Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: jim74 on June 25, 2009, 05:18:30 pm
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got a job for a suede couch ,what's the best way to clean them.any advice on it well be great and most appritiated thanx
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Hi Jim
It's really important you find out whether it's real of faux (fake) suede.
Cleaning process is completely diffrent.
Cheers
Doug
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Doug is right
Suede sofas are very rare and would have been extremely expensive to buy. Most people who think they have suede actually have fabric 'look alike' like alcantara or buffalo. As Doug explains the cleaning processes are very different.
30 seconds with a microscope will identify the difference for certain.
Cheers
Judy
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Or look at the backing/ skin.
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Pictures you see are “Velvet Suede” also known as “Nubuck”.
Leather-Safe (pH value 3 - 5) products are recommended to clean them safely and effectively, without fear or tear!
#1: Before
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/10-30-080161-1.jpg)
#2: After
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/Rogerkoh/11-13-080511-1.jpg)
Roger Koh
Leather Doctor®
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Nubuck is still a rarity and fabric equivalents are more like nubuck than suede - customers always confuse nubuck and suede which are 2 different things.
Cleaning nubuck and suede use similar dry processes but it is still important to completely identify what you have first before starting on any process. Wet cleaning of nubuck and suede is not recommended and may cause far more problems than it resolves.
The easiest way is to ask the customer what they paid for the furniture - genuine nubuck and suede would have cost in excess of £5000 in the UK.
Hope this helps
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We do get this question every so often and usually it tends to be a water cleanable fabric called faux very much like velour and is an acrylic but like it has stated early test test test first.
Shaun
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Presuming this is not suede......
Customers don't have a clue what to call this stuff. Microfibre is a pretty common term for it too.
HWE is fine almost without exception. Prespray lightly, agitate carefully because although in good condition they can take a hell of an agitation, some of these fabrics can show a kind of pilling effect, or the fibres can just strip off and leave you looking at the backing :o
Extract with much less pressure than normal - you're hardly cleaning any depth or volume of fabric at all so you need much less rinse water, otherwise you leave it soaking. Depending on the actual fabric, your machinery and your tool, you may find lock-down an issue, sometimes it needs a bit of a different technique with your hand tool to maintain airflow.
It's funny stuff when you wet it, and can dry a bit stiff but is fine after it's back in use and been vacced a couple of times. I'm more comfortable blow drying and setting the pile myself, I'd be reluctant to walk away from these wet.
One word of warning. If the wear areas look very dark, it may well be the backing showing through and not dirt. You really need a cheap little microscope to confirm this, and if so make it clear that you can't fix it.
I'd start carefully on a test area, dry it and set the pile before cracking on with the rest. Have fun :)
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I cleaned one today, pre sprayed fab restorer onto it brushed in hwe 300psi, it was a bad one but I turbo dried it and it felt dry before I left.
Shaun
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While I agree with the two previous posts about HWE for this type of fabric and I've used this method often I have to say that I get better and quicker results using a chrystalising foam which is also easier to use.
With HWE I found the fabric needed brushing to set the pile and it took a lot longer to dry.
Using the dry foam method I originally used the Von Schrader but found it was quicker and more thorough when using a bonnet mitt, soaked in a " good " foam and wrung out as you would do with a Texatherm bonnet
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Robert I think you my be right as I applied the pre spray and brushed it in the fabric looked instantly better, how long does it take to clean a 3pc suite, I appreciate times may vary (wait for the nuclear fall out though from your answer)
Shaun
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Always the way Shaun..................I have three which are done at least once per year and following a 10 minute vacuum they are completed in just over an hour and a half.
I should perhaps add.................
When I work. I work very methodically and don't stop 'till the job's done and in spite of my advanced state of decay probably work more energetically than many of the young bucks on here.
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thank you all for your advices and kind respond
whats HWE??
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Hot Water Extraction.
And also dont put any kind of solvent on it, the micro fibres are glued to the backing and the solvent breaks down the glue on the fibres and hey presto you have a bald patch!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Murky
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It's the most common and generally accepted as the most thorough method of EXTRACTING soiling from carpets and most upholstery using HOT WATER............Get it /
Now, what concerns me a bit..................if you don't know what HWE is I really think you should get on a course PDQ preferably before attempting something that could be costly
To yourself
Owners of the items
The c/c industry
Not being hard, just being honest.
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Next question.... whats PDQ ;)
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I had pre empted that one Joe, but I think everyone knows and it's not c/c related.
Are you finding the Prowler dealing with everything you chuck at ?