Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: PaulKing on December 04, 2007, 11:13:31 am

Title: Problem or is there ?
Post by: PaulKing on December 04, 2007, 11:13:31 am
Customer has complained that after cleaning her suite we have ruined it completely.

What your opinion is the problem?or do you think this looks like a normal piece of upholstery with a piled fabric showing signs of everyday use?

Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: HQCS (John Kastrian) on December 04, 2007, 11:22:14 am
Paul,what is she moaning about?the fact that the bits that were covered with arm covers for years and not exposed to light are still the original colour,or the fact that you have removed all the dirt and staining from the rest of the suite and it is now cleaner (& lighter).-John
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: Ken Wainwright on December 04, 2007, 12:00:39 pm
Paul

The picture and your description suggests a synthetic pile and cotton backing. If the fabric has just been cleaned, it is possible that the cotton backing, if not soiled, will have absorbed some moisture and be showing darker in the local areas that have required more work. Upon drying, these damp areas dry fine, so no problem.

When dry, if staining/soiling does exist and is not an optical illusion because of light reflection characteristics, I have in the past tackled this by cleaning again, but after the pre-spray used an Oxybrite/Fibre Buff/Shampoo solution applying the foam by sponge and then rinsing with Fibre & Fabric Rinse. This is an extreme course of action as an soiling that may be present would typically respond to conventional cleaning.

Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken


Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: carpet guy on December 04, 2007, 03:09:41 pm
Loathe to comment on this one, as it's difficult to judge from a screen and we all see things differently. I would judge the result from the " cleanlieness " aspect, rather than the uniformity of colour or texture.

If it's clean..................it's clean.

Sometimes watermarks appear unexpectedly, or a " spot " turns out to be a stain, or a worn area is impossible to renovate as it's been flattened and distorted.

Realistic expectations, are the key words here, but it's easy get it right, " after the event "
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: tony harrison on December 04, 2007, 03:28:03 pm
looks like pile distortion to me. did you set the pile after the cleaning process.

Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: turneylogan on December 04, 2007, 04:09:41 pm
Could it be pile distortion due to excess heat? The shaded areas seem to be where you would expect there to be more work.
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: Susan Dean (1stclean) on December 04, 2007, 04:31:31 pm
not realy going to my neck on the line as a pic can be misleading

but it does look like ithe arms were cleaned from the back of the chair to the front of the arm without brushing the fabic down makeing look (hedge hogey) and if its is pile distortion they must sit with there arms in a very stright line how ever arm covers can do the same thing

but its only a pic and with any suite you cant tell until your stood over the top of it in day light

what as the custy said ???  and what does she/he say you have done???
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: murky on December 04, 2007, 04:37:05 pm
Looks nice and clean to me. But seen it before.

But 1 prob that appears to me is that your operator has set the pile on the arms by pulling the hand tool towards him.

Thereby giving the appearance you have there, it looks different, there is a perceived difference in appearance.

The pile (or nap) on brushed upholstery has to 'fall' down the seat, cushions and arms, I think you will find that if you go back and rinse it again with warm water and reset the pile with an upholstery brush or clean cloth on all of the chair so that it is in a uniform pattern it will give a much better overall appearance.

Hope that helps.

Murky
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: stevegunn on December 04, 2007, 05:32:00 pm
Without seeing how the chair looked before cleaning difficult to say.It looks clean.What exactly has she accused you of?
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: PaulKing on December 04, 2007, 05:52:46 pm
Everyone is right kind of:-

Looks nice and clean to me. But seen it before.

But 1 prob that appears to me is that your operator has set the pile on the arms by pulling the hand tool towards him.

Thereby giving the appearance you have there, it looks different, there is a perceived difference in appearance.

The pile (or nap) on brushed upholstery has to 'fall' down the seat, cushions and arms, I think you will find that if you go back and rinse it again with warm water and reset the pile with an upholstery brush or clean cloth on all of the chair so that it is in a uniform pattern it will give a much better overall appearance.

Hope that helps.

Murky

Arm cleaned and reset at the time and have been back sprayed down and reset the pile it just when back this way when dry but you can brush it the other way just it like laying this way !


Could it be pile distortion due to excess heat? The shaded areas seem to be where you would expect there to be more work.


or perhaps where you would expect there to be more wear? temp was constant 60c beside you would really expect to see a problem on the set pads and other elsewhere as well?


looks like pile distortion to me. did you set the pile after the cleaning process.
yes but if it was shading there before, it may well come back would you agree? I know we try and steam it out of some carpets and curtains for manufactures but it is a inexact science and often does'nt work.  

Paul

The picture and your description suggests a synthetic pile and cotton backing. If the fabric has just been cleaned, it is possible that the cotton backing, if not soiled, will have absorbed some moisture and be showing darker in the local areas that have required more work. Upon drying, these damp areas dry fine, so no problem.

When dry, if staining/soiling does exist and is not an optical illusion because of light reflection characteristics, I have in the past tackled this by cleaning again, but after the pre-spray used an Oxybrite/Fibre Buff/Shampoo solution applying the foam by sponge and then rinsing with Fibre & Fabric Rinse. This is an extreme course of action as an soiling that may be present would typically respond to conventional cleaning.

Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken

 it is just that a optial illusion did the mirrior test for shading and bingo there it was in the reflection all gone! The problem is just that shading.


Without seeing how the chair looked before cleaning difficult to say.It looks clean.What exactly has she accused you of?

We are accused of "totally ruined can't say exactly just ruined! the colours have run and is ruined"
Steve It looked very similar to it does now just more dirty! ( it's on your patch as well so you might get a call from me to get a 4th opinion)




Plain and simple,
 I think all of you guess it.

Its shading, told the customer that and explained how why ect, and think they took it on board.

Reason for posting is today we just had Johnny splash and dash on the phone, his mums, aunties, friends, dog sitter, that lives across the way. And he reckons we have made the dye bleed on all the suite and took it off in parts, and it's a "total write off" Best just pay up the 3K or we are going to court and we'll lose because he'll be a witness. And the Solicitors letters in the post.

And someone rang from the ladies number to get our postal address? would not give her name, and said I'll find it anyway. we did give her it just asked "can i ask who is calling"

Reckon i should get my cheque book out?


Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: PaulKing on December 04, 2007, 05:59:12 pm
Here is a idea- A topic within a topic

Here a picture it a 2-3 year old piled fabric suite in daily use 24/7 by elderly person.
It was cleaned  1 week ago what do you think anything normal or abnormal?

Just simple answers please
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: stevegunn on December 04, 2007, 06:11:12 pm
What would johnny splah and dash know about shading probably would have left it wet for 3 or 5 days?
 
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: gwrightson on December 04, 2007, 06:29:50 pm
Paul,
Did you take any pics before the clean?   a comparison would have been much simpler , and I would say in your favour. I always take pics before an after..

I would say it looks fine to me, and just pile distortion .
why dont you ask for the credentials of the local splash & dash , and what actual facts is he basing his diagnosis on   .
I dont think you have a problem or worry. just the inconvienence of a prat of a custy bad mouthing you.

geoff
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on December 04, 2007, 07:56:10 pm
You find that sometimes when the customer pays for a top job at top end prices then they expect Harry Potter with a magical wand to make it look like new and wrapped in polythene, what did you charge her? I bet it was £130-£150, and I bet she got quoted from him £50 so he'll be lording it at the moment.

Shaun
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: PaulKing on December 04, 2007, 08:09:59 pm
very old customer and the mother of a vip we charged her £0

bet that shocked you !


I'm very surpirised to be in this situation
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: John Kelly on December 04, 2007, 08:52:20 pm
Sod's Law comes to mind.
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: *paul_moss on December 04, 2007, 08:59:15 pm
Paul spray in dark brown  ;)
It will look like new then  :D
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on December 04, 2007, 09:01:29 pm
You don't think she's come all high and mighty now do you? I did some work for the drummer of Def Leopard (funny he had only left handed doors!) and his mother was giving it some about a blackcurrent stain I couldn't fully remove and how the cleaner she had removes every mark.

Shaun
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: will01 on December 04, 2007, 09:47:57 pm
Guys:

This just looks like a perfectly good job. I fail to see what problem the customer has?

Looks like draylon to me and in my experience a plain draylon suite can sometimes look "Shady 8)" depending on how the light catches it or which way the pile has been brushed or simple wear and tear.

I always find that the top of the armrest can be a different shade than the inner sides due to wear and tear.

The only thing that springs to mind is that maybe the suite was so dirty beforehand that it hid the natural wear and tear from the customer? 

will

Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: Kev Loomes on December 04, 2007, 10:45:30 pm
Just to throw a very small spanner into the works - is it possibly a viscose pile? This could explain to some degree the 'difference' the custy is expressing ?? Did you identify the fibre ok Paul?

Just a thought.
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: PaulKing on December 05, 2007, 06:04:22 am
Just to throw a very small spanner into the works - is it possibly a viscose pile? This could explain to some degree the 'difference' the custy is expressing ?? Did you identify the fibre ok Paul?

Just a thought.
nope not viscose, beside if it was the entire thing would be affedted by waterm and not just the wear areas, beside if you ever seea viscose that goes they blow up like a shaggy dog defiantly not that as said if you place a mirror beisde it it changes back to the normal it's just plain and simple shading on the arms.
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: Doug Holloway on December 05, 2007, 07:34:10 am
Hi Guys

I would go with Kev on this one and say there is some viscose, it may well be a mixture.

Dralon would not hold the shade like this and could be brushed out very easily.

If you want to rectify I would suggest hot water and lay pile with a cloth.

Cheers

Doug
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: tony harrison on December 05, 2007, 08:49:40 am
Hi I would tend to agree with Kev and Doug.

If the pile was not like that before it was cleaned then it is either heat or water sensitive fabric.
If damaged by water then it could be put right but more dificult if to high a temperature was used in cleaning.

I do agree if something is likley to go wrong then it generaly is the freebees.

Regards Tony
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: Steve Chapman on December 05, 2007, 10:58:20 am
 Just looks like normal wear to me, which you often get on the arm rests, surely if there was any damage as such it would be patchy and all over the suite not just confined to the arms!

any suite with a piled fabric is surely going to get wear in the high contact areas, esp if its a few years old.

i expect like alot of customers they just didnt notice it before, or hidden by the dirt.

Hope you get it sorted

Regards
steve
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: PaulKing on December 06, 2007, 07:44:20 am
Hi Guys

I would go with Kev on this one and say there is some viscose, it may well be a mixture.

Dralon would not hold the shade like this and could be brushed out very easily.

If you want to rectify I would suggest hot water and lay pile with a cloth.

Cheers

Doug
hi Doug you can brush this out with a cloth, and it goes back to that when used, would you not consider as it is the arms that this is just a normal wear pattern ? highlighted by the surrounding area now being clean?
Title: Re: Problem or is there ?
Post by: Doug Holloway on December 06, 2007, 08:15:06 am
Hi Paul,

The giveaway to me is the side of the right hand arm facing, there is a straight line of pile going the opposite way, this would not occur naturally as the wear would be much more random.

You could possibly reset with a microfibre cloth soaked in hot water or othrewise lightly clean and lay all the pile one way again with a cloth or towell.

Cheers

Doug