Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: pro-fresh on April 26, 2008, 11:46:26 am
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Hi all
Has anybody any ideas on how to get hand tool marks out of this type of material, I cleaned it yesterday and it didnt look to clever when I finished. I hoped that maybe it might of miraculously dried better over night but the call at 9.00 am this morning proved that miracles dont happen.
I did try to towel it dry as I cleaned it but I couldnt get the marks out.
Any ideas would be welcome as the customer is not very happy as you can imagine.
Thanks Kevin.
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What colour is the suite, what colour are the marks and what solutions did you use to clean them and how long did it take for suite to dry?
Pete
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More importantly what type of fibre was it?
You may be able to re wet it or apply steam very carefully and brush / towel it down.
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Derek, you are correct but my questions were were to try and establish an inner lining issue what more oftn the case in these situations.
Pete
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What do you mean by " didn't look too clever when you finished and by your concern about it being wetter than you'd like it to be "
Don't by shy about answering as you are talking to some pretty knowledgeable and experienced people on here.
rob
overwetting can cause problems, as can too much vacuum pressure, sounds like contradictions but they're not.
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Pete, my question was not meant as a dig at you, there are lots of different questions to ask to get to the bottom of a problem that we cannot see. Pictures would be nice, but we also need more information as to the process and materials involved etc.
Incidentally, you are not far from me, maybe we could meet up some time for a chat.
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and if have have a cam phone try getting some pics
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How much heat were you using?
Mike
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Pete, my question was not meant as a dig at you, there are lots of different questions to ask to get to the bottom of a problem that we cannot see. Pictures would be nice, but we also need more information as to the process and materials involved etc.
Incidentally, you are not far from me, maybe we could meet up some time for a chat.
I know it's not a dig Derek and actually yours is the most relevant question to start with. All we need now is some answers from the poster so that we can really get stuck into some ides/debate.
Whereabouts in Kent are you then Derek?
Pete
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Are talking about tramlines from the edge of the handtool here?
All the best
John
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Kevin what was the flock made of as Chenille is just a term for the design ( French for caterpiller) and they have lots of different fibre mixes but usually high cotton composition also you need to check back of the fibre as some Chenille fabrics should not be wet cleaned and by the sounds of things this could be one.
So to help you out we need more info and some pics if poss.
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Pete, I am based in Deal, I travel over to Hartsdown quite a lot for Thanet table tennis league.
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Pete, I am based in Deal, I travel over to Hartsdown quite a lot for Thanet table tennis league.
Thats a nice part of the world mate. Do you know Charlie Payne from Dover? Think he's got a mate called Perry who's a also CC in Deal.
Yeah, would like that. Drop me your contact details. pete@oakleafcc.co.uk and I'll get in touch.
Pete
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Thanks for the replies, I have been out all day.
I havent got any photos , I have tried to cut and paste the description from the DFS website but it doesnt seem to work. The cushions are described as "soft chenille and lamswool cushions"
I used M-Power to clean the suite which wasnt really dirty but there had been a leak from the ceiling onto a couple of the seat cushions and the customer just wanted the damp smell to go away.
There are tram lines and it did take along time to dry, maybe 8 hours.
I didnt soak the cushions, infact I just gave them a quick once over because they werent really soiled.
I used a CFR hand tool with one hole open to reduce the vacuum pressure.
If I can figure out how to cut and paste the page I will.
Thanks Kevin.
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There are tram lines and it did take along time to dry, maybe 8 hours :o
Kev, put the DFS refernce number or page number up to see if we can find it.
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Paul
There doesnt seem to be a ref number, it is described as
Hemingway 5 piece coated leather/fabric corner group.
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Hi
I have not been able to see the suite since it has dried but I have spoke to DFS and the covers are 70% Viscose 30% cotton. The pile is also very thick.
I was hoping that maybe I could give the covers a mist of water and and then brush the pile in the right direction.
Kevin.
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Is it this?
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Try misting with spray bottle (hot water) and brush in the direction of the pile ,did you not towel dry the suite?
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Yes thats the one.
I did towel dry the suite but I couldnt get the hand tool marks out. The customer was given a brush with the suite so hopefully a hot mist and a brush may help.
Cheers
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Yes thats the one.
I did towel dry the suite but I couldnt get the hand tool marks out. The customer was given a brush with the suite so hopefully a hot mist and a brush may help.
Cheers
Did not help yourself there then,left suite with tool marks,you have more chance getting them out whilst suite is still wet.What temperature was the water when cleaning?
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The temp was 60 deg in the solution tank, so not to hot I wouldnt of thought.
You are right I should of spent more time brushing and toweling the seat covers.
It is a very dense pile almost like a faux mink, once you get it wet you can get through dozens of towels and it still feels pretty damp.
How do you guys get natural fibre suites to dry fast. I use a CFR hand tool and towel dry and they do seem to take a long time to dry. This is using a Ninja at 300psi and top spec vacuum motors.
Kev.
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Hi Kev
It looks like you are going to have to reset the pile, might be worth trying hot towells i.e immersed in hot water and wrung dry.
I believe the key to fast drying is to use much less water, apply prespray and give it 20 - 30 mins to soak in, agiataing first with a microfibre cloth.
Cheers
Doug
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Cheers Doug
Will give the hot towels a go as well.
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Kevin
70% viscose and 30% cotton means you have 100% cellulosic fibres. Think of the viscose as being paper (it typically comes from wood pulp). When it's wet, it's very week and easily damaged. In a perfect world this fabric would be dry cleaned. It's not a perfect world :(
It is VERY easy to abrade the viscose away, especially in contact areas, if the viscose forms the "hairy" part of the chenille, so be very careful with towelling. If this happens, a casual inspection by the customer would appear as though the fabric may have changed colour :o It hasn't, it's just the chenille that has been abraded leaving a different colour yarn showing through. This will also happen with wear and tear, but soil build up usually hides it.
I would normally clean this fabric with the red (01) CFR jet.
As you have raised this issue, I would ask if you have attended any upholstery cleaning training courses?
Safe and happy cleaning :)
Ken
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Hi Guys
Those of us older cleaners cut our teeth on viscose suites, which to the inexperienced often looked like Dralon but behaved very differently.
A key thing is how a fabric wets out, if it soaks up water then alarm bell should be raised and a lowish moisture approach taken.
Cheers
Doug
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We used to use a semi brass carding brush, apply hottish water with a fine mist and back comb and then brush in natural direction.
Shaun
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Ken
Yes I have been on the NCCA course and a Prochem course a couple of years ago. I have just looked in my NCCA upholstery handbook and there is a sample of chenille, it says can be wet cleaned with care, although it looks nothing like the chenille I have a problem with.
Kev.
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Kev some of the cheaper suites now especially from Argos have a very high viscose content, some of the better or more dearer ones have a higher cotton content.
Like Ken I would use a 01 jet with the cfr or if bad an 02. Best cleaned with a m/s. If the pile has now got wand marks you may bebetter recleanng those areas then lightly toweling with a microfibre cloth or soft brush.
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Kevin,
You can correct this, as already said by many on here.
You will have to return and re-clean the cushions
[extraction rinse with warm water against the pile
then re-set the pile with a brass boffin brush or cotton toweling]
Also check the cfr hand tool for any damage, my guy uses ours around
the edges of solied carpets and caught it on the gripper rods .
When used on the next suite it also left tram lines.
Colin.
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Thanks for all the advice. In the end it was really easy I fine misted it with a hand sprayer, toweled the pile in the right direction and finished it off with a grooming brush.
Thanks again.
Kev.
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Re reading this I just noticed the 300 psi, which is far too high for upholstery !!!!!
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Re reading this I just noticed the 300 psi, which is far too high for upholstery !!!!!
And with heat will have caused the problem.