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.

How Wet Can You Get

Properly Cleaned Upholstery Fabrics Should Be Dry In About An Hour!
Jim Pemberton

Most serious upholstery cleaning problems (browning, bleeding, and shrinkage) are caused, completely or in part, by over-wetting of fabrics.

Upholstery cleaners who avoid over-wetting during cleaning and make certain that fabrics dry quickly afterward have few, if any, damage claims.

Skilled upholstery cleaners have learned to avoid over-wetting by the way that they use their cleaning tools, and by following the cleaning step with a variety of drying procedures. One of the greatest recent innovations in our industry has been the development upholstery "dry tools". These special upholstery tools have the spray either re-directed or contained within the vacuum's airflow to prevent penetration of the cleaning solution through the fabric.

The "Wetting Factor"

The factor OVERLOOKED by most cleaners is the choice of cleaning products based on the penetration or "wetting ability" of that product. Most cleaners assume that upholstery cleaning products are simply "weaker" versions of carpet cleaning products; that is, that they have lower pH readings than the carpet cleaning products that they are more familiar with. This oversimplification causes cleaners to overlook the "wetting factor", which can be just as important as the pH range!

Keep in mind, when you are cleaning upholstery, you are cleaning a fabric that is about as thick as your clothing! Bleeding, browning and shrinkage become far more likely if your cleaning compounds penetrate into the fabric's backing. The aggressive solvent additives and alkaline builders, combined with surfactants that are made for carpet cleaning create a dangerous "one-two punch" that delivers these harsh products under the fabric where unstable dyes, cellulose material, and upholsterer's markings are waiting to be released!

Upholstery cleaning products are formulated differently! In addition to the fact that these products have milder pH ranges, the solvents and surfactants used have a far lower wetting action than carpet cleaning formulations do.

Examples Of Products Used In Upholstery Cleaning:

A. SHAMPOO: A high foam, low wetting shampoo that can be used as either a "stand alone" dry foam product, or as a preconditioner. When applied properly, a shampoo preconditioner will lubricate and suspend embedded soils without wetting out the back of the fabric. NOTE: Keep in mind that preconditioning with a shampoo and following up with a very light rinse designed to prevent over-wetting may leave residues that keep protector from bonding properly!

B. NATURAL FIBER PRECONDITIONERS: These products, such as Natural Fiber Cleaner from Sapphire Scientific, have the low wetting capabilities of a shampoo, and also the low pH status that prevents bleeding and browning, but are far easier to rinse from the fabric when applied in a light mist, or sprayed onto a horsehair preconditioning brush. These products provide the safety of shampoo, but with nearly the effectiveness of higher pH products, and easier rinsing as well.

C. SYNTHETIC FIBER PRECONDITIONERS: Preconditioning agents used to pre-spray synthetic fiber upholstery will have more wetting capability than a shampoo, but should not rapidly wet out a fabric like a carpet traffic lane cleaner. Their pH status may seem to be as alkaline as a traffic lane cleaner, but usually contain weakly buffered solutions that are not as aggressive, and some contain ammonia, which self neutralizes in just a few minutes. As with the Natural Fiber Preconditioners, these products rinse more freely from fabric than both shampoos and traffic lane cleaners, an important quality in restoring textures as well as creating good bonding for protector.

The keys to avoid over-wetting (and subsequent damage claims!) are:

1. The Best Tool: Try out the new tools available to our industry, such as the Upholstery Pro from Sapphire Scientific. You'll be surprised at how well they work! -- And how much the labor is reduced!


2. The Right Cleaning Agents: Excellent, low wetting preconditioning and cleaning agents are now available.


3. The Proper Techniques: There is no tool or cleaning product that can take the place of a well trained technician. Take advantage of the training courses available at the Cleaning Restoration Learning Center. Even if you've taken a class just a few years ago, much has changed, for the better.

If you'll combine the right tools, the right cleaning agents, and the right techniques, you will improve your cleaning results and greatly lessen the risks of upholstery damage claims.

Spot Cleaning Silk Fabric Wall Covering

As a Fine Fabric Specialist, you will find opportunities to clean or spot clean fabric covered walls in both homes and commercial establishments. In many cases, the fiber commonly used in such fabrics is silk, and such wall coverings can be found anywhere from homes to professional offices to resorts.

If the coverings are only exposed to atmospheric soil, cleaning the fabric is a relatively easy task involving the use of dry cleaning sponges, which are popular in the restoration industry.

What will be more difficult to clean are the oily soiled areas around light switches and doorways, as well as spills from food and drink.

Oily soils may be removed by applying a dry cleaning solvent suitable for upholstery cleaning to a clean white towel, and VERY gently blotting the fabric. Aggressively scrubbing the fabric will not remove more soil, and will also likely distort the fabric.

Water based spills are more challenging, and usually require the use of a water based detergent for complete removal.

As with dry cleaning, apply your cleaning agent (a fine fabric type detergent, such as Natural Fiber Cleaner is an excellent choice) to a clean, white. folded terry cloth towel and firmly wipe the spotted areas covering a larger area than just where the spot exists. This should allow “blending” and prevent the appearance of a "clean spot" or "water mark".

As with any cleaning of high value textiles, be certain to put the limitations of expected results and related risks of fabric damage in writing on your work order.

Fabric covered walls are NOT designed to be exposed to oily or water based soils, and any attempts at restoration should be phrased as "restorative attempts" that may work, but that 100% like new results should not be expected.

Correcting Browning

In the last Clean Tip, I shared the question of a cleaner who had an article of furniture turn brown after cleaning, and how that problem might be better prevented in the future.

Today I'll share the potential remedies for browning in the unlikely (we are hopeful!) event that you encounter browning yourself.

1. In some cases, rinsing the fabric with an acidic rinse agent, such as Upholstery Rinse or Fabset, will remove the browning. I prefer rinsing with Dye Stabilizer and Rinse, as it is a pure organic acid that contains no surfactant. This distinction is important, as you should leave as little residue as possible when correcting browning to prevent texture problems.
   
   Even if an acidic rinse does not completely solve the problem, it likely will remove detergent residues that contributed to the browning in the first place, and make subsequent removal procedures more effective.
   
   
2. The next treatment to apply is a reducing agent, such as Coffee Stain Remover or a liquid browning treatment that contain sodium bisulfite. Such products are effective at removing the brown discoloration and few contain surfactants either.
   
   
3. If reducing agents do not work, rinse the fabric again, dry it quickly, then use an oxidizing agent, such as Boost All. This type of product should be mixed with an upholstery cleaning detergent or shampoo, then rinsed from the fabric with an acidic rinse (Upholstery Rinse/Fabset), and dried rapidly.
   
   Products such as Stain Zone and Stain Magic may also work, but caution should be used, as these products may weaken cellulose fabrics, such as cotton, linen, and rayon.

All browning causes some degree of destruction to the fabric, so it is always undesirable to allow this to happen. The methods that remove browning also cause a degree of damage, though steps one and two (acid rinses and reducers) cause little noticeable damage. Use oxidizing agents only as a last resort, and as said before, avoid browning at all costs.

I Browned a White Sofa!

Q: Hey Jim:
I recently cleaned a white cotton sofa and had a browning problem!
I preconditioned with a neutral prespray and a neutral shampoo, rinsed with an acid rinse, and then applied a water based protector that is made for upholstery. I also used a "dry tool" to do the cleaning ... why did it brown?

A: You used all the "right stuff".
However, the problem was likely caused by the fact that (#1) you used dual preconditioning steps, (2nd) you added the rinse, (3rd) then you added the water based protector! All this resulted in just too much moisture. Running additional fans, or using only one preconditioning step might have helped.

However, consider this . . .
The key to preventing browning in heavily soiled white natural fiber fabrics starts with pre-qualification: Anything highly soiled that might require extra preconditioning can brown, so the customer needs to be advised of this, as well as reaching an understanding that the necessary additional steps to correct browning will result in a higher price or charged for as an additional service if browning does occur, (rather than have you fix it for free later) as well as resulting in an unhappy customer.

You also should consider cleaning heavily soiled white natural fiber fabrics in plant.
In a controlled environment, you can precondition, rinse, dry, then start over again rather than try to "do it all at once", which contributes to over wetting and the risk of browning.

Likewise, you can wait for the fabric to completely dry and then apply the protector, when you work in a controlled, in plant environment.

I will present the correction process for a fabric browned in this fashion in our next Clean Tip.

Mystery Upholstery Color Change

Hey Jim:

Q:
I cleaned a tan sofa and it turned pink after it dried! I rinsed it with an acid rinse and thought it was always safe. What happened?

A:
What you experienced is known as an "indicator dye change". This rare occurrence is caused when the fabric's dye reacts with a cleaning solution in the same way that the dye used in litmus (pH) paper turns various colors depending on the pH of the solution that it is exposed to.

When a fabric that has such a dye used in it is rinsed with an acid rinse, it may turn pink or red just as pH paper would when dipped into an acidic solution.

Here Is A Possible Solution:
Ammonia as you purchase it in the grocery store is the best solution for this problem. Avoid "sudsy ammonia" or cleaners that simply have ammonia as an ingredient, as such products contain detergent that may leave a sticky residue.

Unfortunately even "straight ammonia" can be of variable strength, so to be on the safe side, dilute the ammonia 50/50 with water before using it. If the discoloration remains, re-apply it at full strength.

NOTE:
If the fabric contains dyes that might bleed, even this brief exposure of ammonia could potentially cause color bleeding! Unfortunately, if you are already in the position of correcting this problem, you have little choice but to assume this risk. That said, ammonia rapidly self neutralizes and is very unlikely to cause color loss when used in this fashion.

Keeping Ink Stains In Their Place!

Removing ink from upholstery fabrics can be a troublesome and somewhat risky procedure. Here are a few tips that should make the job easier, and less risky:

The nature of some types of ink is such that once a spotter is applied, the ink pigment may spread rapidly to adjoining areas of the fabric. That means, ink spots that at first appear just as a few specks, could become large and unsightly from improper spotting.

Because of the risk of the spotting procedure making the ink stains look even worse, you should only proceed

(1) IF your customer is willing to sign a release of responsibility, and
(2) IF they are willing to pay you enough (Two VERY big "if's").

If the stains are on a cushion, you can try to remove them by putting your cleaning tool UNDER the fabric by unzipping the cushion.

You then should apply a few drops of a high quality, solvent based ink remover, such as Sapphire Scientific OGC (Oil, Grease, and Cosmetic remover). As the solvent liquifies the ink, the vacuum will immediately pull the ink into the vacuum flow and keep it from spreading.

Afterward, apply Sapphire Scientific Natural Fiber Cleaner as a preconditioner, and agitate it with a soft horsehair brush. Natural Fiber Cleaner has a special surfactant that suspends pigments and particulates better than most upholstery preconditioners, so you are more likely to suspend and then later be able to rinse out remaining ink residues than if you used other cleaners.

If the ink is in areas other than cushions that can be unzipped, your risks increase. You can apply the ink spotter to a Q tip swab and gently blot the ink, with immediate extraction afterward. This will be EXTREMELY time consuming, and you still have the risk of the ink spreading.

The Mostly Costly Upholstery Cleaning Problem

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 Will And Must Turn Jobs Down!

“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 make the decision to accept a less than perfect result, or they have the option of declining your service. In fact, this may be a situation where you, the professional, makes the decision to decline the job. [Never lose sight of the fact that consumers will deceive themselves regarding acceptance of the finished service, then have a change of heart when questioned by another family member].

These results are far less costly than the typical “complaint” results that occurs to cleaners who spend hours attempting to clean something that will never be able to be restored, and they both lose money and at the same time have an unhappy customer, not to mention their reputation.

The Preinspection And Prequalification Step Is “Good Communication”

A good preinspection 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 give them results with which they will be pleased.

Learning to follow a consistent and well thought out preinspection 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.

Effective and Inexpensive Upholstery Preconditioning Tool

Most cleaners have applauded the explosion of microfiber upholstery in the marketplace. While microfibers have some challenges that need to be addressed in inspection, such as delaminating, for the most part this product is durable when cleaned with proper upholstery cleaning techniques.

The biggest challenge in cleaning microfibers is the tendency for it to adsorb oily soils, and the time involved in loosening these soils. Horsehair brushes, the mainstay tool of fine fabric specialists, are not always up to the task, and the alkaline preconditioning agents most suitable for oily loving polyester microfibers will felt, matt, and distort the horsehair brush until it is unusable.

Nylon scrub brushes are chemical resistant, but may damage some microfibers.

Try This Instead:

Use a white floor pad, such as is used for polishing VCT, and cut it to fit your hand. The synthetic fiber will resist being damaged by your preconditioner, but is also gentle enough not to damage microfiber fabrics, or any synthetic fiber fabric that you are cleaning. The surface area of the pad actually penetrates the heavy oil residues better than brushes can as well.

Try this out the next time you have microfiber furniture to clean, and you’ll be impressed at the time you’ll save and the results you’ll get.

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.