Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: justin brown on July 19, 2010, 09:33:02 pm

Title: how do you tell..........
Post by: justin brown on July 19, 2010, 09:33:02 pm
if upholstery or a rug is not wet cleanable? i always look for labels etc but sometimes i cannot find any........is there a 'rule of thumb' on non wet cleanable items? any help appreciated?!
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: Paul Simpson on July 19, 2010, 10:35:35 pm
Do your normal tests prior to cleaning. Alot of upholstery have labels saying "dry clean only" but are perfectly fine to wet clean. Manufacturers being over cautious.
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: cleanability on July 19, 2010, 10:36:21 pm
Well for starters a silk rug would be a no no. Ive never come across one to clean yet and I'm sure the owner would know it was a silk rug. I've cleaned loads of suites which have a dry clean only warning on them and have been wet cleaned no problem. Even seen a dralon suite with a dry clean only warning on it which is ridiculous. Actually seen more suites with a "dont dry clean" warning on them. The only suite I've ever turned down is one of the viscose velour types, ie the dralon look alike ones. Easy to spot because if water is sprayed on this material it will distort the pile and you'll have difficulty getting the pile to brush back into its original state and any water ( drinks) that have been spilt on it previously will be noticeable from ther pile distortion. After 12years of doing this job I'm surprised how very very rare it is come across a non wet cleanable suite. Which would give the advice to not worry about it. You're unlikely to come across many non wet cleanable items, and if you're unsure just walk away. And if I've ever been unsure I always clean a small patch on the back ( of the suite).

Chris
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: justin brown on July 19, 2010, 10:51:52 pm
great advice.........thank you
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: wynne jones on July 20, 2010, 12:23:33 am
For questions at this level, the best course of action would be, a course.

Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: Ricky M on July 20, 2010, 09:24:18 am
Well for starters a silk rug would be a no no. 

Chris

 Chris I think you will find your sadly mistaken about this statement you have made, Ive personally saturation cleaned around 14 pure silks and they have come out fantastic, its down to the drying process that give's the right results.

In the manufacturing process Do you think they are not wet cleaned after the face fibers have been cropped !?   
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: JandS on July 20, 2010, 09:59:05 am
Did a silk rug a couple of weeks ago as an add on
at a job I was at.
Not a problem though the owner did say she would
accept any responsibility.

John
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: Ricky M on July 20, 2010, 12:17:13 pm
Did a silk rug a couple of weeks ago as an add on
at a job I was at.
Not a problem though the owner did say she would
accept any responsibility.

John

there would have been no prob while it was wet but when it starts to dry if its not dealt with correctly then you can get some probs
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: cleanability on July 20, 2010, 11:19:27 pm
You'll have to enlighten me here. What exactly do you mean after you've wet cleaned. What is the special drying process? Personally if theres any risk of damaging a rug worth a few thousand pound I'd walk away from it.

Chris
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: wynne jones on July 20, 2010, 11:28:31 pm
If you HWEd a 'silk' rug and it may not have been 'silk', if you don't get a call I'd say you have been very lucky.
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: Paul Redden Countryfresh on July 21, 2010, 05:56:32 am
knowledge is power
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: Ricky M on July 21, 2010, 12:34:25 pm
knowledge is power

sharing is caring  ;D ;)
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: Fibre Fresh Devon on July 21, 2010, 12:38:28 pm
knowledge is power

sharing is caring  ;D ;)

'Sharing Knowledge' is a powerful way of caring
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: jasonl on July 21, 2010, 12:38:52 pm
If you HWEd a 'silk' rug and it may not have been 'silk', if you don't get a call I'd say you have been very lucky.

These can be immersion cleaned no problem, and have been for hundreds of years, who told you this false information?

Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: Ricky M on July 21, 2010, 02:48:53 pm
knowledge is power

sharing is caring  ;D ;)

'Sharing Knowledge' is a powerful way of caring

True  :)
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: Neil Grainger on July 21, 2010, 03:46:19 pm
Done loads of silk rugs, never had a problem with them.
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: colin thomas on July 21, 2010, 07:06:41 pm
at a customers not long ago and she says can you clean that rug over there in the corner, tatty old thing. did it no problerm, then she tells me it was around 125 years old and was bought by her family in persia!  wouldn't have gone near it it i had known it was that old,

colin
Title: Re: how do you tell..........
Post by: Jim_77 on July 22, 2010, 08:53:43 pm
Colin you stand a MUCH better chance of having a problem with a newer persian, i.e. 80s onwards than, than with an old one!  As long as it's not rotten it'll clean very well ;)