Fabric Protection and Upholstery Cleaning
Tuesday December 8, 2015
At a party last week, a new mom was told, "be sure to protect your fabric." She didn't know what that meant. She thought she would likely just have furniture with stains on it until her child (and future children) were grown and out of the house. This isn't true. You can have children and quality furniture occupying the same space!
Does upholstery come pre-treated or pre-protected when I buy it?
Most companies no longer offer pre-treated fabrics, although microfiber does seem to repel stains better than other upholstery fabric. Other companies will apply a fabric protector to the fabric, after manufacture. This can be done on custom or non-custom furniture, however, it can affect color and sometimes even cause problems with the manufacturer's warranty, so it is important to know what you are buying, how it is applied, warranties, colorfastness testing and pricing. Many times, the price is marked up significantly on fabric protection application at the store, and it is not as effective as Scotchgard, in our opinion.
Some companies will offer a fabric protection plan. These plans are designed to protect furniture from more than just stains, such as burns and tears. The internet has a lot to say about these types of furniture protection plans, so get educated on what you are buying and how the warranty plans work. Buyer beware.
Can I apply my own fabric protection to my upholstery?
In many cases you can, however, professionals are better suited for a few reasons. The first reason is simply experience. The professional's experience with fabric protection application will help prevent over, under or uneven application. They will also know the right protectant to use for specific types of fabrics and upholstery. Again, this can help with any issues that could inadvertently cancel a warranty or cause problems with fabric colors or damage from products that cause the fabric to shrink or disintegrate. On a side note, carpets should always have protectant applied only by a professional. Champion Carpet and Upholstery Care are authorized Scotchgard application specialists.
What can I expect from the fabric protection?
Fabric protection will prevent most stains from spills include dying of the fabric from red (or other colored) drinks such as wine and Kool-aid. The protectant will actually cause the spills to bead or have a "bubble" effect which makes them easy to blot without soaking it. This effect is limited though, so don't let the spill sit for an hour before cleaning it. Blot it up as soon as you notice it. The products that repel stains are different than the products that protect against UV light/ sunlight which causes color fading.
How often do I need to clean and reapply the protection?
About every 4-6 months you will need to have the fabric protection reapplied. If you notice that spills are not beading up like the used to, that is a sign that the fabric protection has worn off. Don't attempt to clean a stain without knowing what it is as different stains require different cleaning solutions and you can actually cause a stain to set by using the wrong solution. A professional steam cleaning of upholstery is recommended annually.
Champion Carpet, Carpet Cleaning
A Colorado Family Legacy for over a quarter century
Champion Carpet cleaning has been serving Colorado families and business with superior customer service. Our quality speaks for itself and when coupled with our family values you will see why some of our customers have relied on us for decades. It's so clean you will feel like a Champion!
christineh
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