Behind The Scenes: 10 Reasons Why You Should Choose ShinyandSpotless For Carpet Cleaning and Upholstery Cleaning Services in Orlando and Sanford

In the previous subchapters, we made a detailed division of fibers and distinguished seven groups of fabrics to which almost every possible material can be assigned. In this chapter, I have prepared information for you on washing several popular materials that are not easy to clean. With these examples, you will also see how to clean in practice.

Aqua Clean (AC) Carabu – Embossed Microsuede

A fairly common material, one of the most difficult to wash. Microsuede is a material described by manufacturers and sellers as super easy to clean. On the first page we read “(…) to remove a stain from a piece of furniture upholstered in microsuede fabric, all you need is a paper towel, a sponge and plain water”. There is not much truth in this and unaware customers tempted by “stain resistance” even pay extra for this fabric. Microsuede is manufactured by weaving ultra-fine polyester fibers into a tight twill construction, then brushing one surface to create a nap that mimics natural suede, often with protective coatings like AquaClean technology applied. The fabric demonstrates exceptional durability with abrasion resistance up to 250,000 Martindale cycles, maintaining its appearance and structural integrity under intensive use. Its dense, three-dimensional structure features tightly woven synthetic fibers that prevent shedding while providing a uniform, soft texture. Aqua Clean, on the other hand, is a fabric finishing technology consisting of covering individual fibers with an invisible molecular layer. The use of Aqua Clean technology is intended to protect the fabric from dirt and stains. And this is partly true. Fabrics with an Aqua Clean coating are easy to regularly maintain and remove fresh stains. If something spills, it is often enough to wipe it with a slightly damp cloth. But the material, like any other, collects so-called everyday dirt and after a while, the light cream upholstery turns dark gray.

How to recognize Carabu? As already mentioned, Carabu is an embossed microsuede material, which is responsible for the pattern visible on the surface of the material. This structure resembles the texture found in natural leather. This pattern is the easiest way to recognize Carabu. In addition, this material is thick, durable, but at the same time quite pleasant to the touch. You can feel such fibers under your fingers. You can also do a water test, pour a little on the material. If the water actually runs down the material, it will undoubtedly be Carabu. Carabu is one of the least pleasant materials to wash. I think anyone who has ever had the opportunity to clean this material will confirm this. The reason why it is difficult to clean this material lies in its structure, and precisely in the embossing and the Aqua Clean coating. If the furniture is neglected and has not been cleaned for years, the dirt has penetrated into the texture, making it more difficult to rinse out. In turn, the Aqua Clean coating will cause the water to run down the material instead of soaking in during cleaning.

The whole secret of cleaning Carabu is not chemistry but equipment. That is, the right chemistry is essential, but in this case, professional equipment is of particular importance. Using the most appropriate and best quality chemistry, but in combination with a cheap carpet extractor, it will be difficult to achieve a very good effect on this material. We are not saying that it is impossible, but it will certainly not be easy. On the other hand, using premium equipment, we can use only water for rinsing and the effect will be sensational. These are just examples to illustrate the gap between machines and their impact. Generally, in this case, apart from the power of the pump and turbine, the temperature of the rinsing solution (extractor with heater) and the wand with internal spray are of particular importance. Carabu is a synthetic material, where the most common composition is Polyester (50%), Polyamide (15%) and Acrylic (35%). Before starting to clean Carabu, you need to take care of properly securing the floor with towels – water runs off this material like off a duck’s back. Additionally, the cleaner must try to dissolve the dirt as best as possible at the stage of rubbing in the prespray. In turn, at the rinsing stage, you cannot rush and must thoroughly rinse the dirt. In some places, it may be necessary to repeat the procedure. If the extraction rinsing was not carried out properly, stains and watermarks may appear during drying. To prevent this, at the very end, we gently spray the material with anti-browning solution, brush the furniture and leave it to dry.

Flock Fabric – Flocked Velvet Fabric

Flock is also a flocked material that visually resembles Carabu. Fortunately, it is quite easy to distinguish between these two materials. Carabu and Flock differ visually in the texture – that is, the surface pattern. Flock fabric is produced through an electrostatic process where short synthetic fibers are chemically treated for conductivity, then charged and vertically aligned onto an adhesive-coated base substrate using high-voltage fields. The material offers good durability with up to 230,000 Martindale cycles, though some fiber shedding may occur since fibers are adhered rather than woven into the structure. The fabric consists of vertically oriented short fibers (0.5-5mm) embedded in adhesive, creating a velvet-like texture where fiber density and length determine the final surface feel. Cleaning Flock always involves the risk of damaging the fabric. This material can pill, come apart or crumble during washing. As if that were not enough, it is difficult to remove stains. We undertake cleaning only at the customer’s risk. We make the customer aware and explain the risks associated with cleaning this material. It is most reasonable to take care of some “documentation” just in case. We mean written correspondence with the customer or asking them to sign an appropriate document in which they clearly order cleaning of the furniture, are aware of the risk associated with it and take responsibility in the event of damage.

When washing Flock, care should be taken at every stage of cleaning. First, wash only one piece of furniture from start to finish, then we can see how the material behaves and whether it makes sense to continue. Use a regular, soft brush to rub in the prespray. Rub the prespray gently and sensitively. For extraction rinsing, it is best to use a wand with an internal spray and the option of reducing the suction pressure. For rinsing, use water at a maximum temperature of 104°F.

Alcantara and Altara

True Italian Alcantara has a certificate of origin, it is an expensive material used primarily in the interior finishing of vehicles and yachts. However, what is usually on customers’ furniture is Altara – a cheaper substitute for Alcantara. Altara, also called artificial suede, is a smooth material with fibers that can be felt under the fingertips. Altara on furniture upholstery is most often cream or beige in color, but this is not always the case, it is just an observation. This material gets dirty in a very characteristic way. When the material is neglected, a shiny, black layer of dirt forms in heavily used areas. After getting wet, it quickly darkens. Altara is a material made of synthetic fibers, most often 100% PS (polyester). When it comes to applying prespray, there are no limitations here, this material will endure everything, but you need to match the strength to the degree of dirt. For rinsing, use an acidic or alkaline rinse, also depending on the degree of dirt. Altara is a material that easily absorbs water, we must ensure the appropriate number of dry extraction passes with the cleaning wand to extract the maximum amount of moisture. Finally, we carefully groom the material with a dry, clean, soft brush in the appropriate direction.

Velvet and Velour

Velour fabrics are special types of plush, elegant and technologically advanced upholstery fabrics. Although they seem delicate, velour fabrics are characterized by high durability (significantly greater compared to materials with a traditional weave). They are also characterized by pleasant softness to the touch and beautiful depth of color. The velour pile catches light beautifully. We use gentle cleaning agents to clean velour. In a situation where the dirt is significant, it is acceptable to use prespray with a higher pH, but provided that a color migration test is performed. An acidic rinse will be suitable for rinsing. (rinsing velour with an alkaline rinse may result in a rough texture after drying). If it is necessary to use stain removers, remember to first perform a color stability test in an inconspicuous place (such materials are particularly susceptible to discoloration). Finally, we thoroughly groom the material with a dry, clean, soft brush in the appropriate direction – a very important step for this material.

Mattresses

Cleaning mattresses can be a challenge even for experienced cleaners. Some cleaners, discouraged by poor results, refuse such jobs entirely. Others don’t focus on stain removal, convinced that stains are impossible to remove and justify cleaning primarily for hygienic purposes. The cause of this difficulty is the characteristic yellow stains on the mattresses that we have to clean. Where do these stains come from? The most common cause of yellow stains on mattresses is sweat and urine. Sweat stains are invisible at first, but over time they turn into yellow marks on the mattress with an unpleasant smell. Sweat consists mainly of water, salts, fats, urea, uric acid, ammonia, lactic acid, carbohydrates and mineral compounds. Adult perspiration is acidic with a pH between 4.5 and 6. Urine also consists mostly of water, but it also contains nitrogenous products of metabolism, such as urea, uric acid, ammonia, mineral salts and bile pigments, which are responsible for the color and smell. How can you distinguish urine stains from sweat stains? Urine stains appear as localized, round spots with distinct edges. Sweat stains, however, are typically diffused over large areas of the mattress. It’s worth noting that urine and sweat stains have very similar compositions.

To remove urine and sweat stains, specialized products are the best choice. The cleaning procedure is as follows. Vacuum the mattress dry, you can use a vibrating attachment for this purpose. Apply a urine stain remover to the affected areas according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Then proceed to rub in the applied product, and here it’s worth using an oscillating brush tool. Mattress cleaning is very specialized work and to achieve satisfactory results, the agitation stage must be performed thoroughly. Then apply enzymatic prespray to the entire surface of the mattress (more generously on stains) and rub again. Allow the chemicals time to work – approximately 10-15 minutes. After this time, all that remains is extraction rinsing. For mattresses, an active oxygen rinse works excellently, it helps lighten the mattress color after cleaning.

If individual stains are still visible on the mattress after rinsing, we can apply solvent-based stain remover to specific areas (sometimes sweat stains contain significant amounts of oils, so a solvent stain remover may be the right choice in such cases). For large stains, first test the stain remover on a small area to verify effectiveness. Remember to perform final extraction rinsing on the treated area. Mattress cleaning is specialized work and unfortunately it is not always possible to achieve satisfactory results. Consider how long it takes for perspiration to create such distinctive yellow stains – months or even years without any cleaning. In such cases, we’re dealing with fiber discoloration rather than removable stains. Sometimes the impossible simply remains impossible. It is particularly important to inform the customer at the outset that cleaning mattresses is primarily of hygienic importance and that we cannot guarantee the removal of all stains.