Even though I have been in business
now for 15 years, I still recall how daunting it can be for the inexperienced
Upholstery Cleaner in identifying fabrics and fibres, and the worries about
making the right choices in cleaning.
I used to have a particular fear
about Velour's and making sure that I did not make the fatal mistake of wet
cleaning a viscose or cotton velvet velour.
Generally speaking you can categorise
velours into 2 main types, synthetic velours, and natural cellulosic fibre velours.
There are of course other variations blends and mixed fabrics but without preparing
whole course notes this generalisation will suffice for the purposes of the
article.
But they all have a pile
to them, so what is the difference?
Generally speaking, synthetics are
usually wet cleanable (subject to testing), and the natural fibre velours (Cotton
velvets and Viscose-Rayon Pile fabrics) can represent a number of problems with
the application of moisture.
Beware! Wet cleaning natural
fiber velour's can cause:
Distortion in the pile fibres
Loss
of texture
Loss
of colour vibrancy
Colours
more susceptible to being unstable
Line
marks are easily left in the fabric
Potential
of cellosic browning is far greater with natural fibres
Chenilles
One of the common question mark fabrics
is the Chenille, which does have a short sparse cotton pile.
Chenilles are usually perfectly wet
cleanable 'with care' and understanding. The thing to bear in mind is that as
with most natural fibers they are far more easily distorted under wet conditions
than when dry. If wet cleaning is undertaken incorporating aggressive mechanical
action then irreparable damage can easily be done.
If agitation is required, it is best
performed in a gentle way with a terry towel or soft bristled brush 'uniformly'.
Areas of agitation should include the whole fabric panel - don't just to concentrate
on one specific area. This way, if there is any slight change it will be uniform
and less noticeable.
Flocks
Flock fabrics can also be categorised
as velour, and are usually wet cleanable. However, using conventional upholstery
tools on flock fabrics can create a vacuum seal, hence restricted air movement.
This makes over wetting the fabric much more likely. I would therefore recommend
the use of the low moisture type hand tool where you can regulate the airflow
to prevent the total vacuum. A good towelling off of the fabric is also advisable.
Synthetic Velours
Synthetic Velours are often Acrylic,
Nylon or Polyester and these can usually be wet cleaned safely so long as certain
guidelines are adhered to. As with many synthetics, heat is a big consideration
and temperatures should be kept below 55 degrees. It is very easy to heat set
marks into synthetic velours at temperatures beyond this.
One other word of caution is to advise
the client never to rest the cushions against radiators for drying them out -
this too could cause permanent heat set marks.
Care in the use of solvents with
synthetic velour's is also very important as many fibres
can be adversely affected.
But how do I tell the difference
between synthetic and natural velour's?
If in doubt, the good old 'wet thumb'
test is always a good way of initially testing the type of fiber that you are
about to clean.
Select an inconspicuous area to test
and, after wetting your thumb, gently press into the fibres and release. If
the pile bounces back into its original position without leaving any evidence
of the thumb print then this will usually be a wet cleanable synthetic. If however
the fabric has a trace of the thumb print which has not returned to its original
form then this should send alarm bells ringing. It may be a fabric that should
not be wet cleaned.
Burn testing is also a useful means
of identification. Please, no throwing your clients suite on a bonfire for this
test though!!!
Some of the bolder dyed acrylic velour's
such as burgundy or navy blue can release their dyes quite rapidly, so it should
not be taken for granted that all synthetic velour's are problem free with wet
cleaning and care should be followed in these cases too.
Watch out for viscose!
Often you will come across mixed
pile fabrics which contain both synthetic and viscose pile fibres and these
usually appear in a multi coloured pile. These multi coloured pile fabrics should
be tested throughout all of the colours to ensure that the viscose content is
identified and the fabric cleaned appropriately.
Most often you will find that the
plain velour's are usually of the synthetic nature, whilst the patterned content
may contain Viscose-Rayon content.
Always test first!
Please note that I always have to
speak in general terms because there are always exceptions to the rule and the
normal testing is vitally important especially if you are in any doubt.
Even after thorough testing I always
recommend starting the job by cleaning the smallest part of the suite first,
just as a matter of course in case of any unforeseen problems arise. This is
called 'potential' damage limitation as it would be far easier to replace or
repair a damaged scatter cushion or pouf than the whole 4 seater sofa! It is
certainly worth bearing in mind!
Best of luck!
Robert Olifent
