[John_Flynn]

Hi Guys

Can anybody offer a remedy for the following?

I have recently cleaned a Draylon Suite and the brass hose connector has rested on one of the chair arms, does anybody know of how to get the bruise mark off??

Thanks in anticipation

John Flynn

[Dennis]

Aint that a s*d!
The only remedy I know of is the one I use for tool marks. Being Careful! Get the hottest water you can through your toolhead and make slow passes diagonally across the bruise to reset the pile then wipe over with a terry towel and keep repeating until gone. Finally gently groom with a carding? brush.

Good luck

[Doug Holloway]

John,

Dralon is an acrylic fibre and is thermoplastic.

It will soften with heat and pressure will change its shape  , so it will reflect the light differently.If this has happened its going to be very difficult to get rid of.

Dennis's method sounds worth a try but you may have to put this one down to experience and use cooler water in future,.

Good luck,

Doug

[tony harrison]

John,

We have all had these little accidents in the past. Mine was not noticing that a cushion that I was drying had fallen onto the solution hose. Mind you it has never happened again.

A method that I have used in past is similar to Dennis but instead of hot water the use of a hair drier and a carding brush,

Try to raise the pile in the damaged area with the aid of the drier and whilst it    is still warm set the pile to the surounding area of the fabric with the carding brush.

Best of luck.

Regards Tony

[Derek]

Tony

The hair dryer method sounds a lot safer than hot water.. I would be concerned about making it worse doing it that way.

Derek

[stevegunn]

Had a customer who used a hand held steamer to clean the arms on her dralon suite unfortunately could not rectify the problem the pile was set no amount of trying changed the appearance.Get the cheque book out

[Dynafoam]

John,

I've tried hair driers (and steam) with a velvet boffin brush and towel to rectify cup and dinner-plate rings in the past.

The results have been mixed, but had the damage not been caused by the customers themselves, I doubt if many of my results would have been acceptable.

For the future, insulated QCs are available from several sources - I have seen Mike use them (in a photo), so he might be able to direct you to a northern supplier.

[Mike Halliday]

I bought mine from the USA, but they are not that durable and tend to split in you drop them on concrete. sorry I don't know off a UK supplier

Mike

[tony harrison]

Wraps to fit around QCs can be bought from Hydramaster 01209710335.

Their parts Number is AH10 & AH10b

[Dynafoam]

I bought mine from Ashbys - a bit pricey, but I was there.

[Dave_Lee]

John,
Sorry to hear of your problem. Its a difficult one, and I dont know the answer. Some years ago I was asked by an insurance company to attempt to rectify similar marking on a dralon suite, I used a steam brush, which straightened out the affected pile but still left it set different to the original and now covered a slightly larger area. Personally I would only attempt to rectify with heat as an absolute last resort as the likelyhood of making it worse is probable. If the area concerned ir on a cushion it may be worth trying to apply any heat from the reverse side of the fabric first.
Best of luck.
Dave.

[John_Flynn]

An update of the above problem.

We have  got to the state of Quote by Derek Bolton:-

Guys and Gals

This is not an uncommon story...... The customer, who may well have a legitimate grievance, suddenly sees "NEW SUITE/CARPET" up in lights before their eyes.

Derek

I have spoken with Trading Standards about the situation and told them of my offer which is :-

Remove material from the back of the offending chair and use this to recover the damaged arm, then recover the back of the chair with new material as near match as possible.

Trading Standards reply was that I was offering to do all that was required of me, by putting the chair back to as the near condition it was in before the Mishap.

I did not mention previously that when the job was booked the customer did state to my wife that she only wanted the base of the suite cleaning (Ooooops she washes the cushion covers in the washing machine)  to see them over Christmas as they were having it RECOVERED in the New Year!!! (she even showed me the materials she was cosidering when I did the cleaning job)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!! is someone trying to get their suite recovered at my expence??
 

[gwrightson]

  reading the above replys, it seems the underlying ,potentiol problem is
 the insulation of connecter and solution line .
 would insulating wrap from a plubers merchants suffice , it is both flexible,
 and cheap , it is split along its lengh and would just slip on and off as you wish
  can be cut to any lengh you require ,
 the only down fall i envisage is the temp. it can stand but i am sure it would
 minimise the problem
 Now I know some one is going to shoot me down    so what are tthe other probs associated with this  insulation
   geoff

[Dynafoam]

Some of my solutions:

The one on the left (my own idea) is a six-inch length of plasic tubing, obtaiable just about anywhere where fish-pong accesories are sold. It is simply split for an appropriate length and slid over the male QC till it reaches the female. it slides out of the way whilst connectios are being made, then over both QC's.  It stays in place well enough to protect carpets and laminate flooring, but I would not trust it to stay in place whilst being dragged over upholstery. This piece of hose has been in use for several years, cost = a few pence.

The next two are commercially available. The middle one was the cheaper of the two and features a small rubber sleve. the last  is the most effective as the brass is almost completely sheathed in hard plasic. It is also the most expensive I got this one from Ashbys, but I am sure they must be available elsewhere.

I am sure that John would agree that they are sometimes worth a great deal.

[Derek]

Big Brother

'Fish-Pong is a technical term I am not familar with ...perhaps you could enlighten us? 

Derek

[Dynafoam]

Sorry Little Brother,

Perhaps I have to clean the filter on my pond, the water is getting a little pongy.

I have to make some more conectios first ( You missed that one teacher )

[Dave_Lee]

The real answer is (as John himself would tell you) is not to let the connects get in contact with any manmade fibres. The other answer is to always deal with as honest, fair minded and as equitable a person as you are yourself. Fortunately most of the time we do, but then you go and get the odd one who isnt. I have great simpathy for john, for I have recently been in a similar situation. You are trying to be fair with them but their attitude is that, you are just a worm and Im going to drive you deeper into the ground and get as much as I can possibly get out of you, you deamon, monster, critter, wholly lower person than I, how can you possibly be stating anything credible when I totally disagree with everything you say. Then the realtionship really starts to break down, because you have the gaul to stand up for yourself.
John, I know you will be fair, but dont let the B-------s grind you down.
Dave.

[Derek]

John

I think at this point a 'very polite' letter (however bitter you may feel) setting out your proposals for rectification i.e. using fabric from the rear of settee.

I would also mention that you have been in touch with Trading Standards who find your suggestion a totally reasonable solution.

In this way you have evidence that you have not simply walked away, in fact are seen to be being reasonable in trying to appease the client.

I would hope that in the unlikely event of it going to a tribunal they also would see it that way... the key word here is 'reasonable'

It would seem that your client is NOT being reasonable in this instance

Hope this helps...Good luck

Derek

[John_Flynn]

The CONCLUSION !!!

Customer rang Trading Standards and was told by them that my offer was very reasonable, this they accepted and asked me to quote for cleaning their very large lounge carpet.

I refused to quote for the cleaning of the lounge carpet and told them I would clean it for them for FREE as a gesture og Goodwill.

[Martin S]

John,

You know what they say, in the face of adversity and all that.  It's funny how things turn around.  You may just have a customer for life there.

After all the hassle you had on this one, Most people would probably have told that customer to poke her Lounge Carpet where the Sun don't shine (or at least thought it)

The general public can be very stubborn and awkward at times (aren't we all!!) but you have risen above all that, and remained the consummate professional.

Full credit to you mate.   

Regards.

Martin S