Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mike Halliday on June 27, 2006, 05:19:56 pm

Title: stripey upholstery
Post by: Mike Halliday on June 27, 2006, 05:19:56 pm
I get this problem sometimes when cleaning upholstery fabric with a short pile.

I didn't use too much heat or high pressure, I only cleaned in one direction but still it went stripey.

I also tried to brush it out immediately after cleaning (while still damp) nothing would help.

any ideas?
(http://img512.i.us/img512/2500/stripes0021aq.jpg)

although the one in this picture was given plenty of dry strokes back & forth, but still it let a stripey appearance
Title: Re: stripey upholstery
Post by: Liahona on June 27, 2006, 05:35:25 pm
Mike, I have had this happen a lot on upholstery or at least many years ago especially on chenilles. I

find that two things help me. 1) to try and wet evenly with a sprayer to what you might think is even

too much before you extract as you normaly would. ....2) I also try to reduce the recovery power on the

vacuum......... It is usually the recovery that causes this problem or at least in my cases. Last thing, if

you have protected or if not then apply a fine mist of an o.m.s. and then brush the living daylights out

of the fabric. I use a variety of brushes but have found wall paper brushes and or horse brushes in

each hand and just going over and over it till the problem has gone. Pain in the ass but it should go ok

eventually. Keep going though as sometimes the wand strokes wont come out, ever. Best, Dave.
Title: Re: stripey upholstery
Post by: Ken Wainwright on June 27, 2006, 05:40:41 pm
Mike

Looking at a picture allows room for error, and I presume that it will dry OK. I will also presume that your equipment, system and technique are all correct.

My best educated guess is that the stripes are caused by the (necessary) tool overlap on each stroke.  These areas, having been rinsed/extracted twice, are twice as wet as the central areas of each stroke, hence the shading difference.  The synthetic pile has little absorbancy, but a cotton backing is highly absorbent.  It's the backing retaining the moisture and hence showing a different shade.  Extra vaccing/towelling will not reduce the moisture content significantly.

Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken
Title: Re: stripey upholstery
Post by: stevegunn on June 27, 2006, 06:07:13 pm
Did one like this a couple of months ago, cleaned by another cleaner who would not return.I sprayed the cushions with hot water and brushed in the same direction over & over improved 100% but the pile was damaged so you could still see it but not as bad.
Title: Re: stripey upholstery
Post by: stevegunn on June 28, 2006, 09:47:32 pm
Mike did you rectify the problem?
Title: Re: stripey upholstery
Post by: Mike Halliday on June 28, 2006, 09:58:44 pm
not entirely, we brushed it to death when we had finished but some marks were still there.

the customer didnt mind because it was really dirty and we made a vast improvement to the appearance :)

it was happening from the first cushoin we cleaned, so we tried everything to stop it happening.

I think Ken hit the nail on the head with the overlapping strokes over-wettng the fabric, but we even tried an exact stroke pattern without overlapping but it still  happened in places.

Mike
Title: Re: stripey upholstery
Post by: lee_gundry on June 28, 2006, 10:13:53 pm
mike


did you use the cfr tool.

Lee G
Title: Re: stripey upholstery
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on June 28, 2006, 11:01:41 pm
is it cotton velvet ?

Shaun
Title: Re: stripey upholstery
Post by: Mike Halliday on June 29, 2006, 07:08:51 am
Lee yes, I was wondering if the jet was getting a little worn and not spraying the full  width and not putting an even amount of water across the fabric.

No Shaun  it was'nt what I'd call a 'brushed velvet' ( as often found on the carcuss of Draylon suites)

Mike