Upholstery Cleaning

Steam Cleaning

Both use the Steam Cleaning Method, but Upholstery Cleaning is a slower more deliberately careful process. More attention to the Fabric is need. Otherwise, there could be loss of colour, bleeding, wicking or shrinking. Wicking is when stains or dark colours seep up to the surface.

Fibres

There are more natural fibres in furniture. Those Fibres absorb moisture which is another reason upholstery cleaning takes more time.

Different Results

The results will be different from Carpet Cleaning. Carpets are very amenable to Steam Cleaning. Upholstery not as much. Admittedly, we have had some great results. Our pictures can attest to that. However we feel it’s important to be honest about what our customers can expect.

Sometimes we simply advise against cleaning your beloved piece. Either it’s simply not worth the cost to you in terms of outcome. Or because cleaning it could make it look worse not better. We know our limitations. Honesty and Customer Satisfaction are too important to us.

Analyzing the Fabric

We’ll start by asking several questions about the fabric to determine if it’s cleanable. We may ask you to check for any cleaning code tags.. Often, we will ask you to send pictures. Please see our Blog on Understanding Upholstery Cleaning Codes.

At your Home

If we feel your treasured piece is worth a clean, when we get to your home we will start by fully inspecting your upholstery. We will make a note of any damage or worn areas that may already be there. We want to make sure that steam cleaning won’t further weaken a worn area.

1. We may use drop sheets depending on where your item has been placed for cleaning.
2. Please note we will have asked you to thoroughly vacuum your upholstery ahead of time. That ensures costs are kept down. However please do not skip this step even if you don’t think it’s got much loose soil or debris to vacuum up. You’ll be surprised.
3. We’ll lightly pre-treat, (also known as preconditioning) and agitate in direction of the weave and a wait a few minutes. This helps loosen and dissolve dirt in the fabric.
4. Hot Water Extraction – then using a truck-mounted machine (or portable for condos), we’ll begin the hot water extraction process with a hand tool specifically designed for Upholstery Steam Cleaning. Mostly we won’t use the wand, but it depends. We do tend to use them on mattresses which are more durable.
5. Extra attention is given to Spots and Stains
6. Using the same hand tool, we go over the furniture again but without steam or moisture to dry vacuum it.
7. Once the steam cleaning is complete, we will apply fabric protection (Scotchgard ™) if it has been requested by the customer.
8. At the end of the job, a post inspection is done (with the customer if s/he is on site). Any stubborn stains will be discussed. As we advise both at the booking stage and before the start of the job, stain removal cannot be guaranteed as some damage may simply be permanent.