It may be argued that applying the protection to upholstery is more significant than applying it to carpet due to the propensity of many upholstery fabrics to stain quickly and clean badly. To recognize the possibilities and necessity for protector application after cleaning, one simply needs to look at how easily fabric protection is added when new furniture is purchased. Allow carpet care specialists to clarify the upholstery situation to you.
Upholstery textiles can include a wide range of synthetic, natural, or blended fibers, unlike carpet, which is largely constructed of synthetic fibers. Fluorochemical treatments that are applied using water-based methods work well on synthetic fibers.
Natural fibers and regenerated cellulose fibers react less favorably to the application of water-based protectors and may also be more vulnerable to a number of post-application issues due to the additional moisture that the protector introduces.
These issues comprise:
Cellophane browning
Watermarks
Shrinkage
Swap of hands
Bleeding color
Following cleaning, you only have two options if you decide to protect such materials:
1. Don’t use enough protection
The most frequent method for cleaners to avoid problems when applying water-based protectors to fragile natural textiles is this plainly incorrect decision. A few ounces of product applied evenly over an entire sofa won’t likely cause any of the damage problems mentioned above, but the protection won’t offer your customer any advantages either. There is no justification for underapplying the product to the point where it becomes useless. Application rates for protectors may vary depending on the thickness of the material, the yarn construction, etc. Whatever your purpose, underapplying protection is immoral.
2. Apply a shield made of solvents
All fiber types can benefit from solvent-based protectors. Although it is much less likely that solvent-based protectors may result in any of the aforementioned post-application issues, you should be aware that there have been instances of dye migration.
Carpet Care Specialists Mosman
50 Yeo St, Neutral Bay, NSW, 2089
(02) 8311 3724