Fire retardant filling?

[Hack Attack]

Other than trying to burn is there a way to tell if there is a retardant?
If you try to burn other than being slightly slower is there an odour etc that is a giveaway?
Got asked to clean this linen chair, going there next week to do carpets..

@Jim Pemberton or anyone else who knows?

 

[SamIam]

Following

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Flame retardant should always be on ticking. The color problem comes from water soluble flame retardant.
A visual inspection will often reveal discoloration in the ticking, and sometimes on the fabric. With dyed fabrics, you'll begin to see a pink cast to the fabric. With undyed fabric, the staining will appear as small brown spots first, then like browning when it gets worse.

You can do a pH test. Readings under 6 are a warning sign.

 

[Hack Attack]

Thanks for the clarification, I always thought the retardant was on the feathers or fill

 

[SamIam]

Flame retardant should always be on ticking. The color problem comes from water soluble flame retardant.
A visual inspection will often reveal discoloration in the ticking, and sometimes on the fabric. With dyed fabrics, you'll begin to see a pink cast to the fabric. With undyed fabric, the staining will appear as small brown spots first, then like browning when it gets worse.

You can do a pH test. Readings under 6 are a warning sign.

Jim I’ve seen you use a strong ammonia to remove some of the stains created by this on some fabrics?

If one were to use a pre spray with ammonia would that help keep it in check?

Or as long as your cleaning procedure minimizes wetting the ticking the whole goal?

 

[SamIam]

These were ticking time bombs

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Jim I’ve seen you use a strong ammonia to remove some of the stains created by this on some fabrics



If one were to use a pre spray with ammonia would that help keep it in check?

Or as long as your cleaning procedure minimizes wetting the ticking the whole goal?

The damage already exists in the fabric. It's like benzoyl peroxide in acne medications that show up after you clean.

Minimizing moisture helps, but the main thing to do is strongly prequalify any cleaning you do on down filled fabrics and take zero responsibility for the result. Few down filled fabrics do this, but when they do, they can be hard to impossible to fix.

Staying alkaline might help a little, but then you are taking on risks of bleeding and browning. It's a tough place to be, so keep it your customer's problem.

 

[SamIam]

The damage already exists in the fabric. It's like benzoyl peroxide in acne medications that show up after you clean.

Minimizing moisture helps, but the main thing to do is strongly prequalify any cleaning you do on down filled fabrics and take zero responsibility for the result. Few down filled fabrics do this, but when they do, they can be hard to impossible to fix.

Staying alkaline might help a little, but then you are taking on risks of bleeding and browning. It's a tough place to be, so keep it your customer's problem.

I mostly do 90% synthetics

And a lady caught me cleaning today the worst microfiber ever!

Sometime these are so easy other times it take a lot of work!

My guess and I’m not sure is it looks like build up from soaps or do it your self cleaners, and that’s more time consuming breaking through that stuff!

 

[SamIam]

Ps I’ll hit this with a cobbs upholstery pre spray and a splash of brightner,
Rinse with last step

But then I have a citrus degreaser I spray and sometimes rub a little fels.

Then rinse rinse rinse dry stroke dry stroke dry stroke!

 

[Josh Almanza]

In my experience with flame retardants on the ticking, especially on linens, the cushion fabric is revealing black markings as it dries. Almost, as if black mold was beginning to form. Later found out the black markings were from the flame retardant present on the down filled that moisture released. Cleaned the lady’s couch for free that day. Now I open up the zipper test the ticking anything under ph of 5...I decline.