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
- 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. - 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! - 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.
- 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:
- 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. - 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. - 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.
- Apply a mild acid treatment.
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. |
