Unlike carpet cleaning, the care of upholstery can be tricky at the best of times and scary at the worst. Many carpet cleaning companies will not clean upholstery unless it is of a man made fibre which has zero risk of colour bleed or pile damage. Others won't take the risk at all and decide to stay away from upholstery altogether!




How To Clean Upholstery The Safe Way - For Professional Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Companies

Unlike carpet cleaning, the care of upholstery can be tricky at the best of times and scary at the worst. Many carpet cleaning companies will not clean upholstery unless it is of a man made fibre which has zero risk of colour bleed or pile damage. Others won't take the risk at all and decide to stay away from upholstery altogether!

However, if a few key factors are observed the cleaning of upholstery can be a simple and enjoyable task.

The first thing to remember is never to rely on the care label for advice. It is very common for upholstery to be mis-labelled with incorrect cleaning advice. Remember that upholstery retailers and manufacturers are not cleaning professionals!

There are very few fabrics which are not wet-cleanable but the main ones you are likely to come across are cotton velvet and silk.
All that is required to assess whether the fabric is wet-cleanable is to test an area and look for pile damage or colour bleed. Acrylic piles can be mistaken for cotton velvet however if the pile doesn't 'crush' or have the 'wet rat' look when tested, then it is ok to wet clean.
Flat weave cotton is perfectly ok to wet clean however it must be tested for colour bleed as the dyes are not always stable. Dyes which bleed may be stabilized with an acid rinse prior to extraction.

Now assuming the upholstery has been tested and is deemed suitable for wet cleaning, the first course of action is always to thoroughly vacuum the fabric. This will remove loose soil which is essential prior to cleaning.

Next, spray the upholstery with a dry solvent and rub it down carefully. This will help to dry of excess water after extraction and also remove any greasy soil.

Now use a good quality mild alkaline fabric cleaner and either rub over the fabric after spraying on or brush into the fabric if it is not delicate.

Leave to dwell for a few minutes and extract with a neutral rinse or just water. Be sure to use extra dry passes after spraying.

Lastly, spray finely with Dry solvent again. This will assist further in the evaporation of excess water.

Be sure to use air movers to further aid in the speedy drying of the upholstery.

When cleaning upholstery, most problems will usually arise due to over wetting and slow drying. It is extremely important to take measures which will ensure the sofa or chair being cleaned can dry as quickly as possible.

For more information on professional upholstery cleaning or if you require upholstery cleaning in London please visit http://www.ethoscarpetcare.com

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