Basics of Reading Upsholtery Care TagsThere isn’t much worse than spilling a drink onto your beautiful upholstery, or finding a stain that you didn’t realize was there. Your reaction to this situation is to get the problem solved quickly. It is imperative that you are cautious with this, though, because many pieces of upholstery fabrics can be negatively affected by spills, cleaning solutions, or even water. If it is cleaned incorrectly, it can mean problems. That doesn’t suggest that you should do nothing, but it is important to know how to avoid some of the more common mistakes. Of course, the best bet is to call us at Nurse's Touch in Mobile, Alabama for advice before you do something you may regret later. There are a few things you can do, though.
You can typically find a tag on the upholstery that has codes that tell you how to clean the upholstery. These codes are very basic and not always accurate. They don’t usually help the consumer very much. Some of the codes you may see are: W: use only cleaning solutions that are water based S: use cleaning solutions that are solvent based X: only vacuum or brush. Do not use solvent or water based solutions Looking beyond the codes, there are some cleaning solutions that will make things worse. You will normally find a disclaimer on the product that mentions this in fine print. Testing a hidden area first is always suggested, but with a big spill, quick action is imperative. The first thing you will want to do is blot the spill gently using a white cloth. This will help you to better contain the spill. Never rub the spill since this can cause the damage to be permanent or hurt the texture of the upholstery. If you decide to use a cleaning solution, remember that many fabrics are very delicate and don’t do well with chemicals. Only put a small amount on the stain and see if there is any change. If not, stop there. You can cause permanent damage if you use the wrong cleaning solution. There are some cases where using water will remove the stain. This is fine since it is a neutral agent and will not make the fabric lose its color. Many of the spills and stains you will encounter will need to be professionally cleaned. Spills and stains are hard to deal with and you don’t want to do any permanent damage to your upholstery. The professionals are trained in such matters and will know what products to use on the fabric safely. To put it all together, cleaning your upholstery is a job that must be done carefully. It takes a lot of skill and experience to know the right products to use on your upholstery. Not only that, but oftentimes, professional equipment is required to remove spills and stains. So, consider hiring a professional upholstery cleaner like us to get it back to its former glory. |
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