[absolutecleaning]

I dont normally do upholstery but the client I saw today has put the cushions off her suite into the dry cleaners and wants the back and sides cleaned by me whilst doing carpets.

She says she is sure it is 100& cotton (cream).

Is there any easy way to check this - I cant see how you can remove a bit of fibre for testing like you do with carpet?

I think I should be alright just using my normal m/s on this - any other suggestions or reasons not to.

I really must do some training on upholstery as they keep coming up and I generally knock them back but its somewhere on the to-do list.

Thanks

Si

[Neil Grainger]

Si

do the training before doing any upholstery, it can be a nightmare.

If you look underneath the chairs their is normally some left over, if not just try a bit that is not visible and do your test their.

Training is key with upholstery,

How are things going for you Simon.

[absolutecleaning]

Alright Neil - congratulations by the way I saw your post in the other thread.

Things are a bit quiet in general - turnover for the business as a whole was well down for March - looking to improve for April.

On the carpet front am really plodding along doing 1 or 2 jobs a week at the moment.

Have just put some leaflets out but they arent specifically for carpet cleaning which perhaps they should be to generate more work

Still the bills are paid etc so shouldnt worry too much.

I take it you're having a bit of time off now.

On the upholstery front I do need to sort the training - might have to turn her down unless I feel 100% sure of what I am doing.  Or do you fancy coming to do the suite before I crack on with the carpet?

[markpowell]

I will only clean upholstery if i am cleaning the whole suite, i once cleaned the back and sides whilst the customer washed the cushions in the washing machine, the washing powder took some of the colour out of the fabric and really dulled the colours. I cleaned properly and the colours were as bright as when the suite was new. I was told that i hadnt cleaned the carcuss properly.
Mark

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Unless it's a suite with proper loose fittings then one point to make to clients is that the zip is not for their benefit to allow them to take the cushion covers off to clean.

Instead the zip makes the cost of manufacturing cheaper, otherwise all the cushions would be fully sewn up.

And then, of coarse, taking covers off could mean shrinkage and banana shaped cushions

[klinger (spa clean)]

Morning Doc, how is it cheaper for a manufacturer to sew a zip into a cushion rather than just sew it up? Only asking in case custy poses me with the same question,
         klinger.

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Good question!

It's a reply I've heard Paul Pearce give a couple of times. I think he must have given an explanation but I don't remember exactly what it was.

I think it might have been along the lines of the cushion cover being made with the zip, then the pad being put in and then simply zipped shut and that this was easier/cheaper than forming the cushion, putting the pad in then having to sew the final side together at that point.

Does that make sense to you?

[klinger (spa clean)]

Yeah I suppose so, theres the price of the zip of course, but I dare say they,re 2 a penny.  On the subject of upholstery, cant believe how much your average 3 piece suite has come down in price these days, is this having any impact on the guys that clean them?