BUILT IN OBSOLESCENCE
Another good reason to recover is that over time it works
out to be cheaper than buying new furniture, this is because if for example you
buy a set of dining chairs at $300 each and you only get 3 to 5 years out of
them before they would need replacing or recovering due to manufacturers using
cheap materials to cover them and poor quality foam, you would then spend
another $300 and get 3 to 5 years again, and so on.
If
instead of buying new ones again you decide to recover the original chairs with
a good quality fabric and replace the foam using Dunlop Enduro foam you would
get at least 10 years or more out of them and would cost around say $200 to
$250 each. So this would save you having to buy new ones around 2 or 3 times.
The same goes for lounge furniture, a good example of this
is the recover work we do for a university, they buy good quality furniture but
because it’s in such high traffic environment the fabric gets dirty and can
even wear out in a two to three year period, if they were then to spend another
2.5/3K to replace the sofa it would cost much more over a 10 year period then
if they were to recover the sofa 2 or 3 times for around $1200 each time over
the same 10 year period. Would be under 4K over a 10 year period compared to
around $10K buying new each time.
Below are a few recent jobs completed.
Jimmy Possum 3.5 seater sofa
BEFORE
AFTER
Moroso lounge suite
BEFORE
AFTER
Tapavino restaurant
BEFORE
AFTER
Fabric Care and Cleaning
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 cle—an 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. 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 mcp 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). Our 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.
