The New Problem Fabric Challenges For Upholstery Cleaning Professionals!

For decades, the fabrics perceived to be problem fabrics by cleaners, and by those who train them, have been in these four categories:

1. Bleeders, usually fabrics woven on the jacquard loom


2. Raw Cotton, still sometimes called "Haitian Cotton"


3. Velvet, especially those made from natural fibers


4. Nondurable finishes, mostly Chintz and Polished Cotton

Today, those categories have changed. Following is the 21st Century list, in the order of challenges and problems now occurring!

1. Fabrics That Won't Come Clean! Cleaners are facing more issues with abused natural fibers that they cannot restore without damaging them.


2. Natural Whites. The term Haitian Cotton is massively outdated, and even raw cotton isn't correct, as rayon and linen fabrics have the same issues of browning and water stains as cotton does.


3. Textures. Velvet is still "out there", but the new problem fabrics are natural fiber chenille, and even synthetic microfibers. The chenille's can have permanent distortion, and the microfibers have issues in poor manufacturing processes that can cause you big problems if you don't know what they are.


4. Non Colorfast Fabrics. The "old fashioned" floral jacquard weaves still exist, but most color problems today are being encountered in poorly made prints and denim fabrics that easily fade.

If you are still seeing the upholstery cleaning world through "20th Century Eyes", and training your employees the same way, you can expect to get caught by surprise when one of these challenges becomes an unexpected problem for you.