Questionable Upholstery - Did I make the right call or did I chicken out?

[D Luke]

Got to the last job of the day and saw an extremely long (5 seats all in a row) sofa. Looked custom, expensive, etc. Burn test confirmed 100% natural fiber.

At this point I know I'm going to politely decline so no color fastness test was performed.

I can honestly say that neither the end of day fatigue factor or PITA factor played a part in my decision.

Though I declined the cleaning, I did end up giving it a truckmount vac for next to nothing since her main concern was pet hair/dander.

I also jumped at the chance to clean some other synthetic upholstery along with one of the coolest pillows I've ever seen.

So...did I make the right call, or am I total wimp?

 

[Mikey P]

Cotton print.


as long as you wet it out evenly and use UPHOLSTERY CLEANING products they're a piece of cake.


but like any 100% cotton, I always start with my "How many blouses or your hubby's Tees have you thrown away in your lifetime because you could get that one stubborn stain out?", line so that they understand that stains, happen.

 

[D Luke]

Cotton print.


as long as you wet it out evenly and use UPHOLSTERY CLEANING products they're a piece of cake.


but like any 100% cotton, I always start with my "How many blouses or your hubby's Tees have you thrown away in your lifetime because you could get that one stubborn stain out?" line so that they understand that stains, happen.

I'm certainly no upholstery cleaning craftsman (though I've probably cleaned a couple thousand pieces). One thing I always hear with cotton is "wet and dry (quickly) evenly and you will rarely have problems.

That sounds awesome until you make a cleaning pass on a piece of cotton upholstery and the damn thing just will not wet out evenly no matter what you try. End up soaking and over saturating just to get the whole thing wet. What do the gurus have to say about that?

 

[ruff]

Should not have been a problem with the right cleaning products and the technique as you already have a good tool.
If in doubt and as you're already cleaning there, you could have tested the zipper side of the cushion for potential issues (like browning, though not likely.)
As always, also dependent on piece's condition versus client expectations.
Skirt likely to be a curler. Low moisture, write as a pre-condition.

All you need is to put a few under your belt to build up your confidence and price to make it worth your while.

The uneven wetting many times happens due to uneven teflon application. Can be broken sometime with pre-spray and agitation. Or just clean and see if there's a difference in final look.

Yes, toweling (both to remove some moisture and to even it out) is important, as well as fast drying and not over wetting. This kind of upholstery cleaning will always take you a little out of your comfort zone. Still does to me.

 

[Mikey P]

oh good gawd Ofer dont complicate this stuff.

I could clean that thing with my 360i, some Saiger Sauce and one hand occupied with a dripping falafel.

 

[T Monahan]

Cotton print.


as long as you wet it out evenly and use UPHOLSTERY CLEANING products they're a piece of cake.


but like any 100% cotton, I always start with my "How many blouses or your hubby's Tees have you thrown away in your lifetime because you could get that one stubborn stain out?" line so that they understand that stains, happen.

STA IN = stain

This piece is everyday cleaning around here where I live. We use a controlled low moisture cleaning tool. It should make easy work out of this job.

 

[ruff]

Let it be unequivocally known that I do not, repeat NOT, clean with a dripping falafel.

Yep, clean it with Saiger's sauce, Derek, and the piece will be yours. Some have furnished their entire home like that. Hell, you could have scored worse.

 

[hogjowl]

I'm not reading any responses but Pembertons.

 

[Willy P]

 

[Bob Pruitt]

If in doubt and as you're already cleaning there, you could have tested the zipper side of the cushion

Always smart to test when unsure. get a spot wet, put your cleaning product on a white towel and then against the fabric zipper side of pillow and go do something else for awhile... like the other upholstery you were sure of already. Then check the towel for color transfer and check how the wet spot dried... use a blower of hair dryer. The edge of the pillows have a little rope in there... that if they get soaked ...not easy to do with that tool and that's good, might get very tight and cause a problem. I pinch and twist the edge as I go...sort of stretch it a small amount.
The great part of testing like this is it will give you confidence for the next one you see. You will be able to confidently tell your customer of course you can clean it or confidently tell the customer that your cleaning method would be wrong for this piece of upholstery.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Easy cheesy. Prochem's Fine Fabric Precondition spray applied, light brush in soiled areas with horsey hair brush. Rinse with Prochem's All Fiber Rinse to neutralize and stabilize the cotton, limiting any chance of browning.

Put an airmover on it while you clean the carpet.

 

[Cleanworks]

oh good gawd Ofer dont complicate this stuff.

I could clean that thing with my 360i, some Saiger Sauce and one hand occupied with a dripping falafel.

Yeah, we've seen some of your work, drips from the falafel probably.

 

[Cleanworks]

Easy cheesy. Prochem's Fine Fabric Precondition spray applied, light brush in soiled areas with horsey hair brush. Rinse with Prochem's All Fiber Rinse to neutralize and stabilize the cotton, limiting any chance of browning.

Put an airmover on it while you clean the carpet.

what I was going to say.

 

[dealtimeman]

Now I want a falafel.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'd like a dirt bike if you're taking orders.

 

[dealtimeman]

Yum falafel yum. Now I wan a gyro too.

 

[Desk Jockey]

You hungry?

How about an ice cream samich?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Let it be unequivocally known that I do not, repeat NOT, clean with a dripping falafel.

Yep, clean it with Saiger's sauce, Derek, and the piece will be yours. Some have furnished their entire home like that. Hell, you could have scored worse.

It's never wrong to decline.

 

[dealtimeman]

I agree

 

[Willy P]

I'd like a dirt bike if you're taking orders.

How about a Huffy instead?

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have to fix my pedal, its falling off.

 

[ruff]

Get a grip Willy!
He's huffy enough as it is.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

You have gotten a lot of good advice thus far on this.

Working in reverse:

If you weren't confident, as Lee Stockwell said, there is nothing wrong with turning it down. When I was a child, my father had our place furnished in "early screw up".

That said, cotton prints are usually very colorfast, due to how the dye is applied, and the need for it to strike quickly. If you use products within a safe pH range, I have only VERY rarely seen color bleeding on a print. I have, though, seen color loss occur on very heavily soiled pieces. Oily and salt laden body soils as well as abrasion tend to break down the colors, and those areas where the pattern itself is obscured by the dirt may look lighter when you're done.

Handle that part by talking to the people about the realities that occur when things get that dirty. Mikey's comment is a good example that they can understand. You can tie that one together with how the print on an old, worn t shirt looks like over time.

With that understood, that is one of the easier, and less risky, natural fiber pieces to clean.

A good way to build some confidence would be to pick up cushions from an upholsterer from pieces they are recovering, and get some practice with the methods that were recommended here.

Never hesitate to call me if you want a little help with a job like that one:

800-342-2297, extension 107

Or email me: jimscleanchat@gmail.com

Mikeysboard members get put to the front of the line.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

Mikeysboard members get put to the front of the line.

Happy Birthday Jim Pemberton! We appreciate all you do to help us poor Carpet Cleaning Hacks!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Birthday? Happy Birthday Jim!!!

 

[Goomer]

but like any 100% cotton, I always start with my "How many blouses or your hubby's Tees have you thrown away in your lifetime because you could get that one stubborn stain out?", line so that they understand that stains, happen.

I love my white cotton t-shirt analogy.

I use it most when discussing wool rugs to address the unforgiving characteristics of porous absorbent natural fibers in general, especially when bleach is not an option.

Simple enough that any dumbass can relate to it.

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Ideal sofa for Von Shrader dry foam.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I love my white cotton t-shirt analogy.

I use it most when discussing wool rugs to address the unforgiving characteristics of porous absorbent natural fibers in general, especially when bleach is not an option.

Simple enough that any dumbass can relate to it.

I don't get it. But then I not just any dumbass...I'm Mighty.

Shut up Frank, I get it! Damn fooker can't take a joke.

So as a porty user must you not only give up your soul but your sense of humor also?

 

[Mark Saiger]

Had one this week... All white blend...

Probably would have been ok but the husband has difficult time understanding that certain things in risk of cleaning can occur, so they did make the decision to wait...

And they are moving out to @Mikey P Santa Cruz area... So passed them Mikey's business name out there

The couches are being shipped too

But we are taking care of the rest of their "High end" Berber carpet in the home for the new homeowners after their move out....

 

[Cleanworks]

I think it is always to walk away if you are not 100% sure you can do it. I used to work for a department store cleaning company, as a subcontractor and they would send me on all the upholstery jobs the guys had screwed up. We used to have a lot of Haitian and other raw cottons that they would brown out, or jacquard weaves that had bled. The general mgr used to send me to correct the problems and if that failed, he would refund the bill and give them a $100 to boot. It would have been cheaper to have several trained techs who know what they are doing and have all the guys refer them but of course they are all on commission and don't want to turn anything down. Worth your while to take some upholstery cleaning courses and practice on difficult fabrics. We usually charge double on water sensitive fabrics or bleeders.