Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: L.Doubtfire - The Blade Runner on September 17, 2011, 06:40:01 am
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Cleaned a 10 cushion Dralon suite the other day.Good result,
Customer pays oaky.
The evening after it`s cleaned the lady is sat on it watching TV
And spills a part carton of yoghurt on one of the suite cushions.
The food colour and edible dye stains in the yoghurt has `bleached`
And taken the mauve colour out of the material leaving it a lighter
Shade.Leastways that’s what I`m saying.
The customers saying that all the suite should look like that ( where
The yoghurt has been spilt) and that the suite has`nt been cleaned
Properly.
Can`t get the yoghurt stain out,I`ve tried.
They hav`nt mentioned compensation,I don`t think they are `trying it on`.
They`ve spilled the yoghurt,what do I do ? ??? ???
Thanks for replies.
Lewis Doubtfire
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buy lots of yughurt and get spilling................
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Can't see that it's your problem, she spilt the yoghurt after you cleaned it, end of story.
You're not having any luck lately :'(
Simon
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im with Simon on this one but would try removal as a good will gesture, cant see it being a problem to remove.
Mark
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Tell her to jog on... What planet is this woman on...? >:(
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Dont make her problem your problem, If you spill soup down you tie you dont take it back ;D
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I would call her back and say .....
Oh dear , I remember when my kids were small ,they used to spill yoghurt on my dralon suite , it does make an awful looking white mark. If I were to call out it would mean paying a callout charge , and I am sure you would not want that. Tell you what , drop it off at my place and I will give it a good rinse out and it should remove, I can do monday or next thurs .
Or if I was passing I would simply say the above ,but go and clean it out .
Customer care people!
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Cleaned a 10 cushion Dralon suite the other day.Good result,
Customer pays oaky.
The evening after it`s cleaned the lady is sat on it watching TV
And spills a part carton of yoghurt on one of the suite cushions.
The food colour and edible dye stains in the yoghurt has `bleached`
And taken the mauve colour out of the material leaving it a lighter
Shade.Leastways that’s what I`m saying.
The customers saying that all the suite should look like that ( where
The yoghurt has been spilt) and that the suite has`nt been cleaned
Properly.
Can`t get the yoghurt stain out,I`ve tried.
They hav`nt mentioned compensation,I don`t think they are `trying it on`.
They`ve spilled the yoghurt,what do I do ? ??? ???
Thanks for replies.
Lewis Doubtfire
Are you 100% sure the spillage was after the clean, have they told you that or are you "assuming".
You don't think they are trying it on.
Easy.
Make an appt and make it clear it is to clean the "spillage area" only. This will be £xxxx. Make it clear there will be a charge.
Whilst there you can check your previous work.
Have a look at the underside of it. In manufacture the material should have been attached underneath as well which will show what the original colour should be. (Or find a place anywhere on it that has not had wear and tear or daylight fade) show the customer the difference to the spillage area. That should sort this out, you will have dealt with it professionally and your reputation will be intact :)
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Tell her the only way to get it to look that colour all over is to spray it all with yoghurt first before cleaning it.
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Hi guys
Dralon is a pigmented acrylic fibre where the colour is 'locked ' into the fibre.
There is no way yoghurt would do anything other than cause a stain which should be relatively easily removed.
Cheers
Doug
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A yoghurt as bleached the cushion, :o Where does she live "sellafield".
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I think the customers just `miffed`that it`s them that’s spilled
The yoghurt,just after paying for having the suite cleaned.
Overall I`m not too enamoured with their attitude really.
I`ve had this type of stain before and I`ve had no success at
Removing.Although never on Dralon material.
What do members suggest as the `spotter`to use.
Thanks for replies.
Lewis Doubtfire
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Lewis,
I think you need to be careful here. Clearly you are dealing with a problem customer. Ordinarily in the situation you have described the customer would ring you saying they've spilt yoghurt on the suite and come you come and fix it. If the stain doesn't come out they would see it as their fault, not yours. Your customer seems to be blaming you for what she did, which is ridiculous. Having been out to attempt to remove it for them and having failed, I'd leave it at that, here's why. If you continue trying to clean it this type of person could try to blame the permanence of the stain on your attempts to remove it, claiming you've used harsh chemicals etc, they've already blamed you for something they did so they could take their illogical stance a step further. As it stands, you cleaned the suite, which they were happy with, then spilt yoghurt on it afterwards, you've been out to try to remove it. You've done everything you need to do, so leave it at that.
Simon
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Cheeky cow ....what a chancer ::) she's probably hit it with the vanish!
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Cleaned a 10 cushion Dralon suite the other day.Good result,
Customer pays oaky.
To save this sort of problem in the future, at the end of any job ask the customer if they are happy with the job and ask them to sign customer/job satisfaction form.
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Thanks Simon,and Helen,Simon`s reply is very well worded
I recon.Like I said before,they are just `miffed`about spilling
The yoghurt.
I don`t think I`ll hear anything more of it,but I`d like to know
What `spotter`will get yoghurt fruit staining out ?
Any takers ? ::) :-\
Lewis Doubtfire
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Enzyme (no 2 yellow bottle from ashbys)?. Apply to the area leave for 20mins or so under a warm damp towel not allowing the enzyme to dry at all then extract out. ??
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Or pro stain but try enzyme first or rinse very well as enzymes are living and don't like on chems. Might be worth rinsing well beforhand anyway as custy has probably used vanish.
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with dralon (its a trade name for acrylic) being synthetic really it should be relatively easy to clean.
Acrylic is a washable fabric which means that we can wet clean it. With synthetics, principally the dye is intrinsic to the fabric itself which means that the fabric is that colour from production (extrusion). Its not white which has then been dyed to mauve or whatever.
Really, you need to check to see if the remnants of the yoghurt is a stain from the yoghurt or as you intimated its a bleaching issue. Yoghurt will not bleach anything especially not a synthetic fabric and Im not 100% certain but im not sure that vanish will either.
A product based on chlorinated bleach sounds like the culprit but even then you'd have to really go some to take out the dye from dralon. The only thing you have to watch with synthetics is heat, otherwise really they should be ok.
in our dry cleaning and laundry business we come across acrylic every day and its a dream to clean and easy to finish when washing. However, dry cleaning of acrylic garments is not usually recommended (hence the massive problems in the 80's with dralon curtains and fabric relaxation).
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Milk stains can be difficult to remove from Dralon and other fabrics, so Yoghurt is probably worse.
As already advised, you need an enzymic detergent to digest the stain, followed by a good flushing out.
This can however make the stained area look better, if you have not been really thorough with the rest.
Dave.
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cleaned my first drayon suite yesterday in months, pretty grubby 20yr old , good brush and vac, m/s cold water came up like a dream.
just wish all suites were draylon :)
geoff
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Before any attempt of removal. Write what has happened down on paper and that you will attempt to remove the stain. Mention what Doug said and that the clean could not have caused the stain. The yoghurt has caused the stain.
Ask the customer to sign, if she does then carefully attempt to remove. That way as said before, you can't be blamed for removing it as you have both agreed that the was clearly their before!
Out of goodwill you will attempt to remove the stain. But make a charge so you time is covered.
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How do you know its yoghurt, I wouldn't get her to sign anything and I would not go back unless they were paying its ridiculous,
I can tell you whats happened,, you did a good job she was very happy with it then that very day/night she or her hubby or kids spilt 'something ' on it, in a panic she has tried to clean the marks and failed. To cover themselves and to try to explain it away to the other half, they are blaming your clean as they have used a solution on it that probably contains optical brighteners, so showing up against the otherwise clean areas.
Its non sense, by all means visit and inspect the bull crap she is giving you but after that do get so much as a terry towel out until they agree a fee.
Sometimes customers are NOT king.
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It was yoghurt,the lady told me so,and it was her who spilled it.
Like I said before they are just `miffed`at paying,then them doing
What she did.
What `tickled`me was,them saying the suite should look like how
The yoghurt stain looks ( about the size of the palm of my hand)
All over the entire suite.
I recon your right anyway Hilton,it does look as if someone perhaps
As had a go with the `Vanish`.Had a look,took the cushion away,
No joy,took it back,they are oaky with it,leastways I think they are.
8)
Lewis Doubtfire