Furnishings

A profitable job for experts
A curtain and upholstery service can boost profits and allows more full loads to be processed. However, it needs skilled counter staff and a cleaning expert who can identify unlabelled fibres and make sound decisions based on the result, to reduce the risks of complaints and large claims. A good service deserves a price that reflects the knowledge, skills and precautions needed.

Soft furnishings are frequently unlabelled so the cleaner must be able to devise a suitable process and must stand by the result. Where there are foreseeable but unavoidable risks, explain the specific problem to the customer and ask for authorisation. A skillful cleaner can use the owner’s risk form to help the sale. For example, it could state: “All curtain fabrics shrink slightly but we minimise the risk by using cooled solvent”.

Many customers are unrealistic about the results so it is important to point out any existing faults at the counter and explain how cleaning could affect them. For example, the slight colour fade at the centre of the curtains will get worse in cleaning when the solvent flushes away the damaged dyes.

The cleaner must have a thorough knowledge of fibres and fabrics. Modacrylic velvets need the drying thermostat on a modern perc machine set down to 40C to avoid pile flattening. Silk curtains are probably best cleaned in hydrocarbon or cyclosiloxane, especially if
unlabelled, to help retain the colour and sheen. If you accept chenille covers these must be completely contained in a net bag.

Staining looks worse

Fault: These curtains were slightly stained when they were brought in but the red marking was much more obvious after they had been drycleaned.

Cause: Much of the staining that curtains suffer during everyday use is drink-based. It contains vegetable dyes, which do not dissolve in drycleaning solvent.

The unremoved tannin stains darken in the tumble dry stage of the process because the sugars in the drink caramelise. The residual staining is not only more obvious but is also locked more firmly onto the cloth.

Responsibility: Most water-based food and drink stains need treating before the item is put into the drycleaning machine. It is the cleaner’s responsibility to try to treat the stain, after testing the fabric to minimise the risk of colour damage.

Rectification: Most stain removal reagent suppliers provide a range of post-spotters designed for the removal of surviving marks. These are stronger and, if applied with patience, will sometimes will reduce a darkened drink stain.

Fading spoils the result

Fault: These curtains were cleaned in hydrocarbon but afterwards had patches of faded colour. The fading was strongest in the areas exposed to light, indicating that it was due to the material’s poor light-fastness.

Cause: These curtains were cleaned in hydrocarbon but afterwards had patches of faded colour. The fading was strongest in the areas exposed to light, indicating that it was due to the material’s poor light-fastness.

The British Standard for curtain fabric requires only that the brand-new fabric has both good light-fastness and good resistance to drycleaning (or washing). It does not say that the fabric must retain its colour when drycleaned after many months (or years) at a well-lit window.

Here, the exposure to light has weakened the dyes and the bonds that hold them to the cloth. This has only been revealed when the drycleaning solvent has flushed away the damaged colour components.

Responsibility: The curtain maker and, ultimately, the fabric dyer should take the blame. The damage has been caused by a feature of the cloth and not by negligence in drycleaning or abuse by the user.

Rectification: None, short of re-dyeing.

Shrinkage shows linings

Fault: These curtains were cleaned in hydrocarbon but afterwards had patches of faded colour. The fading was strongest in the areas exposed to light, indicating that it was due to the material’s poor light-fastness.

Cause: The British Standard for curtain fabric requires only that the brand-new fabric has both good light-fastness and good resistance to drycleaning (or washing). It does not say that the fabric must retain its colour when drycleaned after many months (or years) at a well-lit window.

Here, the exposure to light has weakened the dyes and the bonds that hold them to the cloth. This has only been revealed when the drycleaning solvent has flushed away the damaged colour components.

Responsibility: The curtain maker and, ultimately, the fabric dyer should take the blame. The damage has been caused by a feature of the cloth and not by negligence in drycleaning or abuse by the user.

Rectification: None, short of re-dyeing.