Do You Have What it Takes to be an Upholstery Cleaning Specialist?

In January of 2007 I wrote an article for Cleanfax regarding the lack of true upholstery cleaning specialists in most market areas.

I was prompted to write it because of the number of furniture retailers who approached me for training so that they could handle skilled upholstery spotting, stain removal, and cleaning for their clients.

I want to be sure you understand this:
None of them have opened cleaning divisions as a profit center! Instead they had their delivery and repair staff trained and equipped to clean fabrics that their customers could not have taken care of anywhere else in their community.

Cleanfax recently reissued this article and sent it out over the internet. What surprised me was the amount of inquiries I received about how to be such a specialist in just one day after it hit!

As I pondered the questions that I have been asked, and reflected on what I’ve learned in the three years since I wrote that article, I’ve come to a conclusion that might make some of you uncomfortable:

You may NOT be able to be an upholstery cleaning specialist!

I do believe that, with one of the new “dry tools”, some specialty upholstery cleaning products, and a couple of days of training, that you can clean most fabrics safely (and at a profit).

But I am no longer convinced that simply working with such tools, products, and with the limited industry training available, that you can clean most fabrics EFFECTIVELY enough to be considered an “Expert” in your marketplace!

I also feel less convinced that every cleaner is willing to commit the resources of time and finance to take the cleaning of upholstery to that next level, and to effectively market the fact that they can and will offer this specialized service to their marketplace.

If YOU wish to make the commitment to go beyond a tool, a few products, and a few days of training and become the upholstery care specialist in your market place, stay in touch with us at Pembertons. We will be offering ways to help you make that next step very soon.

In-Plant Upholstery Cleaning

I recently taught an upholstery cleaning class where the class was given a wingback chair made of a rayon/polyester blend fabric that was heavily soiled. The upper inside back had a brown hair oil stain, and the cushions and arms were likewise heavily soiled and stained.

The class was able to improve the appearance of the chair dramatically, but not perfectly. And the process took an hour to complete. One student said: “How can you make money spending this much time cleaning one chair?” The answer is: You probably can’t, especially if some of the soiling and staining were still present, regardless of the fact that the overall improvement was dramatic.

I pondered this, and thought about some of the upholstery cleaning experts I’ve known in my life, and there is one thing that “the best of the best” of them had in common:

They cleaned heavily soiled natural fiber fabrics “in-plant”.

By taking such furniture from the customer’s home, they did incur higher labor costs of pick up and delivery, but they also then had the furniture in a controlled environment where there was a greater range of cleaning agent options, plus the ability to dry the furniture quickly with the use of both dryers and dehumidifiers. Mostly, there was also the ability to “touch up” the furniture after drying, do some minor scratch repair to wooden legs and trim, as well as apply polish the trim, do minor upholstery repair, and apply protector in more controlled setting for more even application and no fumes in the home.

With this in mind, I cleaned the chair two more times, and did some minor repair work.

The result is one that someone would likely pay three times as much for as the more limited job that could be done on location.

If you are already considering setting up a small rug cleaning plant, consider adding restorative cleaning of fine fabrics in-plant to your service mix. You may find what was once a frustrating and unprofitable part of your service offering to become one that is rewarding both financially and personally.

FAQs - Dull & Hazy Marble

Question -
Hey Jim,

I just cleaned some white marble, and it looks clean, but the traffic areas look dull and hazy, what do you have to clean that?
---------------------------------
Answer -
Good observation!

Those hazy areas are not likely dirt, but instead scratches where the tracked in gritty soil has damaged the marble. No matter how much cleaning that you do, you can't fix those scratches without polishing the marble.

Depending on the depth of the scratches, you'll either need to use industrial diamonds and a weighted scrubber, or at least the Spinergy pad system. Also, advise your customer that the higher the shine that they require, the more often you'll be back polishing out the scratches.

Simply put:
Marble in an ancient temple in Europe is white, but not reflective (sort of like chalk). That flat finish will not show scratches. If they want the marble to make a mirror type reflection, it can possibly show scratches in days.

FAQs - Water Stains on Carpet

Question: I have a commercial carpet with dark water stains that appeared after drying out a flood loss. Any tips on how to remove them?

---

Answer: Water stains are usually simply wicked soil. If the stains are brown or rust colored, they may also contain cellulose or mineral materials from the water itself or structural materials.

Some water stains may be removed with an acid based spotter, or mild reducing agent, such as would be found in Browning Treatment by Masterblend or Coffee Stain Remover by Bridgepoint. Severe water stains often come out more readily with the use of an oxidizer, however.

I worked on one such stain that was a dark rust color, and had defied every conventional removal process. I then tried a new product of ours, Groom Solutions Peroxicap. This unique product works primarily for use in encapsulation cleaning, but it also has peroxide in its formulation. By applying the product to the stained area and the surrounding carpet as well, then following with agitation with a rotary scrubber and encapsulation pad, every bit of the water stain was removed.

One of the above processes should work for you, depending on the severity of the stain and the equipment and products available to you.

FAQs - Does it Pay to Protect Polyester and Triexta?

There has been some discussion in our industry regarding or not polyester (PET) or triexta (PPT) require protector, and even if protector works on these fibers. While triexta is a new fiber, there is nothing in its make up to make us feel that the application of a fluorochemical protector, such as Scotchgard, Teflon, or Maxim would not help. These products protect against the primary soiling and staining problems that beset both triexta and polyester: Oily soils.

We have been able to conduct long term testing of polyester (PET) here at our training center. The polyester sample carpet was 20 years old, and obviously without any remaining factory protection. After cleaning, 3M Scotchgard (tm) and Bridgepoint Maxim Advanced were applied to opposite ends of the carpet, with the center left untreated.

The carpet was then put down in our repair shop, and rotated every day to make sure that the carpet soiled evenly. The carpet was also vacuumed every other day.

After 30 days, it was obvious that the two protected sides were resisting oily soil and spills, and that the untreated center was soiling more rapidly.

In 60 days, the carpet was thoroughly cleaned. Within another 30 days, the same degree of protection was still evident, as the treated areas continued to resist soil and spills, and the untreated areas did not.

As polyester (PET) becomes a larger percentage of the carpet you clean, you should feel free to apply fluorochemical protector to it. According to industry studies, it should remain on the carpet for about 12 months before it wears off.

FAQs - Acrylic / Cotton Upholstery Fabric

Question -

Subject: Acrylic/cotton upholstery fabric

At least that's what the Interior Designer said the fabric is according to her records on a chair I am to clean. It's red and off white. There is no place to cut a sample to test. -- This designer keeps all records so I trust what she sold her customer.

I'm thinking to treat it as a natural, should I use the shampoo made for problem wool rugs. I typically shampoo and steam/rinse. Otherwise I have foam solvent. There may be a slight chance I have cotton shampoo.

Tips?

Thanks
-----------------------------
Answer:
Subject: Acrylic/cotton upholstery fabric

Acrylic is the only synthetic fiber that I've known to bleed. I'd feel more comfortable with the Mastertech Shampoo than the cotton shampoo, as the red might fade from the reducing agent in the cotton shampoo. Foam Solvent Shampoo would even be safer (acid pH).

Do your rinse with Fabset or All Fiber Rinse with lukewarm water, dry it fast, and you should be fine.

Do a color test of course.

Jim

FAQs - "Triexta" Carpet

Question -
Hey Jim,
Do these new "Triexta" carpets clean better than the regular polyesters? The dealers seem to think it's the new miracle carpet fiber!

Answer -
Glad you asked about this new fiber.

Following my comments is a press release you should read & keep a copy.

But first, just why is this press release of importance to you, the carpet cleaner? Simply this: "Triexta", often marketed under the Mohawk brand name "Smartstrand ™", has and is promoted as a "new and better" carpet fiber. While this product is partly made from sustainable resources, and has been claimed to have superior resiliency than the original "PET" polyester fiber, it is important to note that no claims of superior oil resistance are being made for this product.

You should, of course, work as closely as possible with any manufacturer's directions if asked to clean a carpet while its under warranty, but do not be overly enthusiastic about stain resistance claims made about this product.

It is true that "Triexta" has superior WATER BASED stain resistance, and that even stains that contain dyes may be easier to remove, but there is no evidence that this product is any less oil loving than "PET" (polyester). For that reason, you may need to use preconditioning agents designed to break the oil bonding that occurs with such fibers before you can successfully clean this carpet, or any other oil loving carpet such as “PET” (polyester).

Feedback on your experience with this new fiber and how it has responded to professional cleaning is welcome.

PRESS RELEASE:
A New Carpet Fiber!

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a final rule, effective March 26, 2009, that establishes the subclass name triexta as an alternative to the generic name polyester for a subclass of polyester fibers made from poly(trimethylene terephthalate).

The petitioners who sought this designation stated that PTT fiber, while having the same general chemical composition of polyester, has distinctive features of durability, resilience, softness and ability to stretch with recovery that make it significantly more suitable than conventional polyester for carpet and apparel.

The FTC has concluded that each of the four criteria for creating a new generic fiber subclass have been met:

1. PTT has the same general chemical composition as an established generic fiber category


2. PTT has distinctive properties that make it suitable for uses for which other fibers under the established generic name would not be suited or would be significantly less well suited


3. These properties are important to the general public


4. These properties are the result of a new method of manufacture or PTT’s substantially differentiated physical characteristics.

(Source: Centexbel website, www.centexbel.be)

Question

Hey Jim,

Do these new “Triexta” carpets clean better than the regular polyesters? The dealers seem to think it’s the new miracle carpet fiber!

Answer:

Glad you asked about this new fiber.

Following my comments is a press release you should read & keep a copy.

But first, just why is this press release of importance to you, the carpet cleaner? Simply this: “Triexta”, often marketed under the Mohawk brand name “Smartstrand ™”, has and is promoted as a “new and better” carpet fiber. While this product is partly made from sustainable resources, and has been claimed to have superior resiliency than the original “PET” polyester fiber, it is important to note that no claims of superior oil resistance are being made for this product.

You should, of course, work as closely as possible with any manufacturer’s directions if asked to clean a carpet while its under warranty, but do not be overly enthusiastic about stain resistance claims made about this product.

It is true that “Triexta” has superior WATER BASED stain resistance, and that even stains that contain dyes may be easier to remove, but there is no evidence that this product is any less oil loving than “PET” (polyester). For that reason, you may need to use preconditioning agents designed to break the oil bonding that occurs with such fibers before you can successfully clean this carpet, or any other oil loving carpet such as “PET” (polyester).

Feedback on your experience with this new fiber and how it has responded to professional cleaning is welcome.

PRESS RELEASE:

A New Carpet Fiber!

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a final rule, effective March 26, 2009, that establishes the subclass name triexta as an alternative to the generic name polyester for a subclass of polyester fibers made from poly(trimethylene terephthalate).

The petitioners who sought this designation stated that PTT fiber, while having the same general chemical composition of polyester, has distinctive features of durability, resilience, softness and ability to stretch with recovery that make it significantly more suitable than conventional polyester for carpet and apparel.

The FTC has concluded that each of the four criteria for creating a new generic fiber subclass have been met:

1. PTT has the same general chemical composition as an established generic fiber category

2. PTT has distinctive properties that make it suitable for uses for which other fibers under the established generic name would not be suited or would be significantly less well suited

3. These properties are important to the general public

4. These properties are the result of a new method of manufacture or PTT’s substantially differentiated physical characteristics.

(Source: Centexbel website, www.centexbel.be)

FAQs - Is It Really Possible to Dry Carpet Before Leaving the Job?

Question:
Hey Jim,
Do you have some thoughts on this Dri-Eaz Studebaker AirPath? I heard that the carpet dries when you leave the job.

-------------------------------Answer:
Thanks for your interest in the Dri-Eaz AirPath.

The speed of which the Airpath will dry a carpet varies with the cleaning method used, the carpet fiber type, and the atmospheric conditions in the structure.

More simply put:
Heavily soiled carpets that require extensive preconditioning treatments take longer to dry.

Carpets cleaned with portable machines with weak vacuum and high pressure pumps take longer to dry.

Wool carpet takes longer to dry than do synthetic fiber carpets.

Carpet cleaned in a dwelling without air conditioning when there is high humidity outside will take longer to dry.

Homes where the entire carpet as well as the upholstery is cleaned, will generate a great deal more water vapor during the evaporation process, and will take longer to dry than they might when only a living room, dining room, and a hallway or stairs are cleaned.

Carpets that have protector applied will take longer to dry.

With all of the above factors in mind, our experience has been that nylon carpet cleaned in an environment of controlled humidity (A/C in summer, as an example) with a truck mount system in good operating condition and 300 CFM or more airflow will dry in about 15 minutes in the room that the AirPath is running. If you add any of the above factors into the equation, the drying time can extend to a few hours or more even with the AirPath.

Jim Pemberton-------------------------------Question:
My equipment has a vacuum 16" Hg: 280 CFM with installed SOVC. I always connect
my auto pump out for my recovery tank and also a inline aqua filter to reduce
debris getting inside the recovery tank. My question is: Will the CFM decrease?
Jim, thank you for your response about the performance of Dri-Eaz Studebaker AirPath.-------------------------------Answer:
Your equipment specifications are such that you should be able to have carpet fairly dry if not dry when you leave the job, although you should still bear in mind the variables of "heavy preconditioning wetting", wool absorbency, the extra moisture left behind after protector application, and the environmental conditions.

In line filtration devices are a great convenience, and will help to prevent clogging in your automatic pump out. However, they do restrict airflow; the amount of which varies somewhat with design, but mostly with how often you clean the filter.

Jim

FAQs - Feces on White Carpet

Q – Hi Jim,

Dog ate perhaps some deer pooh and pooped on a white polyester carpet. Homeowner tried to clean it up. I was limited to what I had.

I first used coffee stain remover. Then MB color accelerant. Although it lightened it, it wasn't gone. Then I used the power gel. There's just a shade. I didn't have any OSR or Stain Magic.

What is odd is that the polyester stained. That's never happened to me before. Is that normal, and why.

Thanks

--------------------
A –
Let’s answer the last part first . . .

Polyester is going to be the "olefin" of the next decade. Because we encountered little of it until recently, we (our industry) have never paid much attention to it.

It is not nearly as stain resistant as is olefin, it is resistant to some stains that nylon is not resistant to.

Polyester is disperse dyed, and for that reason is more readily stained by mustard, herbal teas, instant soup, shoe polish, etc. So its not stain proof.

Now to your question:

#1 - Deer feces reprocessed through the dog and presented to the carpet as dog feces should not contain disperse dye.

#2 - We don't know what else the dog may have consumed, and we do not know what your customer may have used to clean it.

#3 - The reducing agents that you attempted to use are not usually effective on this type of stain and carpet; the oxidizing agents that you propose to use (OSR and/or Stain Magic) will likely be effective.

Finally, if you are only seeing a shade remaining, and if you are certain that you have neutralized, rinsed, and extracted all of the residues from both your customer's and your spotting attempts, simply apply Stain Magic, cover it with plastic, and allow time for it to work.

This should remove the remaining stain.

FAQs - Paste Wax on Old Wood Floor

Question -
Morning,

I was looking over your website & I have a few questions about the Bridgepoint Wood Floor Systems.

I have an older hardwood floor in a nursing home. They have preferred it to be top coated with a paste wax for the urethane.

It has become increasingly harder to find the paste wax. I particularly do not like it as it doesn't take too much traffic to really dig into the paste wax.

My question being...would it be possible to clean the floor, use a maroon pad to clean and rough up what is left of that paste wax and then apply a Bridgepoint finish? My fear would be trying to get all that old paste wax off with mineral spirits.

Thanks for your help.

----------------------
Answer -
Hello,

We appreciate your interest in our product line, but in this case must let you know that our Bridgepoint Wood Floor Systems will not be of any help to you.

Paste wax, once applied to a wood floor, makes our system unusable. No matter how much scrubbing and stripping that you do, the residues of that paste wax will keep the finish from adhering, and it will peel off like skin after a sunburn.

Your only option is to have the floor sanded and a fresh coat of polyurethane finish applied by a wood floor restoration specialist.

Again, thank you for your interest in our products. We hope you'll try some of our carpet cleaners, spotters, and deodorizers some time when the need arises.

Jim Pemberton