cleaner who caused the damage to correct the problem.
2. If you decide to attempt to correct these types of problems, have the customer sign an agreement that releases you from all responsibility, and that guarantees to pay you regardless of the results.
3. Charge enough money to get paid for the additional time and skill required to correct the problem. If your price is high enough, your customer will probably choose step 1.
   

You have the responsibility to protect your business from needless claims and to only do work that is profitable and builds your business. Save your expertise for those (hopefully) rare occasions when you have caused a problem, and you need "heroic procedures" to save your own "skin".

Otherwise, its not your problem until you make it your problem!

Special Invitation from Jim Pemberton May 11, 2011 at 6PM EDT, Lisa Wagner (whose expertise in area and Oriental rug cleaning is well known industry wide) and myself are going to be participating in a powerful FREE online seminar titled: “Rugs & Fine Fabrics: Become the “Go-To” Textile Pro in your City” . We will be answering technical and marketing questions regarding fine fabric upholstery and area rug cleaning. These will include both trouble shooting questions, as well as how you can become the recognized expert in your community for both of these very closely related fields. Sign up Today and join us! Register Now! http://tinyurl.com/clntip-f

Is Color Fading More Sinister Than Color Bleeding?

Color bleeding is the most frightening and likely the most expensive upholstery damage issue that cleaners fear, as they should.

However, a more common problem that creates claims is the issue of color fading. Most color fading is caused by abrasion, soiling, and sunlight. However, these conditions usually occur in areas that are covered with sufficient soil that the damage may not be noticed until after cleaning removes the soil that had disguised the color loss.

Any dark colored fabric MAY experience color fading prior to or after cleaning, but natural fibers and blends are the most susceptible to color fading. All heavily soiled fabrics must be considered suspect for color fading.

Most color fading complaints (or damage claims) can be avoided through careful pre-inspection. Look at areas that have not been exposed to sunlight, soil, and abrasion, such as the portion of the inside arm or back that is usually covered by the sides of the cushion. If the color in those areas seem to be deeper or darker, advise your customer that fading already exists, and may appear to be even more pronounced after cleaning.

Strong alkaline cleaning agents, especially carpet cleaning detergents, must be avoided when cleaning such fabrics, as many will make color fading even worse.

Most color problems, as well as other issues that create dissatisfaction at least, and expensive claims at worst, can be avoided by a careful and thorough pre-inspection and a tactful but clear discussion with your customer about the issues involved.

This situation is another example of the reasons that inspection and testing of upholstery fabrics is so critical. The wide variety of pre-existing conditions that may be found on upholstery is such that a thorough inspection form is not only helpful, but truly critical for the protection of the fine fabric care specialist as well as the satisfaction of the concerned consumer. I have just completed updating our Upholstery Condition Inspection Report, which since 1987 has been the only comprehensive such form in our industry. If you would like to use this form, feel free to email me at jimpem2@comcast.net I will email you a free “printers proof copy” and prices for bundles of 50 of these 2 part NCR forms.

Yellow Alert for “Fine Fabric Cleaners”

There are several things that can cause furniture to have a yellow discoloration or "haze". The causes and cures of these problems are so diverse that its critical to know the fabric and its maintenance history to know what you should do (or NOT do) next.

Inspection and Testing

1. Test the fabric: Synthetic fiber fabrics tend to yellow from oily soils. Yellow discolorations on natural fiber fabrics are more often from cellulose browning. You must know how to conduct a burn test to determine what type of fiber family is present.
   
   You don't need to know the SPECIFIC fiber, but you do need to know if its synthetic or natural.
   
   
2. If the fibers present are synthetic, the yellow is most likely from oily soils, or soils from smoke related damage. In both cases the use of an alkaline prespray designed for synthetic upholstery should be used, such as Sapphire Scientific Upholstery Prespray or Bridgepoint Avenge Heavy Duty Fabric Prespray.
   
   Yellow still remains, the use of an oxidizing agent as a booster, such as Bridgepoint Boost All, will likely remove residual yellowing.
   
   NOTE: This process is NOT recommended for yellowing of natural fiber fabrics!
   

3. If the fibers are natural, you should suspect cellulose browning. Be certain to discuss previous cleaning and maintenance of the fabric. If another cleaner, or the owner of the fabric caused the browning, you must inform your customer that this yellow condition is evidence of DAMAGE to the fabric, and that you cannot be held responsible for this damage. Even if you can correct the appearance, the physical processes that cause browning cause some level of damage to the fibers.
   
   
4. Establish this understanding (in writing is always best) with your customer. You may then attempt to remove the browning using the safest methods possible to prevent further damage to the fabric. Such methods have been outlined in previous Clean Tips, but here is a brief review:
   
   
   1. Apply a mild acid treatment.
      Dye Stabilizer and Rinse from Sapphire Scientific is the best "first choice", as its a pure organic acid and will leave no damaging residue.
      
      
   2. Apply a reducing agent.
      If "a" does not work, rinse the fabric with clear water and try a reducing agent, such as a formulated product for Haitian cotton or raw cotton, or Coffee Stain Remover from Bridgepoint. These products have an objectionable odor and will often leave a stiff feel to the fabric. Their advantage is that they rarely "overwhiten" the fabric.
      
      
   3. Use an agressive blend
      If "b" does not work, or if the condition is severe, use a blend of Bridgepoint Fabric Shampoo, Boost All, and Buff All and follow label directions. This is the most aggressive, and also the most damaging correction method. Use only as a last resort.

Large, but localized yellow stains may be caused by urine, which can be detected by UV lights and odor, and should be treated with care as most urine residues damage dyes on both natural and synthetic fiber fabrics.

Small yellow stains may be from mustard, which is very difficult to remove from most any fabric. Peroxide based stain removers may remove mustard, but may also damage fabric and should only be used with great care

As you can see, the causes and related risks of yellow discolorations vary greatly. Do not ever attempt to clean or restore fabrics with yellow discolorations without a clear understanding of the nature of the fabric and the cause of the discoloration.

This situation is only one example of the reasons that inspection and testing of upholstery fabrics is critical. The wide variety of pre-existing circumstances that may be found on upholstery is such that a thorough inspection form is not only helpful, but truly critical for the fine fabric care specialist. We have just completed updating our Upholstery Condition Inspection Report, which since 1987 has been the only comprehensive such form in our industry. If you'd like to use this form, feel free to email me at jimpem2@comcast.net I will email you a free “printers proof copy” and prices for bundles of 50 of these 2 part NCR forms.

Preservation Vs Restoration

Over the past 20 years, consumers have begun to see the value in having their carpet cleaned on a regular basis, rather than waiting for the carpet to appear heavily soiled.

Carpet cleaners appreciate such customers, not just for their regular support to their business, but also because carpet cleaned on a regular basis releases soil more readily, and rarely had difficult stains that may be otherwise time consuming to remove.

The customer perception of textile furniture is not yet that advanced. In many cases, furniture is not cleaned in its lifetime, and if redecorating does not force them discard furniture, sometimes only when furniture becomes obviously soiled or stained is cleaning requested.

If you permit your customer to make such decisions, you are doing both you and your customer a grave disservice.

Upholstery fabrics, especially those made from delicate natural fibers, need to be cleaned when soiling is still light. Once natural fiber fine fabrics become obviously stained and soiled, the cleaning products and procedures needed to restore them might be unsafe to use.

Even with relatively safe procedures and products, "restorative cleaning" of such fabrics might involve the use of products that use mild bleaches that may damage both color and the strength of the fibers, and aggressive cleaning may also cause permanent texture damage.

Its unfortunate that the term "restorative cleaning" is likely inappropriate, as such cleaning methods do not "restore" the fabric to its new condition. They might be better called "destructive cleaning", but such terms likely are not useful from a marketing perspective, however true in nature.

If you want to "preserve" the fabric as closely as possible to keep its original beauty, you should encourage your customer to have the furniture cleaned when soil is only apparent when you shift a cushion or arm cover and reveal an area that has not been soiled.

Such lightly soiled fabrics may be more easily cleaned with the mildest of detergents and gentlest agitation. In an upcoming article I will discuss some "preservation cleaning" techniques that will help keep your customer's furniture beautiful and decrease both your risks and labor costs as well.

Extraction Solutions for Fine Fabrics

Pre-conditioning agents receive the most attention in discussions of fine fabric chemistry, but the choices of what products to add (or not to add) to your "rinse solution" are just as critical.

Following are the three choices that most cleaners make, along with my observations regarding each choice:

Option #1. - Alkaline Detergent

This is the most commonly chosen (usually a carpet cleaning detergent is used by default), -- and absolutely both the riskiest and least desirable, of all your choices.

Alkaline detergents, even when formulated for upholstery, are usually only safe for synthetic fiber fabrics. While they may be somewhat safe and effective for breaking down oily soils, the risks of leaving residues of such detergents on fabrics that have not been tested and that might contain natural fibers outweigh the benefits.

If the soil level is such that an alkaline detergent might be considered helpful, - DON'T! – Rather you should use a pre-spray, such as Sapphire Scientific Upholstery Prespray, that is self neutralizing, and follow with an acidic rinse agent, like Sapphire Scientific Upholstery Rinse to assure that the fabric has the least possible residue left behind.

Option #2 - Acidic Rinse Agent

The cleaning industry is far more familiar with acidic rinse agents than it was in years past. Such products, such as Sapphire Scientific Upholstery Rinse, are designed to neutralize pre-conditioning products, leave textures soft, stabilize dyes, and to help to prevent cellulose browning.

With very rare exceptions, acid rinses are the best choice for extraction solutions.

Option #3 - If your cleaning equipment does not allow you to easily change to an acidic rinse, or if your cleaning equipment might be damaged by such a product, your third option is to rinse the fabric with clear water.

This system could work very well if fiber family testing is done. In such cases, the Sapphire self neutralizing Upholstery Prespray can be used on synthetic fiber fabrics, and an acidic preconditioner (as opposed to an acidic rinse) such as Sapphire Scientific Natural Fiber Cleaner, can be used to precondition sensitive natural fiber fabrics, with no acidic rinse needed.

In my years of studying browning, bleeding, fading, and texture problems, VERY few have occurred when the second (acidic rinse) option or the third (clear water after the use of a self neutralizing or acidic preconditioned) have been used.

My concerns about these common cleaning solution related problems as well as other issues that face today's fine fabric care technician are so strong that I've designed a special workshop to address issues that I am positive are not being adequately discussed anywhere else. Join me and learn first hand how to perform textile restoration safely and effectively. Check your schedule and make sure to keep April 29th open to attend my Fine Fabric Care Workshop. I GUARANTEE that If you don't think it is worth twice what you paid to be here, I will insist on returning your tuition in full. Call 412-751-3700 or 800-342-2297 right away, class size is limited! Or, if you wish, you can register online at http://www.ecleanadvisor.com/public/370.cfm

Browning Damages Furniture Fabrics!

In previous Clean Tips I've outlined how to correct browning of upholstery fabrics. It’s important to remember, though, that the physical changes that cause browning, and what is done to correct it, do a degree of damage to the fabric.

How Browning Damages Furniture Fabrics:
When browning occurs, the changes that occur in the fiber that cause it to turn brown also structurally weakens the fiber. This damage may not be detectable, but its important as a cleaner to understand that this is a destructive process, and one that should be avoided at all costs.

This is a matter to keep closely in mind if you are asked to correct browning that might have been caused by a careless competitor. You are not simply removing soil when you remove browning and therefore leaving a fabric that is nearly "good as new". You are instead restoring the cosmetic appearance of a fabric that has been damaged by a competitor.

The correction of browning may also be somewhat of a destructive process. If you can correct the browning with the application of an organic acid treatment, such as Dye Stabilizer and Rinse, which contains no bleaches, reducing agents, or surfactants, then you will not be causing additional damage.

If, however, the browning is severe and you are compelled to use more aggressive correct products, especially bleaches/oxidizing agents, then you should be aware that you are causing further deterioration of the fabric, and repeated applications of such browning removal formulas may weaken the fabric enough that it will split during use in the near future.

The bottom line is this: Browning is a condition that is completely preventable if you use the correct cleaning agents and proper cleaning procedures. If a fabric has been abused and is heavily soiled, you must choose carefully if you wish to clean such a fabric when browning might be possible after cleaning, as both the browning and your attempts to correct it are more destructive to the fabric than most are aware.

Encourage your customers to have delicate natural fiber fabrics cleaned when they are only lightly soiled. In that way you can use cleaning processes that are safe for the fabric, and will leave the fabric both clean and will extend, rather than shorten, its useful life.

“Will I Still Have To Turn Down Upholstery Cleaning Jobs?”

I’m often asked:

“If I get the right training and have the right products and tools, will I still have to turn down any upholstery cleaning jobs?”

My answer is always . . . . YES, YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST!!

“You must turn down any job where your customer’s expectations exceed what you can deliver in the way of a result”

Think About This:

What really is the most costly event that can happen with a customer?
If you damage an individual piece of furniture through color bleeding, fading, or texture distortion, you will have a tangible cost that you will incur (a claim) and then it’s settled. But that’s not your biggest cost! The fact is that the damage claim is your smallest problem!

What happens if you consistently deliver poor results in the eyes of your customers?
You could have dozens of unhappy customers who will never call you back, and never refer you to others, or more likely will trash your reputation at the hair salon at every opportunity!

Unlike carpet, upholstery has so many variables in its fiber content and design, including consumer neglect, that it is impossible to always remove all stains and soils easily, or at least removing them without causing color or texture damage to the neglected fabric.

The problem is communication.
If your customer understands these limitations up front, they are more likely to accept a less than perfect result, or they have the option of declining your service. Either result is less costly than the alternative which usually happens to cleaners who spend hours attempting to clean something that will never be able to be restored. They lose both the money and at the same time have at minimum an unhappy customer, and more often than not lose the customer for good.

A good pre-inspection and prequalification step is NOT a list of good sounding excuses that is meant to talk the customer into accepting poor results.

On the contrary, if you understand the limitations of a specific fabric, such as the tendency of a rayon chenille to lose its texture from wear or denim to lose color, you can speak to the specific limitations imposed by the fabric and the use your customer has put it through when you explain what level of soil or stain removal that your customer might accept.

The ability to explain these limitations also should allow you to talk to your customer about the care of their furniture before it becomes heavily soiled and stained, and thus allow you to deliver results with which they will be pleased.

Learning to follow a consistent and well thought out pre-inspection and testing protocol on every job you clean will prevent this costly and frustrating problem, and will also enhance your image of professionalism in your customers eyes.

Upholstery Pet Odor Removal Challenges

The principles of removing pet odor from upholstery fabrics are similar to those that are used for carpet. Source removal, the need for the deodorizing treatment to reach the source of the odor, etc all apply.

The challenge to the upholstery cleaner is that most carpet deodorization processes require a great deal of water to remove the source of the odor and to deliver the deodorizing treatment to the contaminated area.

Large volumes of cleaning and deodorizing solutions, when applied to upholstery however, can cause shrinkage, cellulose browning, dye bleeding, etc.

To prevent these problems in treating upholstery fabrics, the first step is to make the customer aware of the fact that what is needed to decontaminate and deodorize the fabric may cause moisture related damage, and that they bear all the responsibility for any other problems that might result.

The best products to use for upholstery odors are those that have little fragrance, as lingering perfume odors may be offensive to your customer, as they have closer contact to their furniture than they do with carpet.

The scope of the specifics of upholstery deodorization would require a manual not a blog post, but here are some additional tips to consider:

1. Add your deodorizing treatment (if compatible) to your upholstery preconditioning solution. This allows the product to have sufficient dwell time to work before extraction.
   
   
2. If necessary, inject your deodorizer into cushion foam. Urine penetrations cushions and into the foam much like it does carpeting. Remember that this material may wick to the surface and cause water marks, bleeding, or browning.
   
   
3. Inspect skirts carefully, as male animals often spray these areas. You will need to apply sufficient deodorizer to these areas, so remember that skirts made from natural fibers shrink readily when wet, so note this on your inspection sheet as well.
   
   
4. Post application of deodorizing treatments may be necessary. Most deodorizers leave a sticky residue, so limit post treatment to products that are formulated not to attract soil. Hydrocide and Hydrocide Xtreme contain polymers to prevent resoiling, and both are also noted for having little (Hydrocide), or a very mild pleasant (Hydrocide Xtreme) fragrance, and are therefore very suitable for upholstery use.