[Henry Roberts]

Hi guys

I cleaned a settee recently and the hand tool has left marks in the fabric.  Do you think this was caused because the temperature of the water was too hot?  I have tried re-cleaning and re-setting the pile to no avail.  Any ideas??

Henry

[dutchman]

Yes thats exactly what has happened. I had that problem once when leaving the brass connector on the same type of suite. Unfortunately the marks could not be removed. What heater do you use on your machine?

[Dave_Lee]

May have been on the hot side, but all velvet fabrics should have tool marks brushed out before they dry. Depending on the fibre type this could be permanent. Cotton and Viscose pile fabrics or a mix of them, strictly speaking should not be wet cleaned, but if they are a back and forwards motion with the upholstery tool should be avoided.
Some years back I was asked to try and rectify this caused by their last cleaner. Nothing I could do made any difference.

[Henry Roberts]

I did try and brush the marks out while I was there. I guess the customer is going to try and push for a new suite!
Never claimed on my insurance before after over 20 years! Do you see a problem with the Insurance paying out on this ?

[Simon Gerrard]

Looks like it may be a viscose suite. Was it. Dry wet after you cleaned it , I mean wetter than a suite would normally be?
If you've got 'all risks'  then you should be covered.

Simon

[maxcampbell]

I did try and brush the marks out while I was there. I guess the customer is going to try and push for a new suite!
Never claimed on my insurance before after over 20 years! Do you see a problem with the Insurance paying out on this ?

No problem if you've got treatment risk cover, not standard on general business insurance, but in the package for insurance designed for CC'ers.

[Henry Roberts]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I would say the material was viscose but it dried well after final dry stoke.
Thought the marks would just wear out during use.
I'll contact customer and see which way they want to go on it.

[dutchman]

If the whole settee looks like that cushion its viscose.  If its just that cushion you have used too hot water.

[Raymondo]

We don't clean viscose anymore we had a claim a few years ago.

If its a part viscose interwoven with other fibres we will clean after testing.

These 100% pile viscose  are not fit for the purpose.

There are 100s of suites that are cleanable with no problem don't want the odd ones that may cause a problem now just walk away.

Same with rugs if they contain viscose would rather walk have to much work to take a chance.

[dutchman]

We do a hotel that has 100 sofa's that the manager wanted cleaned.  . Know them well and we had the job. Went in and they were 100% viscose  . We only did the very bad one's that had coffee or drinks spilt on them. Went from 100 to 5 in 5 mins. Not a good day.

[Kev Loomes]

Not sure I would have liked to clean 100 sofas!

[Darran Pryce]

When we come across viscose sofas, we explain to the customer the issues then can be created by cleaning with extraction machine (marks etc), so we give them the option with a clean just using the the mit. SPM  sprayed on the mit and sofa then you just go over with the mit, they come up fine.  Cleaned around 10 this year all using the mit, and all came up great.

[John Kelly]

You may be able to rectify that to a satisfactory degree using a steamer and a velvet grooming brush. Long laborious job but may save an insurance claim. You would find out if it would work within 5 minutes.

http://www.restormate.co.uk/epages/15094.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=271194

The simple test for these, wet a patch if it bounces back and looks exactly the same ok to wet clean. If it stays flat and looks like wet rats fur, dry clean only.

[jasonl]

We are getting a lot of these lately , it adds an hours to the clean time towelling the pile back to remove the tool marks , we only clean cold anyway .

[Dave_Lee]

Even if you do have 'items worked upon' insurance, it is an indemnity cover, not 'new for old'. The Insurance company will only pay out what the item was worth immediately prior to you working upon it, they will not pay for a new one. Then you have your excess.
Dave.

[Henry Roberts]

Hi John,
A steamer came to mind also.  Have not got one, and was wondering if any model comes to mind to tackle the problem?
Henry

[John Kelly]

You could hire a pro machine or even a wallpaper stripper from the likes of Wickes with attachments would do. It is a matter of softening the fibres without damaging them whilst grooming the marks out at the same time. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.

[Henry Roberts]

Thanks John-  I've managed to get a steamer today and have successfully removed the marks out of the cushion I took home.
Going back tomorrow  to do rest of settee.
Thanks for your help and hopefully no insurance claim 

[John Kelly]

Brill, good luck with the rest of it.