Upholstery Cleaning at ABC

Cleaning Upholstery In Plant vs. In Your Home or Business

ABC offers both on-location and in-plant cleaning of your fine textiles. The location of the cleaning is dependent upon the fabric type, as well as the fiber dye color, the finish, the weave and any pre-existing conditions.

Our general policy is to clean synthetic fibers in your home and clean natural fibers in our plant. However, some synthetic fabrics or weaves need special attention that will require them to be cleaned in our plant as well.

It is simply a fact that most soils that need to be removed from upholstered fabrics require water-based upholstery cleaning solutions.

Delicate fabrics which require dry-cleaning must be cleaned in a more controlled environment (such as ABC's cleaning plant) for a longer period of time.

Some examples are white fabrics and velours and velvets, which should be in our plant so the proper time and attention can be allotted to the cleaning, drying and after-cleaning care. Natural fabrics should be cleaned in our plant for the same reasons.

If we have explained to you that your particular piece of upholstery needs to be cleaned in our plant, we have done so for both your protection and ours.

Major Advances in Cleaning Methods for Upholstery

In the last several decades, cleaning tools and equipment have changed dramatically. Upholstery cleaning equipment is designed to produce high heat and lower water pressure, which helps to clean heavily soiled fabrics more safely and efficiently.

Today, the ability to precondition with neutral or acidic upholstery cleaning products and rinse with clear water, acidic rinse agents or special dye stabilizing agents has combined hot water extraction's (steam cleaning's) effectiveness and residue removal benefits with the safety of the most popular methods in the past--dry foam or dry solvent cleaning.

Stain Protection and Other Topical Treatments After Cleaning?

An application of stain protection after upholstery cleaning will keep your upholstered furnishings cleaner longer. And don't forget to ask about our Dust Mite Treatment.

Cleaning Codes

Cleaning codes are listed on some upholstered items, usually on the decking under the cushions. These codes help identify the type of cleaning process recommended by the manufacturers to be used on the fabrics. (Please note: do not confuse this with the white "do not remove" tag found on many pieces. This tag describes the inside stuffing of the item, not the fabric covering). While the codes serve as a general guideline for cleaning, they may not always be the optimum solution.

Four common codes can be listed by manufacturers which represent cleaning instructions and colorfastness of the dyes:

• "S" code assures that dyes are stable to dry solvent-based spotters or cleaners. These should be cleaned in our plant with a dry-cleaning solvent method.
• "W" code means the dyes are stable to water-based spotters and cleaners. Most of these can be cleaned on location in your home or business.
• "W/S" signifies dyes are stable to water or solvent-based spotters or cleaners. We can sometimes clean these pieces on location.
• "X" code indicates dyes are not stable to either water or solvent-based spotters or cleaners and should only be thoroughly vacuumed on a regular basis.

Our Procedure

Before cleaning any of your upholstered fabrics, we always carefully identify each fabric type, through positive testing, to determine which cleaning method will provide the best cleaning results to you and still be safe.

Your upholstery will go through a thorough investigation for the possibility of 27 specific pre-existing conditions. A complete inspection of your upholstery can reveal the age of an object, upholstery cleaning history, consumer spotting, special problems, regardless of the primary reason for the cleaning.

It is important to check the arms, skirts, cushion shrinkage, pilling, buttons, bleeding, color loss, holes, rips, tears, spots and stains, quilting, zippers, platform, wood trim, hair, oil, foam, subfabric, ink on the fabric, latex, color differences and other hidden and surface areas of the upholstery. The care taken before the cleaning process begins reduces mistakes and losses that could occur otherwise.

Unfortunately, most manufacturers of upholstered furniture give little consideration to the fact the fabric will ever be cleaned. Because of this, we cannot guarantee the results. There can be no guarantee regarding shrinkage, fugitive colors, fabric separation, change in texture, or any resulting unforeseen problems occurring from soil resistant treatments and conditions which cannot be anticipated.

Cushion Caution!

Do not remove the fabric covering from the cushion itself before cleaning at our plant. Cushions and upholstered furnishings should be cleaned with the fabric and foam or other stuffing material intact. This is in order to maintain the original shape and size of the pillows.

Care of Upholstered Furnishings Between Cleanings

Upholstered furnishings can accumulate soil rapidly. Soil buildup is due to oils, dander and soil from contact with human and animal skin and hair. Dander and soil can be removed by vacuuming the furniture regularly. Areas that receive heavy soiling are typically cushions, arm rests, skirtings and headrests. Frequent attention to these areas will reduce the chances of excess soiling.

Spots and spills should be addressed as they occur using only the proper spotting compounds and procedures. Please call our office for information on proper spotting methods for upholstery at 272-1566.

Rotating cushions and utilizing arm covers will prevent premature wear and prolong the fabric's life. A professional cleaning and the application of a stain protector after the cleaning will assure your upholstery will be protected from permanent damage from any accidental spills.

Leather Upholstery Cleaning

Leather furniture has become much more affordable. It has the benefit of durability and long-lasting beauty. Any failure of the leather fabric can usually be attributed to a lack of maintenance or to the use of improper cleaning and conditioning products. It is most crucial to know the type of finish in order to develop a maintenance schedule for your leather upholstery.

Most leather can be categorized into one of three types:

• Suede or Nubuck

  This is regular leather that has been brushed or sanded to create a nap. Nubuck, which comes from a fiber structure that is stronger and of higher density than Suede, is usually the favored selection of most furniture manufacturers.

  General maintenance of either Suede or Nubuck leather would involve brushing with a soft bristle brush, a fine abrasive pad or a nubuck block specially designed to clean suede. Loose fibers and soil can then be vacuumed away.

• Naked or Full Aniline

  The word "Aniline" refers to the coal tar base of the colored dye bath, which is the final production step. No additional finish is applied.

  These leathers will darken dramatically when wet and this is the easiest way for the untrained eye to identify them. Over time, these leathers will develop a "patina". This happens naturally where body oils are absorbed into the leather. This effect should never be corrected by cleaning or restoration, since it will damage or alter the appearance of the leather.

  This type of leather does not have a protective surface coating and is thus an inappropriate choice for high traffic areas, especially in public places. If color can be easily removed from the leather with a damp cloth, this should be considered full aniline, even if a minimal amount of finish exists.

  General maintenance of this type of leather would involve wiping down with a soft cloth dampened with cool water. This should be done with some regularity to keep the leather from drying and cracking. The frequency can be determined by environment and use.

• Finished or Semi-Aniline

  This is the most common of the three types of leather. Finished leathers are submerged in an aniline dye bath to give them their base color. But, unlike naked leather, these leathers receive a number of topical applications which can be colored, clear or colored first and then clear on top.

  This type of leather has the highest range of uses. These are the most widely used by the automotive, aviation and marine markets.

  General maintenance of this type of leather would be to occasionally wipe it down with a damp cloth.

  Please call our office for help in cleaning your leather upholstery. If you have not followed a regular cleaning maintenance schedule with your leather item, we have custom chemicals, tools and techniques that can clean your leather upholstery in our plant.

Call For A Free Estimate - 272-1566

We encourage you to request a free estimate of the cost of upholstery cleaning and whether your item(s) is safe for cleaning on location or must be brought to the plant. We have a pick up and delivery service or you may bring your upholstered furniture to our plant, where your upholstery cleaning will be discounted.

When it comes to upholstery cleaning, no matter what type of fabric you have, our technician will inform you of the test results and submit an exact, written quote for your approval before any work is done.

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