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Before we undertake any cleaning of your
upholstery, part of our no obligation fee quote comprises of a thorough pre inspection of it as all fabrics and fibres are
different and can only be cleaned a certain way. The equipment used to clean upholstery is state of the art and leaves the upholstery clean fresh
and dry in a just a few hours.
Patented Air Induction Tools
CFR’s patented air induction tools atomize high velocity solution at 200-1000
p.s.i. to "scrub" each individual fiber and simultaneously recover this solution to prevent over wetting. They clean
carpeting, upholstery and even fabric partitions better than conventional extractors?and they are more efficient than foamers
or pressure washers on ceramic and other hard surfaces. The unique tool design provides total solution control with the CFR
Continuous Flow Recycling cleaning system.
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Pro 500/750 is especially designed for superior carpet and hard surface restoration,
as well as general maintenance. The system also tackles upholstery, modular office panels, fabric-covered walls, and hard
surfaces such as grouted tile, marble, and vinyl wall coverings. The Pro is the highest performance system available for the
residential, commercial and industrial cleaning.
The unique plunger pump and motor system will allow the Pro 500/750
to produce 1.35 to 1.5 GPM at up to 500/750 p.s.i. of deep cleaning power as far away as 70 feet from the unit. CFR’s
solution control technology enables the user to clean all types of fabrics without the worry of over wetting. The Pro 500/750’s
vacuum system offers 150"/135" of water lift. This superior solution control cuts dry time to as little as 1-2 hours.
1. Pre-Inspection:
Pre-inspection is by far the most important step
in cleaning upholstery. Examine the upholstery piece extensively and document all pre-existing conditions. Inspect for previous
damage and possible problems. Look for loose buttons, tears, holes, loose legs, mould, etc. Questions to ask the customer: a.
How old
is this piece of furniture? b. Has this piece been professionally cleaned before? c.
Have you
spotted or cleaned the piece yourself? d. What is this material primarily made of? e.
Has this
piece ever been reupholstered? Inspection
determinations:
f. Note overall soiling condition. g. Check headrest and arms for oil.
h. Look for yellowing due to age. i.
Check
for loose buttons. j. Check skirt or flounce and corners for shoe polish and scuff
marks, as well as for shrinkage and the possibility of fabric detached from the frame. k.
Check
the back for dust or dirt from air vents. l. Check for frayed areas, especially at corners and on arms.
m. Inspect cushions for spots, stains and frayed piping or thin material from wear. n. Unzip
cushions and check stuffing material and underside of face material (possible bleeding). Also check for ink or magic marker
which could bleed through. Check for "filler fibers" that might bleed to the surface. o.
Confirm
the sturdiness of all furniture legs. p. Proceed with testing for color fastness of the material and underlining.
q. Prepare a written review that the customer can acknowledge as to its condition before
cleaning. Be certain that any pre-existing problems or defects are also noted on your invoice. r.
Check
for a cleaning code tag to give you an idea of the materials of construction and proper cleaning method. Unfortunately, the
manufacturers are not required to reveal the type of face fabric used, only the filling material. Many manufacturers will
tag furniture as solvent-clean-only when it can be wet-cleaned if done carefully. In fact, over 80% of all upholstery can
be wet cleaned if proper procedures are followed. Cleaning codes: o
Code
S and Code D:
Dry cleaning by a professional furniture service is recommended.
Use a mild, water free dry cleaning solvent.
CAUTION: Use of water-based or detergent-based cleaners may cause excessive shrinkage. Water stains may become permanent and
unable to be removed with solvent cleaning agents. To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove
dust and grime is suggested. o Code F:
Foam clean. o Code W:
Clean this fabric with water-based cleaning
agents or water-based foam to remove overall soil. Many household cleaning agents are harmful to the colour and life of the
fabric. o Code SW (W/S):
Clean this fabric with water-based cleaning agents, foam, or pure solvents. Professional
dry cleaning is recommended. To prevent overall soil, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is suggested.
o Code
X:
Clean
this fabric only by vacuuming or light brushing to prevent accumulation of dust or grime. Water-based foam or solvent-based
cleaning agents of any kind may cause excessive shrinking or fading. 2. Identify Fibers: o
Identifying
fibres’ is extremely challenging, but is sometimes necessary. o Cut a small piece of material from
under the skirt or the inside seam allowance inside of a cushion. o Hold this sample over a fireproof
surface, and ignite it with a cigarette lighter, not a match. o Make note of the odour - wool and
silk smell like burned hair and cotton smells and looks like burned paper. o Examine the ash. o
Synthetic
fibres will look melted, natural fibres’ will look charred. If cotton is present, there may be an "afterglow".
o Synthetic
fibres such as nylon and olefin will melt leaving a hard bead that you can’t crush between your fingers. o
Natural
fibres will crumble to a soft ash. Blends will, of course, exhibit both types of ash. o
More complex
tests with solubilises in various chemicals as well as microscopic examination will yield more information. o
ASCR,
now called Restoration Industry Association,has an upholstery identification class which is excellent. 3.
Pre-Test: o
Pre-test
everything before you clean it! Always pre-test the appropriate agents at proper use dilution. Allow adequate dwell and drying
time to best realize the final result. After pre-testing, choose the proper cleaning agents and cleaning method. o
First,
moisten a white towel with your hot cleaning solution and spray onto it some of your diluted pre-spray. On an inconspicuous
area, such as a skirt on the back, lightly rub the towel on the fabric and look for dye transfer. Wait at least 5 minutes
and retest. If the piece did not bleed, you can probably safely clean with it. o However, if you did observe some
dye transfer, retest with diluted lower ph solution in the same manner. With its lower pH, dye bleeding
is much less likely. o If dye transfer was evident, test with Chemspec’s Haitian Cotton Upholstery Cleaner).
o If
dye transfer still occurs, you can only dry clean this piece! o Of course, if your pre-inspection
indicated that this is Haitian Cotton, Osnaburg, or white cotton, you should use only a natural fibre cleaner or
Chemspec’s Powder Haitian Cotton Upholstery Cleaner or wet-dry-wet clean. o If pre-inspection indicates that this is a material that should only be
dry cleaned or wet-dry-wet cleaned, proceed accordingly. 4. Use Furniture Pad: o
The furniture
pad prevents overspray from getting onto the carpet or wood floor. o Move the furniture piece onto one
or more furniture pads. o NOTE:
To avoid damaging the carpet (especially olefin) or creating furniture stains on the floor, ALWAYS use
care to move any furniture! o To save your back, use the Lift Buddy™ to raise the furniture piece up while sliding the blocks or tabs under the legs. o
The appropriate
cleaning process is determined directly by the results of the pre-testing process. o Once complete and the cleaning system
is chosen, begin by vacuuming. Vacuum the shelf and the crevices and remove all debris 5.
Precondition: o
Do not
remove zippered cushion covers for cleaning – if excessive shrinkage occurs, backing compounds may be damaged. o
If pre-inspection
indicated that the piece can be safely wet-cleaned with your standard cleaning solutions, overspray entire piece with prespay
Wipe all overspray off the wood surfaces. o If pre-testing indicated that a milder prespray is needed, use Chemspec’s
Heavy Duty Soil Lifter, which is a neutral pH co-solvent prespray. It is used full strength before dry cleaning or diluted before wet cleaning.
o Another
neutral pH pre-conditioner is Chemspec’s dual-enzyme PreKleen for Upholstery. This neutral pH enzymatic pre-conditioner is unsurpassable at breaking up food spills and other protein-based soils on wet
cleanable fabrics. o Use a terry towel or the Upholstery Brush to mildly agitate the heavily soiled areas, especially on the arms. Avoid excessive agitation as pile removal, pile distortion,
or matting can occur. 6. Clean: o The detergent solution to be used
depends upon your pre-testing conducted earlier. o Take cleaning strokes in only one direction, taking
as many as necessary but always use extra vacuum strokes to shorten drying time and reduce the possibility of browning. Clean
the skirts in vertical strokes to help set the pleat. Avoid excessive moisture to avoid shrinkage. o
Use a
dry towel to wipe down the piping area, behind buttons, and in any creases to eliminate trapped moisture and to remove surface soil.
Wipe down the entire piece with dry towels to accelerate drying and to remove surface soil. o
Place
slit foil or plastic tabs behind any steel buttons to avoid any rusting problems like this! o Lightly overspray and extract the
cambric fabric on the shelf of the piece to avoid water spotting. o If velvet or microfiber, your cleaning tool may leave cleaning marks, so be sure to groom them out and set the pile before the piece dries. 7. Spotting: o
For any
remaining spots or stains, blot the stain-removal agent and the stain using a fresh towel, but don’t rub; rubbing can
smear the stain. o Once the stain is removed, lift the residual cleaning agent from the fabric by blotting
and rinsing, or drying for solvent-based cleaners. o When spotting, apply a small amount of stain-removal
agent on a damp towel and work it from the stain’s outside edge to its center. Be careful - too much stain-removal agent
may cause overwetting or stain spread. 8. Prevent Browning: o
When wet-cleaning,
it is imperative that you ALWAYS apply a neutralizing agent to the fabric to prevent browning, to stabilize and brighten colours, and to provide a soft hand. Lightly apply Brown Out® diluted 8 ounces per gallon to the
upholstery with a sponge. Instead of Brown Out, you can use Chemspec All Fiber Textile Rinse™ by diluting it and running it through the base unit.
Apply Phase II™ for any odors that need to be controlled. 9. Apply Protector: o
After
you have cleaned, you need to restore the protective finish with Sta-Clene®, DuPont Teflon® Advanced Protector or 3M Scotchguard™ Brand Carpet and Upholstery Protector. Towel off exposed wood areas. 10. Move Furniture Back: o Using E-Z Moves or Bane-Glides, move the furniture pieces back to their original location. o Be sure to set the legs on foam blocks or protective tabs. o To
save your back, use the Lift Buddy™ to raise the furniture piece up while sliding the foam blocks or tabs under the legs. 11. Dry:
o Groom
velvet upholstery or any fabric with a nap using a carding brush. Charge an extra 20% for velvet furniture. o Set cushions on brown paper in a tee-pee fashion away from the furniture
- NOT on the shelf of the chair or sofa! o Tell the customer not to use the furniture until it has completely dried.
o Set
up air movers to speed up drying of the cleaned pieces. Proper drying time is the key to successful Haitian Cotton cleaning. Place air movers so that air is moving across the fabric not into it. LEATHER:Leather is the ordinary designation
of tanned hides and skins.Leather
terms & types of leather: - Split:
All leather hides have to be split into
two hides because a hide is too thick to upholster or use in any type of manufacturing. The bottom hide is known as split
leather. This hide can be sanded down (corrected) and embossed with a consistent graining pattern to be used on the outside
back and sides of sofa for a slight cost savings. A split leather is still 100% leather, and has all the same finishing treatments
as the top grain portion. - Top Grain:
In the above process the top grain portion
is the top portion of the hide. It is generally used in the areas that receive more wear since the fiber of top grain is more
compact than that of split grain. - Full
Grain:
Top grain leather
that uses the grain of the hide. No correction is made to the grain. - Embossed
Grain:
From above,
using rollers a consistent graining pattern is "pressed" into the leather. It can be as subtle a small natural looking
graining pattern, or as different as a crocodile pattern. - Corrected
Grain:
This leather
is top grain aniline dyed leather. Small natural markings and scars are sanded from the hide and then it is pigment coated
for color consistency. Then a clear protective top-coat is applied to prevent fading and stains. - Pull-up:
Aniline - dyed leather that has been waxed or oiled. When the leather is pulled, the oil/wax separates, causing the
color to lighten.
Cleaning
and Care of Pure Anilines and Nu-Buk:You’ll
notice that leather initially repels most spills, but if left to stand, they’ll be absorbed. That’s why it is
important to blot any liquids immediately with a clean cloth or sponge and let air dry. Most spills and stains will dissipate
with time. For stubborn spots and stains, blot excess liquid immediately with clean absorbent sponge or cloth. If you need
more help, use distilled water and a clean white cloth and let air dry. Use soap sparingly and lots of distilled water. Always
test a hidden area to convince yourself of the effectiveness of that method.LEATHER WILL ABSORB OILS. Appropriate preventative care must be taken to
avoid these stains as they may be permanent.Leather
Care and Protection:As
a general rule, most leather creams, saddle soaps, and various leather care products should not be used. They are not intended
for household, upholstered leather.Dry
clean with chemical sponges, and/or towels with solvent. Finish as needed with a cream or oil-based leather cleaner applied
by hand. Suede pile can be lifted with a metal carding brush.Chemspec’s Chemspec Leather Cleaner and Conditioner is a ready-to-use leather-care product which helps replace natural oils that leather loses as it ages. It is safe on most
finished leather, vinyl, and Naugahyde™. Follow label directions.Additionally, Chemspec’s Area Spray - Leather Scent can be used to increase the leather aroma in a room.Simulated Leather (Vinyl/Naugahyde):Nonwoven materials made to look like leather. Should be wet cleaned
only. If solvent is used for spotting, it must be used extremely carefully and must not contain any chlorinated solvents.
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