Fabric
Care and Cleaning
We get asked about this often by our customers so think it may be helpful to post this.
The below advise is from one of our fabric suppliers, Warwick Fabrics, and is offered in good faith and you should always consult a professional cleaning company.
Alcoholic
Beverages
After
the moisture has been blotted up, dab at the stain with a clean cloth dampened
in rubbing alcohol. Then blot repeatedly with liquid detergent mixed with cool
water. Blot dry with a towel. Dab again with clear cool water and blot dry.
Blood
Mix one
teaspoon of ammonia in a cup of cold water and apply it sparingly to the spot.
Blot with a clean towel. Repeat the procedure until the spot is gone. Then dab
the area with cool water and blot. Wait 15 minutes and moisten the area again
with white distilled vinegar. Blot thoroughly with a dry towel.
Chenille
Yarn Fabrics
Shampoo cleaning or hot-water extraction,
taking care to restore the pile orientation in finishing will produce a
satisfactory result. Care must be taken not to undertake concentrated rubbing
on a small area, which may produce irreversible disruption of the chenille
fibre. It should be noted that even the simple act of wetting the fabric is
likely to produce an appearance change even if the chenille fibre is not
disrupted. This is largely due to flattening of the chenille fibre while it is
wet and may result in a 'dappled' or 'mottled' surface. Warning: Some high pile
viscose rayon chenilles, velvets and pocket weave jacquards may change in
surface character if stain repellent treatments are applied. Extra care should
be taken to pre-test for these fabrics.
Chewing Gum
Rub an
ice cube over the gum to harden it, then scrape off the excess with a dull
knife. To remove what's left, use dry cleaning fluid. Chocolate and other soft
candy) This is a .combination greasy/non-greasy stain. Scrape excess away, then
go over the spot with cool water mixed with a liquid detergent. Blot thoroughly
and then clean with dry cleaning fluid.
Coffee
and Tea
Sponge with warm water. Apply warm glycerine.
Leave for 30 minutes. Flush out with water and dry quickly.
Cosmetics
Sponge
with warm water. Apply warm glycerine. Leave for 30 minutes. Flush out with
water and dry quickly.
Fruit
and Fruit Juices
After
excess is blotted up or scraped away, blot the spot with cool water. If a stain
remains, add liquid detergent and a drop of vinegar to the water. Dab the spot
with this mixture and blot until there's no trace of a stain. Then go over the
area lightly with clear water to remove traces of vinegar.
Grease
(including hair grease and oil) Scrape away
excess if necessary and then dab repeatedly at the stain with dry cleaning
fluid. If any stain remains, go over the area with a lukewarm mixture of liquid
detergent and water. Always make sure you use a clean portion so you don't put
the stain back in the fabric. Last, go over the area with a clean cloth
moistened with cool clear water.
Ice
Cream
Scrape
away excess and apply cool water mixed with liquid detergent, blotting
frequently with a dry cloth so as not to saturate the fabric. Let dry and then
go over any remaining stain with dry cleaning fluid. Blot dry.
Ink
Moisten with warm glycerine. Leave for 10
minutes. Apply liquid detergent and brush lightly. Flush out with water and dry
quickly.
Iodine
Rub
with cut lemon before sponging with warm water. Apply small quantity of
detergent with clean cloth. Blot stain then remove soapy residue with cloth
wrung cut in warm water and white vinegar solution (1/3 vinegar to 2/3 water).
Milk
and Vomit
Blot or
scrape away the excess, then take a clean soft cloth and blot. Apply clear cool
water to the area, blotting frequently. Then blot with a detergent solution to
which you've added a small amount of ammonia. Blot dry and wait a few minutes.
Go over the area with dry cleaning fluid, blot dry. Finally, blot the area
lightly with a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol.
Professional Cleaning Frequency
Is determined by the furniture use, your own
maintenance, upkeep and environmental conditions. As a good 'rule of thumb' overall
cleaning is recommended every 12 months for most family room lounges.
Professional Fabric Servicing
Warwick Fabrics recommend that water-based
Fluro chemical' type fabric protectors such as DuPont Teflon® and 3M
Scotchgard®) be applied by licensed applicators only. Check your care label
first to see if a mill-applied protection was incorporated during fabric
manufacture. It is not necessary to apply an after-market protector over
mill-applied protectors on new fabrics. Fabric protectors do not eliminate the
need for vacuuming, routine cleaning or proper care. They will, however, make
spot cleaning and vacuuming quicker, easier and more efficient between
professional cleans and keep your fabric looking cleaner longer, as well as
extending its life. Professionals applying fabric protectors must always pre-test
to qualify fabric suitability.
Shoe
Polish
Apply liquid paraffin to loosen the stain,
then sponge with dry cleaning fluid. Soft Drinks, Sweets and Syrups Sponge with
water, add warm glycerine and work into stain. Flush out with water and dry.
Spot Cleaning
Treat spills and stains as soon as possible.
Test on hidden area to ensure fabric and colour are not removed. Gently scrape
any soil or mop any liquid from the surface of the fabric. Use of soap or
detergent with water should be approached with caution since overzealous
rinsing to remove soap residue may result in over-wetting, water marking and
possible wetting of substructure this may create other stains or damage
products). Spot cleaning advice is offered in good
faith and should not be considered as a guarantee that all stains may be
removed. For severe stains please consult a professional upholstery cleaning
company.
1
For Non Oil-Based Stains
Use warm water and non-toilet soaps which do
not contain optical brighteners (consider Velvet soap, Lux Flakes, Softly). Mix
a small amount of soap and warm water solution and apply to the stain, rubbing
gently. Blot dry with a clean towel. Apply cool water (preferably rain or
distilled water) and blot dry again. Then with a hair dryer working out from
the centre of the stain, dry quickly to prevent rings forming. It is generally
preferable to clean whole panels of fabric in this way rather than trying to
spot clean specific areas.
2
For Oil-Based Stains
Following the same basic guidelines as above,
apply a proprietary brand solvent based cleaner and try to clean generally in
panels rather than spot cleaning specific areas. A helpful industry 'secret' is
for spot removal of oil based biro marks by the application of a conventional
hair spray.
Urine
It is especially important to treat this stain
right away, before the urine dries. Otherwise, the urine may react with the
fabric dyes and cause permanent discolouration. First, dab at the stain with a
solution of white vinegar and water and blot dry. Then apply a mixture of
liquid detergent and cool water, blotting frequently and with a dry cloth to
avoid saturating the fabric. Finally, dab the spot with clear cool water and
blot thoroughly.
Velvet
Curtain Care
Curtaining velvet needs care in handling and
use. Window fittings coming in contact with the curtain should be avoided.
Stiff brushing or strong vacuum cleaning on the reverse side of velvet can also
pull at the pile. Draw cords or other methods of drawing without handling the
curtain itself are recommended, as grasping, particularly with fingernails, can
cause crushing and other damage. Velvet curtains should be dry cleaned. Water
Spots Blot thoroughly and then dampen the entire spot with clear white vinegar.
Wait a few minutes. When the area is dry, moisten it again with clear water,
blotting with a dry cloth after every application of the damp cloth. If the
fabric has a pile, brush in the direction of the pile when it is dry.
