Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: heritagecleaning on March 13, 2013, 06:01:48 pm

Title: Upholstery help!
Post by: heritagecleaning on March 13, 2013, 06:01:48 pm
I've not done an awful lot of upholstery and it's not something I'm going to be pushing. However a lady has asked me to look at this-

(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1363197479_cupcakesofa copy.jpg)

As I say, not much experience. I would probably use Fabric Retsorer, HWE, the FF Rinse.

I would much appreciate any advice / suggestions  :)

Cheers


Owen
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: david@zap-clean on March 13, 2013, 06:21:13 pm
You need to identify the fabric type, colour fastness, shrink test etc before deciding how to clean it.
And what's that cat been doing on it?

Looks like about £175 worth of work to me....
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on March 13, 2013, 06:22:43 pm
Yep any of the said products will do it that suite can take some drying so take a turbo.

Shaun
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on March 13, 2013, 06:24:09 pm
I'll be left hanging if you can get colour run from that suite, the cushions yes but not the suite.

Shaun
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: david@zap-clean on March 13, 2013, 06:30:41 pm
I'll be left hanging if you can get colour run from that suite, the cushions yes but not the suite.

Shaun
What about browning issues if it's natural fibre?
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: Simon Gerrard on March 13, 2013, 06:32:05 pm
You need to be careful with that kind of thick ribbed fabric. It tends to absorb an awful lot of moisture suggesting there is viscose or rayon in there and if so it doesn't clean that well. Likewise the stained areas, particularly on the seat cushions may be very stubborn indeed. If I were you I'd do a test patch and qualify the customer heavily just in case it turns out to be a SOB. If you're thinking of charging £175 or anything like it, it has to be £175 cleaner when it is done and that could prove difficult.
You can't exercise care after the fact :'(

Simon
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: AshWhite on March 13, 2013, 06:32:16 pm
I'll be left hanging if you can get colour run from that suite, the cushions yes but not the suite.

Shaun

 ;D
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: JandS on March 13, 2013, 06:33:08 pm
Beat me to it Shaun....... ;D
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: Russ Chadd on March 13, 2013, 06:35:09 pm
HI Owen

From your chosen products listed i would suggest the Prochem 1 day upholstery cleaning course, it will definitely help you to identify  fabrics in the future, the folder you receive on the day covers just about everything you need to know about upholstery cleaning and you can refer back to this whilst on the job.
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: wayne zabel on March 13, 2013, 06:36:47 pm
I cleaned a very similar suite a few weeks ago,but in black.

I got a call from the customer saying it had dried "stiff" in places.

I went back and had to give a real good brushing with a very hard brush.
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on March 13, 2013, 06:37:30 pm
The raised pile is acrylic the backing and unraised bit is cotton mix I clean one every year for the same customer it's a sod to clean but comes up well with fab restorers and turbo drying as there are some bits you need to go over again.

Shaun
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: Luc on March 13, 2013, 06:48:45 pm
I cleaned one of these today in brown and it was a dfs one. I used fibre shampoo brushed in with a soft tampico brush and rinsed with fibre and fabric rinse. It was very damp even after using a tm and yes as sean said use turbo dryers. Lady just called to say its come up lovely  :)
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: M.Acorn on March 13, 2013, 07:10:31 pm
That rug needs doing too !!  ;D
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: Phil @ Extreme Clean on March 13, 2013, 07:14:21 pm
Iv'e done a suite like this not a corner one but 3 seater and chair. I presprayed with citrus prespray a little aggitation then All Round in a bucket mixed with my hand pad gave it a good scrubb then extracted came up a treat just do your usual prestest and you'll be fine.

Phil.
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: nevil on March 13, 2013, 08:52:59 pm
Two of my regulars have similar sofas. One is Acrylic the other one has high viscose content. I wouldn't touch the viscose one with a barge pole. The one in the photo looks most like the latter. Make sure you identify the fabric as viscose in this form could be a real problem.
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: Paul Redden Countryfresh on March 14, 2013, 08:45:45 pm
I own the same dfs one in brown. it is colourfast, have cleaned it hot and it does absorb a lot
as the guys have said and goes limp, but does recover when dry.

Would use M/S and acid rinse myself
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: james roffey on March 15, 2013, 08:32:41 am
Hate this type of material, hard work and results are always limited, customers happy but i think they don't clean well.
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: 2cleanright on March 15, 2013, 09:41:37 am
This si most liely to be a viscose pile on an acrylic backing. If it is you will more than likely trash it if you wet clean it. Do your burn test, find out what its made of and then make a decision on whether to tackle it or not.
If you dont know what its made of you may as well clean it wearing a blindfold!
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: maxcampbell on March 16, 2013, 09:35:03 pm
Do a crush test. Wet your thumb (custy's not impressed with spit, generally), push hard as you can in unobtrusive place & hold for 10 secs.

If you can see your thumb mark in flattened pile & it won't brush out easily it's viscose, and I wouldn't HWE it. If mark recovers easy, it's likely nylon, anyway HWE ok.
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: Carpet Dawg on March 16, 2013, 11:10:58 pm
bring alot of terry towels and a boffin brush with you!
Title: Re: Upholstery help!
Post by: JohnBradley on March 17, 2013, 08:27:08 pm
That rug needs doing too !!  ;D

Totally agree!