Furniture fabrics and cleaningby Jeff Cross

Furniture cleaning is not carpet cleaning.

The abundance of various fabrics and fibers in furniture makes furniture a bigger challenge, but for many pieces, it’s still possible to clean them quickly and efficiently – after testing to determine the best cleaning system.

In furniture, you can find fibers such as polyester, cotton, polypropylene, rayon, acrylic, nylon, wool, acetate, linen and others.

Most furniture fabrics are blends of the above.

This can make furniture cleaning a potential nightmare to both the experienced and inexperienced alike.

But with some simple testing procedures in place — along with an effective cleaning system — furniture cleaning for your customers or facilities is a project that can be both profitable and safe.

Most cleaners get themselves into trouble because they treat furniture cleaning as they do carpet cleaning.

( Click here for carpet fiber identification information. The information is good for both carpet and furniture fiber ID)

The key is to step back and say to yourself: “I could get into big trouble with this piece of furniture... I need to find out what material this piece of furniture is made from, and clean accordingly.”

A large percentage of commercial carpet is nylon or a combination of nylon and olefin (polypropylene), typically at an 80 to 20 percent blend.

A large portion of residential carpet is nylon, then olefin and polyester, while wool takes a single-digit share.

Most furniture fabrics , however, are a blend — but not the type of blend found in carpet. Cotton and polyester is a typical blend, and it’s the cotton component that can cause trouble.

If you need information on cleaning heavily soiled furniture quickly and effectively, click here to read a technical bulletin on proper steps and procedures.

For special chemistry to handle cleaning challenges, click here . The information is good for both carpet and furniture cleaning.

For you commercial cleaners: Don’t assume that you won’t see delicate fabrics and fibers in commercial buildings.Interior decorators are known for their wicked sense of humor.

Testing is a must

Test each piece you will clean, with fiber ID as the first step.

The contents tag on furniture is not for you. It indicates the filling content of furniture. Ignore it.

If there is a cleaning code on the piece (S for solvent cleaning, W for water cleaning, and X for dry vacuum only), you can use it as a guide, but don’t rely on it — except for the X, in which case you would only dry vacuum unless you are looking for trouble.

Why not rely on furniture cleaning codes?

Scenario: A tired worker on a Friday night at the furniture plant slaps incorrect tags onto the furniture you are about to clean. Do you really want to trust those tags?

Mistakes can happen.

Being cautious

Some reasons to be cautious with furniture are due to cellulosic browning and color loss.

Browning occurs when the lignin in natural plant fibers break apart and wick, or move, to the fiber surface.

Lignin is a natural component found in cellulosic materials, and the less processed a fiber is, the more lignin you may find.

To be safe, use less moisture and less alkalinity in your cleaning process. That limits cellulosic browning opportunities.

If you do create a cellulosic browning problem, reverse the pH. Most browning problems are corrected with a formulated acid rinse or treatment. Follow manufacturer directions.

Dye loss or bleeding is more common with natural fabrics. If a fabric has a floral or print design, allow that warning bell in your head to make a difference in your judgment.

Those colors may move only a small fraction of an inch, but that’s all it takes to be called into court and be forced to replace the piece.

To test for colorfastness, apply your strongest, heated cleaning agent onto an inconspicuous spot (such as on the inner skirt on the back of the piece) and clamp a white cotton towel onto the wet area.

If you have no color transfer after 10 minutes, you have — generally — a colorfast piece.

Be sure to also test the chemical with agitation, to see if there could be a 'crocking' problem.

If you have tested your furniture and found natural fibers are present, and/or there might be a colorfastness concern, one option is a low-moisture cleaning system.

If you determine from the test that the fiber content makes the piece a candidate for wet cleaning with less colorfastness concerns, proceed accordingly.

For those setting up a furniture cleaning system, the following list may prove beneficial:

• Fiber ID test kit
• Portable or truckmount extractor with upholstery cleaning tool
• Pump-up sprayers
• Trigger sprayers
• Horsehair brushes
• White cotton towels
• Three percent hydrogen peroxide (or stronger if the furniture is heavily soiled), or sodium percarbonate (a powdered form of peroxide, but with high alkalinity, so be cautious) to mix with warm water in the trigger sprayer
• Upholstery cleaning preconditioner, preferably with solvency to break down oils, mixed according to directions
• Solvent or water-based protector
• Neutral or acid rinsing agent, mixed according to directions
• Color stabilizer agents
• Spot/stain removal kit
• And anything else you think you need for your furniture cleaning system, such as cotton bonnets and agitation tools
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