12 Step Upholstery Cleaning Experience for Synthetic & Natural Fiber Upholstery
For high quality cleaning of Fabric Upholstery the technician will follow these steps:
- Pre-Inspection: The technician will go over all of the pieces to be cleaned with you to find out any of your concerns. They will then perform some special tests to ascertain the type of fabric you have as well as the soil content of the fabric.
- Area Preparation: The technician will then prepare the area your upholstery occupies and will also protect the surrounding areas.
- Power Vacuum: All textiles must be professionally vacuumed before cleaning. This step will remove dry surface soils and loosen any stubborn soils from cracks and crevices.
- Pre-Spot: Any potentially stubborn spots will require special treatment from the technician.
- Pre-Treat: Depending on your type of fabric, a designated cleaning solution made specifically for your fabric type will be applied.
- Pre-Groom: The fabric will then be delicately brushed to loosen the soils.
- Soil Extraction & Rinse: The soils are then extracted from the fabrics with a professional, gentle, and controlled rinse.
- Neutralize: The fabrics are then pH balanced for a softer fresh feeling.
- Post Spot: The Technician will then treat any remaining spots with fabric specific stain removal products.
- Post Groom: Fabrics with a pile, like velvet, will be delicately groomed with a special fabric brush.
- Speed Dry: High velocity air movers will be placed around your furniture to promote a faster drying process.
- Post Cleaning Inspection: The technician will then look at your furniture one more time to ensure that all of your concerns have been taken care of.
Other services offered for Upholstery:
Upholstery Protector
Leather Upholstery Cleaning
Leather, unlike most others, is a high maintenance covering. Tanneries recommend that leather is cleaned & protected every 6 months. There is good reasoning behind this.
Leather, much like your own skin, is constantly drying out. But unlike your skin, it cannot replenish the valuable moisture content itself. So it is up to you to have your leather cleaned & conditioned to replenish this moisture. Also, know that there are three types of leather and each requires different attention. There are two main groups of leather upholstery, protected and unprotected. To identify which type of leather you have there is a simple test you can perform. Wet your finger and touch an inconspicuous spot. If it darkens it is unprotected leather and if it does not darken it is protected.
- Protected: Protected leather comprises 85% of all leather furniture produced and is the easiest to maintain. Protected leather has a coating sprayed on it. Protected leather is normally one even color. Using the wrong cleaning and conditioning chemicals will prematurely harden your leather. The leather in cars is protected leather. When shopping for leather consider protected leather if you have kids, grand kids, and pets.
- Aniline: Aniline leather is an unprotected leather meaning no coating has been applied. Aniline is a softer leather and higher priced due to only about 8-10% of all hides can be used to make aniline furniture. Aniline will have variations in color and the color will darken over time giving it a patina all its own. There is a sub group called semi aniline which has been dyed an even color but does not have a coating sprayed on it. Due to Aniline being unprotected it can be permanently discolored.
- Nubuck: Nubuck (suede) is also an unprotected leather. The difference between it and Aniline is it has a knap on the surface that was created by the surface being sanded. It is the quickest to become discolored. It is the most difficult to clean and needs preventive cleaning to maintain the appearance. Dry vacuuming Nubuck leather is highly recommend to remove dry soil particulate before it becomes imbedded.(Don't know if you have Aniline or Nubuck? Do the quick check finger test. In a hidden area of the piece wet one finger and press it to the leather. If the wet mark disappears then you have Aniline, and if it doesn't you have Nubuck.)
- When purchasing new leather furniture have Admiral Kleencare apply conditioner to Protected and Aniline to maintain the leather. The tanneries recommend you condition your leather every six months. You never know how long it had been since hides were tanned. Nubuck leather requires a special protector to repel the dirt.
Protected leather is the variety that requires less attention than the others but remains a high maintenance covering. In the Auto Industry this is the Leather of choice used for Leather Upholstery in cars. It is not recommended that someone with children or pets own Aniline or Nubuck leather due to its sensitivity to soils and integral damage. If you have any questions about your leather and what can be done to increase its longevity, ask your Admiral Kleencare Technician.
