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When Bad Things Happen To Good Cushions

I received a series of emails and calls this week from two different fine fabric specialists about gross contamination of cushions on upholstery.  Specifically vomit and urine.

In each case, a guest in the home was the source of the “contamination”.  The major difference in each was not the contaminant, but the type of fiber in the fabric, the value of the furnishing to the customer, and the risk the cleaners were taking.

In each case a high volume of body discharge saturated into the cushion foam, requiring the recommendation that the cushion foam be replaced. It’s the easiest way to solve that part of the problem, more healthful, and the likelihood of success is the best.

However, that leaves the dilemma of how to treat the saturated upholstery fabric which retained absorbed quantities of the discharges without causing fabric damage.

For step by step procedures, read more…
http://www.ecleanadvisor.com/public/906.cfm

Article source: http://www.jimscleanchat.com/when-bad-things-happen-to-good-cushions/

You Gotta Love This!

Lately I’ve been talking to cleaners in my age group (mid 50’s) who are looking beyond the time in their life when they are willing (and able) to push a wand in homes and commercial establishments. Most cleaners in my age group who aren’t prepared to hire young men to do this work, and are either unwilling or unable to sell their business as it is are now contemplating how to move into this next stage of their life.

Many of these men have thought that setting up a “rug and fine fabric cleaning” shop would be a sensible and more importantly a rewarding way to move into a business model that is both profitable and that the work is self paced.

If you are contemplating this sort of long term move, you should consider this:

I have often heard Lisa Wagner, a recognized rug cleaning expert (and my Textile Pro training partner), say that to be successful at rug cleaning, you have to love rugs.

I’ve been pondering her view of “loving rugs”, and what it means:

In Lisa’s view, you can’t look at rug cleaning as a high product “dollars per hour” enterprise, such as you might with wall to wall carpet cleaning. Instead, to take the time to do detail oriented stain removal, fringe cleaning, texture restoration, etc, you need to enjoy restoring what is, in many ways, a work of art.

In my experience with fine fabric upholstery and leather, I think that same level of attention to detail for the love of restoring something beautiful is just as important, even if the item itself is not an individual work of art, like handmade rugs are.

For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to put all three items together under the category of “fine interior décor”.

Owner/operators who have long taken pride in doing their best at their craft in stain removal, odor removal, and cleaning of wall to wall carpet should find that becoming a “Fine Interior Décor” restoration expert – even more rewarding in this next phase of their business life.

If you have that combination of true enjoyment in being a “cleaning craftsman”, as well as the need to create a service business that suits the needed lifestyle changes age brings upon you, you just might consider opening a small, in plant cleaning service for rugs, fine fabrics, leather, and other “Fine Interior Décor” assets.

For more information about how you might create such a business model for yourself, go to…
http://tinyurl.com/texpro

Article source: http://www.jimscleanchat.com/you-gotta-love-this/

Protector Sales Declining?

In my conversations with cleaners, and my observations of current trends of protector sales and purchases, its become clear to me that the sales of protector after carpet and upholstery cleaning continue to decline.

Some industry persons point to current economic conditions, but based on what I’ve observed, I believe its much deeper than this.

Consider the events of the past decade. Could it be . . .

Health Issues?
* A “warning letter” is sent to consumers nationwide from a labor group that had a conflict with a major protector manufacturer. Regardless of the motive, it put fear and doubt into the consumers’ minds about protector safety. It also created fear and doubt in the minds of many cleaners!

Lack of Clarity From Carpet Industry?
* Carpet manufacturers state that carpet protector is no longer necessary on carpets made from their new fiber technology, and/or that they incorporate new protector technology at the manufacturing level.

Inferences were made in print, and said verbally by uninformed carpet salespeople that the application of protector might even void a carpet warranty. This obviously impacted consumer purchases of protector, and also frightened cleaners into not offering protector at all; since trying to determine what type of carpet anyone owns is nearly impossible without exhaustive research and availability of documentation.

Cable Advertorials, Pitchmen Super Guarantees?
* The prevalence of consumer owned carpet cleaning machines and spotting machines have lessened the fear of spills and soiling between professional cleaning.

Changing Marketplace?
*The higher percentage of hard surfaces in homes, thus limiting the amount of available carpet that can have protector applied.

While many of the upscale consumers are experiencing real or imagined financial pressures, I won’t accept the “bad economy factor” as a major contributor to this trend because of increasing sales of hard surface cleaning services, rug cleaning services, and deodorization and decontamination services.

These are, of course, simply my observations and opinions gathered from my experience and perspective. I would appreciate feedback from those who read this regarding your observation of trends in your market area.

Please feel free to email me with the form below:

Article source: http://www.jimscleanchat.com/protector-sales-declining/

When Dark Colored Fabrics “Water Mark”

Most articles about water marks (“water stains” “rings”) discuss how sizing that is dissolved by spills or spotting creates stains in the form of a ring that can be challenging to remove.  Most water stains of this type encountered by cleaners are seen on white and light colored fabric.

When water marks occur on dark colored fabrics, however, the cause may be different…

For complete article, please visit…
http://www.ecleanadvisor.com/public/901.cfm

Article source: http://www.jimscleanchat.com/when-dark-colored-fabrics-water-mark/

Deodorizing, FAQs, Fine Fabric Care, Odor Control, Spotting | Jim Pemberton | January 20, 2012 3:24 pm

Article source: http://www.jimscleanchat.com/urine-treatment-on-fine-fabrics-what-defines-success/

Not All Upholstery Is Worth Cleaning!

(Don’t Waste Time and Money on Cheap Furniture)

I recently had a discussion with a lady who was preparing to have a sofa reupholstered.  The old fabric was worn and faded, and surely not worth having cleaned.

But neither did the lady want to replace the sofa.  She rightly noted that the furniture itself was solid and well made, and only needed new fabric.   She so loved this piece of furniture that she intended to keep it for a lifetime.   She also felt, based on some shopping she had done, that she could never find another sofa so well made.

She is going to spend much more to reupholster this fabric today than the piece of furniture cost her when she originally purchased it!

Conversely, I also recently noted sofas for sale for only a few hundred dollars.

Such furniture might not last more than a few years before falling apart.  But many consumers who are price oriented and who do not think ahead when they buy are filling their homes with furnishings that cannot be described as anything other than cheap.

What does this mean to you, the “Fine Fabric Care Specialist“?

Customers who will pay a fair price for taking care of their carpet may NOT see the same value in your upholstery cleaning service!

The investment of time, products, and skill in cleaning upholstery fabrics is such that some cleaners struggle with the fact that they can’t seem to get paid enough to make upholstery cleaning as profitable as carpet cleaning.  Its easy to say that you should just “raise your prices”, but if you do so without recognizing that some furniture can be replaced for not much more than you might have to charge to clean it, you will likely become frustrated with your prospects objections to your pricing.

You need to find customers such as the lady that I know who is having her furniture reupholstered.   People who see their home furnishings as a long term investment, and who are more concerned with décor than function are very often your best prospects for “fine fabric care services”, as well as related carpet, rug, and hard surface care in their homes.

When you seek to establish your pricing for “fine fabric care”, bear in mind what your service is worth, and what profit you deserve.   That price will be one that will be very well received by the type of customer who values their belongings, and wants to preserve their investments for years to come.

Lisa Wagner and I have developed a serious training program for those who want to become specialists in rug and fine fabric care.This is not the typical sit in a classroom and get “powerpointed” to death course. It’s limited to those who want to be the best in the craft in their region.We are currently finalizing the companies we will work with in 2012, so if you are interested in more details, please fill out the form below and we will email you more info.

Article source: http://www.jimscleanchat.com/not-all-upholstery-is-worth-cleaning/

Avoid these Four Expensive Mistakes with Upholstery Fabric Protector

While most information shared in our industry about protector has been about carpet, it is important to note that upholstery fabrics are far more likely that carpet to be permanently stained by spills.

Its therefore arguably more important to apply protector to upholstery than it is to carpet.

With that said, its important to know that there are risks in applying protector to upholstery, especially fine fabrics made from natural fibers and blends, (that most cleaners fail to think about).

1. Overwetting: Every skilled upholstery cleaner knows that the control of moisture during cleaning, and the removal of it afterward with extraction and drying fans is critical. Overwetting and slow drying can cause problems (and damage claims), such as bleeding, browning, water marks, shrinkage, and odor
   problems.

   The application of a water based protector could leave just enough extra moisture to contribute to these problems. If you choose to apply such a protector, be cautious when the fabric you wish to apply it to is susceptible to any of the above problems from slow drying.

2. Texture Changes: Water based protectors may cause stiffening of soft textures, such as chenille or velvet. The harsh hand may be corrected by brushing the fabric after it dries, but even brushing will not restore a texture change in velvet or chenille made from rayon, silk, or acetate.
3. Damage from Solvent Based Protector:Many cleaners avoid the problems listed above by using solvent based protectors. While most of these problems will not occur when solvent based products are applied, it is important to note that some laminated microfiber fabrics can experience delamination from solvent based protectors, and a few print fabrics may bleed when exposed to solvents, whether in cleaning or after the application of a solvent based protector.

   Careful inspection of fabrics before you apply protector will help you to avoid this problem.

4. Color Change and Texture Changes on New Fabrics:Furniture stores no longer promote the application of fabric protector as aggressively as they once did, so you might be asked to apply protector by your customer on their new fabrics. This is usually a very safe procedure, and one that can be good for you and your customer.

   However, it is possible that the application of protector on new upholstery will leave a color or texture change that would not be easily noticed on older, freshly cleaned fabric. Solvent based protectors may slightly darken fabrics, and water based protectors can often cause texture change. Due to the fact that the furniture is new, your customer is more likely to notice the most subtle changes.

   Even though these warnings might seem to be something that limits an otherwise easy sales process, its important to warn your customer that protector application may cause color or texture changes that they would not have noticed had the protector been applied at the store.

   Protector remains a VERY valuable service for your customers. Preventing unsightly stains that even the best skilled cleaner cannot remove is likely more important to your customers than some of the above listed issues.

   Nevertheless, you must protect yourself as well as your company’s bottom line by understanding the products you apply, following safe and sensible procedures, and giving your customer fair warning of risks that might be involved in having protector applied.

Lisa Wagner and I have developed a serious training program for those who want to become specialists in rug and fine fabric care.This is not the typical sit in a classroom and get “powerpointed” to death course. It’s limited to those who want to be the best in the craft in their region.

We are currently finalizing the companies we will work with in 2012, so if you are interested in more details, please fill out the form below and we will email you more info.

Article source: http://www.jimscleanchat.com/avoid-these-four-expensive-mistakes-with-upholstery-fabric-protector/

Microfiber Fabric is NOT Bullet Proof!

Microfiber fabrics are usually safe and relatively easy to clean if you know how to remove oily residues from polyester fibers.

However, as with so many “good things” that become popular with consumers, fabric manufacturers seem to find ways to make things cheaper and less serviceable.

Translated into “Western Pennsylvania Vernacular” — They are making “Junk”!

Over the past few years, more and more microfiber fabrics are being laminated onto other fabrics. The problem with laminated fabrics is that normal use causes a breakdown of the adhesive that holds the fabrics together, and delamination results.

Carpet cleaners are familiar with the condition in carpet, but rarely inspect for it in upholstery fabrics. Now it is an absolute MUST that you do such inspections. What might appear to be a very small problem that appears like a few wrinkles or bubbles on a top arm or cushion will spread and look much worse after an extraction tool pulls the already delaminated fabric away from the base fabric, as you can see in this picture.

Once this condition is revealed, there is nothing you can do to correct it.

Always be sure to do a thorough inspection of any fabric you clean, even supposedly “easy and safe ones” like microfibers. Any small delamination must not just be noted, but the customer must be warned that the problem can look MUCH worse after cleaning.

P.S. If you’re not aware already, Lisa Wagner and I have developed a serious training program for those who want to become specialists in rug and fine fabric care.It’s not the typical sit in a classroom and get powerpointed to death course. It’s limited to those who want to be the best in the craft in their region.

We have just begun choosing the companies we will work with in 2012, so if any of my CleanTip readers are interested in more details, please send an email to: textilepros@gmail.com

Type the copy “more information” in the subject line. Have a wonderful holiday, and perhaps we will be working together in the new year.

Article source: http://www.jimscleanchat.com/microfiber-fabric-is-not-bullet-proof/