Had a devil of a suite today. 4 seat sofa, 2x gentlemens chairs. Plain mink Dralon with patterned panels one side of each cushion. Never cleaned, 18 years old. Moderately soiled, but not bad considering it's age.
Inspection showed that on each cushion there was large identification numbers in black marker pen which had transfered to the fabric backing. On the patterned panels there was also a 1cm wide band of a blue marker. There was no way of knowing if this had also been done on the chair and sofa frames. There was no way I wanted to HWE this suite. The black marker was soluble in solvent as well as water, and madam was desperate to have the suite cleaned as she couldn't lay her hands on a couple of grand for a new one.
Most experienced techs. on this board will be familiar with the technique I used, but we've had quite a few newbies of late, so I felt it was appropriate to post this. After receiving a suitable signiture as to liability, I dry vacced in the usual way but also used a dry brush to help open the pile and loosen the soil. I then misted lightly with OneStep Fineline @ 1:10, treating just an arm or cushion or panel at a time. I then towelled it. Quite aggressively but with a not too heavy touch. Repeating as required. Each piece was virtually dry upon completion. The results were stunning. When I'd completed the clean, I then dry vacuumed again. The results and virtually nil drying time has seriously made me consider whether this is a viable technique to use more often.