upholstery cleaning manual

8/2/2019 Upholstery Cleaning Manual

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Pro Carpet

Training Manual: Basics of Upholstery Cleaning

Steam Cleaning (Upholstery Version)

Steam Cleaning (a.k.a. hot water extraction) is the manufacturer recommended cleaning process for

Synthetic Fabrics (Polyester/Microfiber/Polypropylene). This process involves pre-spraying an

upholstery cleaning detergent, such as Fast Drying Upholstery Shampoo, followed by hot water

extraction with a mixture of hot water and an Acid Rinse, such as Free Rinse Pro. In cases where heavy

soiling or staining exists, Fast Drying Upholstery Shampoo should be preceded by a high-quality pre-

conditioner such as Upholstery Pre-Spray, Liqua-Gel (the furniture cleaning equivalent of P.O.G.), or a

Volatile Dry Solvent. In order to achieve a high level of overall cleanliness, the technician must follow all

appropriate steps including even distribution of cleaners, complete rinsing, and drying of cushions and

arm covers.

Step 1: Evaluating the Job

1.a.) The first step before beginning the cleaning process is to perform a visual inspection of the

furniture to be cleaned. During this step, you (the tech) should discuss any areas of concern, such as

spots, stains, and fabric damage including water marks, loose yarns, or pulled seams, and ask thecustomer if they are aware of the cause and/or approximate age of such areas (new spots and stains are

treated with different chemicals than older ones). This would also be a good time to ask the customer

when their last professional cleaning occurred, and if the previous technician applied a protectant such

as All Fabric Stain-Shield (unprotected fabric can be much more difficult to clean than protected fabric).

1.b.) Upon completion of the initial inspection, discuss any recommendations you (the tech) may have

regarding the completion ofthe cleaning, such as any need for Deep Cleaning (for heavy

soiling/spots/stains), a Pet Package (for the removal of pet stains and pet related odors), Disinfectant

(for ridding the furniture of allergens/germs/bacteria/odor), and the application of a protectant (All

Fabric Stain-Shield).

1.c.) Once all paperwork has been signed, it is then time to plan out the job from start to finish based on

the notes you took during your initial inspection, and any additional services the customer has decided

to add to their work order. It is absolutely vital that you clean furniture in the proper order. This will

ensure that your chemicals are given the appropriate amount of time to dwell and that any specialty

chemicals are properly neutralized and rinsed out of the fabric before you complete the job.

Step 2: Treat Tougher Spots and Stains First (this is the first step in the actual cleaning process)

2.a.) When performing a Deep Clean, treat all food, drink, grime, oil, grease, and dye-based stains first.

The chemicals used to remove these spots and stains require much more dwell time than chemicals

used for general dirt removal, so treating them first will make the difference between a poor job and a

quality job.

-One of the most important things to remember about spots and stains is that what you see is typically

dirt that has bonded to the underlying stain, rather than the stain itself-

- For bodily oil stains (typically located on the arms, front base, and head-rest area of furniture),treat with a Volatile Dry Solvent (Volatile Dry Solvents are designed to emulsify bodily oils so that

you are able to extract them out during the rinse phase).


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- For heavy grime and dirt-based soiling (typically located on the seat cushions and front, back andsides of furniture), treat with Upholstery Pre-Spray.

- For coffee and tea stains, begin with an Acid/Tannin Spotter (such as Browning Treatment) on aclean white towel, and blot the affected area DO NOT SCRUB scrubbing will spread out the

stain rather than remove it. After blotting, allow 10-15 minutes of dwell time before cleaning

with Fast Drying Upholstery Shampoo and hot water extraction with a mixture of water and an

Acid Rinse (such as Free Rinse Pro).

- For dye-based stains (such as Kool-Aid/Juice), begin with Stain Blaster on a clean white towel,and blot the affected area. If stain cannot be removed by simply blotting the area, spray the

Stain Blaster directly on the stain, agitate it with an upholstery brush, and cover with a white

towel. At this time, begin cleaning all other areas of the furniture, checking the stained area

every (5) minutes to make sure the fabric dyes are not leaching into the towel disappearing

altogether (not all dye-based stains can be removedexplain this to the customer before

beginning work).

2.b.) When performing a Pet Package, begin by spraying all pet stains with Pet Stain-Off (using a pump

sprayer or trigger sprayer, with a mixture of 1 part Pet Stain-Off and 3 parts warm water). The goal

when performing a pet package is to both remove the visible (yellow/brown) stain on the fabric and ridthe fabric of any pet odor ( in the fabric itself and foam cushioning). To do this, you must press the nozzle

of the sprayer containing the Pet Stain-Off against the fabric, saturating the entire stained area, followed

by saturating an area 2 inches around the stain (this will ensure that all urine will be treated with the

enzymes in the Pet Stain-Off- this ensures odor removal).

Step 3: Pre-Spray Fast Drying Upholstery Shampoo (for general cleaning and chemical neutralization)

3.a.) Pre-Spray up to (2) pieces of furniture (if more than (2) pieces are sprayed, the Fast Drying

Upholstery Shampoo will dry out and will not work, which means you will have to re-spray the 3rdpiece in

order to clean itdouble spraying will result in foam issues) - Allow at least 5-10 minutes for chemical

to dwell before rinsing (cleaning) the fabric using hot water extraction.

Step 4: (Cleaning) Rinse Stage

4.a.) To begin the (cleaning) rinse stage, begin with the Back, followed by, in order, the Left Side, the

Seat Back, the Deck (under seat cushions), the Front, and finally the Right Side. Follow this by cleaning

any furniture cushions that originally came with the furniture (do not clean accent pillows that were not

a part of the original couch without being certain of the fabric the pillow is coveredwith). Wand strokes

should be no more than 1-2 feet in length and no less than 6 inches in length (this will ensure speed

without compromising work quality and visibility of spots and stains located within each wand stroke

spots will be in your line of sight). All wand strokes should overlap the previous one by the width of

the hand wand (this will ensure the maximum removal of dirt and stains). Finally, ifa chop stroke is

necessary for tougher spots and stains, you must follow this technique with (2) times as many dry

strokes (if you go back and forth with your chop stroke a total of 5 times, you must follow that with a

total of 10 dry strokes to ensure proper drying)

Notes on Rinse Stage:

Properly used, Upholstery Pre-Spray and Fast Drying Upholstery Cleaner should remove about 90-95%

of all spots and stains found on a typical piece of furniture. As such, the cleaning should be done by

your chemicals, rather than by you - to achieve this, chemicals must be given at least 5-10 minutes of

dwell time before using hot water extraction to (clean) rinse the fabric.


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4.b.) Chop-Stroke problem areas until the spot you are working on no longer lightens If a spot

remains and no longer lightens by simply using a chop-stroke, it is time to either re-spray the

appropriate chemical or apply a new chemical that may be more useful for the particular spot you are

working on (See Chemical Chart). A chop stroke should never exceed (5) strokes back and (5) strokes

forward without using at least (10) dry strokes.In cases where a chop stroke causes the stain to

bleed from the inside of the cushion to the outside, you should unzip the cushion cover, flush out the

cushion itself, clean the back of the fabric (the inside), and then (holding the cushion cover off of the

cushion), re-clean the outside of the cushion cover. At this time, place a clean white towel over the

affected area (between the cushion itself and the fabric cushion cover).

4.c.) Dry-Strokeall areas that you have used the chop-stroke method on, as well as any areas that

were inadvertently over-wetted (fabric will begin to smell after staying wet for more than 24 hours,

the colors may bleed, and mold may begin to germinate proper cleaning should result in furniture

being completely dry within 6-10 hours). Dry Strokes will also help prevent Wicking (where residual

soil or stains are brought to the surface during the drying process).

Step 5: Retreatment of Remaining Spots and Stains (for Deep Clean/Spot Treatment only)5.a.) In cases where spots or stains remain after you have completed the initial cleaning process,

additional steps will be required for completion of a quality DeepClean that meets the expectations of

the customer (this is the key to happy and loyal customers).

6.b.) All Fabric Stainshield is the protectant to be sprayed on upholstery as the last step in the cleaning

process. This protectant creates a barrier between the fabric and any dirt, oils, or liquid that might be

spilled or transferred onto the furniture between cleanings.

T.A.C.T. Time/Agitation/Chemical/Temperature:

In regards to proper and complete cleaning the following principles must be used. Where one of these

principles is lessened, another principle must be increased.

1) Time: The amount of time a chemical is allowed to dwell2) Agitation: The amount of manual brushing with an Upholstery Brush.3) Chemical: The amount and quality of the chemical used to remove dirt, spots and stains4) Temperature: The temperature of the water used to clean with hot water for Synthetic Fabrics

and Cold Water for Natural FabricsNatural Fabrics can bleed if cleaned with hot water

upholstery cleaning manual

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