By Jeff Cross

Senior Editor

CM/Cleanfax magazine

jcross@cleanfax.com

 

 Taf Baig

www.magicwandcompany.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright

 

2010, all rights reserved

 

Table of Contents

Why furniture cleaning? (challenges)…………..… 3

Fiber basics………………………………………….….….5

Fiber ID…………………………………………………….13

Fiber characteristics……………………………………18

Yarn manufacturing…………………………………….19

Fabrics and weaves..…………………………………….20

Adding color to fabrics………………………………….24

Soils and fabric performance………………………….27

It’s dirty, so clean it (principles of cleaning)..……28

Methods of cleaning………………………………………30

Chemistry of cleaning………………………………..….37

Spot and stain removal……………………………..…..45

Stain Wheel……………………………………………..…..51

Inspection………………………………………..………….53

Fabric problems and concerns…………….………….58

Equipment and chemical list………………………….59

Upholstery cleaning homework………………………60

 

 

 

Why furniture cleaning?

To many in the carpet cleaning industry, this means potential trouble…

Furniture cleaning is not carpet cleaning. The fabrics, weaves and fibers are very different – although many of the techniques you use in carpet cleaning can be transferred to your furniture cleaning efforts.

 

When cleaning carpet, those nylons, olefins and polyesters are easy and though-free – for the most part. But with furniture, you have cottons, linens, silks, wools, rayons, and then the headaches begin.

 

You are faced with:

 

Bleeding – Synthetics are fairly safe, but natural fibers love to give you a challenge. You need to be careful with natural fibers because of the potential of bleeding.

 

Browning – From cellulosics

 

Color loss – Especially in cottons or specialty finishes.

 

Shrinkage – You have a natural backing or material? It can shrink.

 

Haitian Cotton – It’s not as common as it was in the 1980’s, but you still see it. Be careful. Browning is prevalent.

 

Mysterious problems – These occur just because they can. There’s a law out there (Murphy’s Law, enacted long ago) that will pop up over your shoulder from time to time.

 

You still want to clean furniture? Then become the best…

 

Remember, you can’t clean as many pieces of furniture as you can rooms of carpet. In fact, when faced with furniture, immediately take on the attitude of “it’s time to slow down and think… and take my time…”

 

Fabric cleaning has lots of details. From pleats to pillows, you aren’t going to be cleaning with a screaming wand at 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

However, this is a specialty, and good money can be made. Instead of relying on muscle, rely on brainpower.

 

Know your expectations, and your customer’s expectations

 

You should not expect the same cleaning results as you do with carpets. But with patience, knowledge and the right method and chemistry, you can be an expert.

 

Your customer will have expectations. Your customer is probably more concerned with the furniture in the home than the carpet. More time and money has gone into selecting furniture.

 

Along with those expectations comes pricing. Be sure to charge enough and deliver beyond what is expected.

 

Make sure you do proper preinspections, have a signed work order, and have the proper insurance. Remember, though, that if cleaning removes color or alters the texture, insurance most times is worthless. But at least if you broke that valuable Oriental vase, you are covered.

 

The fiber basics:

 

Natural fibers found in fabrics:

 

          These are fibers that originate from plants and animals… and insects. Most natural fabrics are very absorbent (much more than synthetics) and require special care and skill, especially with the chemistry used in your cleaning process.

 

Protein fibers:

 

1.    Protein fibers come from animal or their by-products (wool and silk). A dangerous chemical to any fabrics containing protein fibers is common household (chlorine) bleach (sodium hypochlorite.) This will dissolve protein fibers.

 

2.   Protein fibers are naturally flame resistant, and normally will hide dirt and give fabrics a “warm” look and feel.

 

Wool specifics:

 

·       The fleece of a sheep or lamb – has a natural crimp and so is resilient

·       This three-part fiber (epidermis, cortex and medulla) dates back to 2000 BC

·       Use care with alkalinity. Anything above a pH of 8 can be damaging to wool fibers. Wools of New Zealand recommends cleaning wool fibers between on the acid side, below 7 pH. Dye migration can occur. For the most part, you do not need a high pH for cleaning furniture.

·       When agitating wool fibers, be careful! You can “felt” the fabric if not careful. Felting is the interlocking of the scales of the wool fiber.

·       Only use fluorochemicals as fabric protectors – and use sparingly.

·       Wool can be damaged in direct sunlight.

·       It is “warm” and has low luster.

·       Natural soil resistant, and has protective membrane that repels moisture and at the same time, accepts atmospheric moisture and helps control static.

·       Lamb wool is the first fleece that is sheered from a sheep that is eight months or younger. It is soft and fine.

·       Virgin wool is wool that has never been processed.

·       Pulled wool is fleeced taken from dead animals and is most often used in making wool carpet fibers.

 

Silk Specifics:

 

·       Produced by the silkworm, it is the strongest of all natural fibers.

·       The moth lays the egg, the egg hatches into a caterpillar that then feeds and spins a cocoon, and a moth comes out… and this goes on and on… the cocoon is the part that silk is harvested from.

·       Silk fibers will easily watermark, so be sure to clean them evenly, and with little water.

·       You will find silk interwoven or used in furniture.

·       Has a soft “hand” (feel), very absorbent, good light reflection.

·       Bad parts: Easy to spot, turns yellow with age, damaged by oils like perspiration, and expensive.

 

Cellulosic Fibers:

 

Cellulosic fibers come from plants.

 

Cotton is taken from the seed hairs of the cotton plant via ginning.

·       Cotton is the most popular fiber in the world, and found as the dominant furniture fabric. Mercerizing with an alkaline swells cellulosic fibers and makes them stronger and adds luster. Cotton is often blended with other types of fibers.

·       Only a cellulosic fiber can have “cellulosic browning.” Alkaline agents intensify this, and are not effective in removing browning. Using too much water or not drying a fabric fast enough contributes to browning.

·       Cotton is highly absorbent, which means longer drying times.

·       Cotton is stronger when wet.

·       Has no static buildup.

·       Bad parts: Will shrink, brown, has poor resilience, will abrade, can mold, can deteriorate in sunlight.

 

Linen comes from the stem of the flax plant. If someone refers to a material as “flax” they are normally speaking of linen.

Linen is taken from the woody stem of the plant, and then goes through a rotting or retting process in water for up to three weeks. Resulting fibers pulled from the stem are combed and prepared for spinning into yarns

·       Linen is typically light cream or tan.

·       Lustrous.

·       Good moisture absorbency.

·       Stronger when wet.

·       Good sunlight resistency, more so than cotton.

·       Bad parts: Typically expensive, will brown, shrink, stain, low resilience, poor abrasion, will scare you when it darkens as you clean but then it lightens as it dries, will mold.

 

Jute is made from the stalks of the jute plant. It is used occasionally as a secondary backing in some upholstered pieces. It has good dimensional stability and resistance to dry heat. But it may shrink and rot or brown with overwetting and improper drying.

 

Synthetic fibers found in furniture

 

          Synthetic fibers are man-made and manufactured by one of three spinning methods, and are often referred to as “extrusion.”

          They can be extruded to look “shiny,” “delustered,” or a mix of the two. It depends on the shape of the aperture of the spinneret.

          But not all synthetics are pure synthetics…

Acetate is a manmade fiber but has a background in natural beginnings… Purified cellulose is blended with a glacial acetic acid and then acetic anhydride, resulting in a synthetic fiber with synthetic characteristics.

·       It has good luster and is a good choice in draperies

·       Resistant to shrinkage

·       Has a soft hand

·       Bad parts: Will abrade, dissolves in acetone, weak when wet

Rayon is the first man-made fiber, made to replace silk. Like acetate, it has natural beginnings. Wood pulp or cotton is placed in alkaline, which creates a liquid material that is extruded in fiber form. Color can be added in this step. This process is often referred to “regenerated cellulose” – or a viscose process. Clean rayon as you would a cotton.

·       Soft hand

·       Accepts dyes well

·       Good material for drapes

·       Bad parts: Shrinks, bleeds, browns (remember, it comes from cotton), abrades, not resilient.

 

The pure synthetics

All synthetics are processed equally, with fiber extrusion. Polymer chips are blended and put into a “hopper” and then melted and fed through a “shower head” type device called a spinnerette. Color can be added during this process. The fibers are extruded and go into a cooling chamber, when they are drawn, crimped, stretched and bulked, resulting in a bulk continuous filament (BCF). These can then be cut into staple fibers (remember those carpets that lose their fibers and fill up the vacuums? Those are staple fibers)

 

Nylon is the most popular carpet fiber today, although it isn’t used as much in furniture manufacturing.

–     Nylon is dissolved by strong acids such as formic, muriatic and sulfuric, and melts at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

–     Solution dyeing (pigmented dyeing) is sometimes used.

·       Good resiliency.

·       Has a low soil absorbency.

·       Dyes easily (especially with Kool Aid)

·       Cleans easily (don’t we love nylon?)

·       Doesn’t abrade easily.

·       Bad parts: Likes acid dyes (Kool Aid), will pill (breaking fibers), will fade in sunlight, bleaches easily unless solution dyed.

 

Polyester comes to us from England; it’s normally a staple fiber that is disperse dyed. It’s the most popular furniture fiber that is a synthetic.

·       Has a good hand

·       Good stain resistancy

·       Good fade resistancy

·       Abrasion resistant

·       Cleans easily

·       Not attracted to the common acid dye spill

·       Often blended with cotton

·       Most often found as the fiber of choice for microfibers

·       Resistant to bleach

·       Bad parts: Likes oily soils, yellows, wears fast

 

Acrylic is considered the replacement for wool, and has some same characteristics. Found often in velvet weaves. Always a staple fiber.

·       Usually solution dyed

·       Bleach resistant

·       Good resiliency

·       Resists sunlight fading

·       Strong

·       Bad parts: Abrades, shows soils, sensitive to heat, shades, likes oily soils

 

 

Olefin (polypropylene) fibers are the least absorbent (actually = adsorbent) of all synthetics and will float on water. Remember those Herculon cleaning experts? They were experts in cleaning olefin…

·       Always solution dyed.

·       Resists chemicals and bleach.

·       Stain and fade resistant.

·       Doesn’t abrade easily.

·       Doesn’t absorb water – floats on water.

·       Cleans easily.

·       Bad parts: Poor resiliency, melts at low temps compared to other fibers, likes oily soils, weaker in sunlight.

 

Microfibers have a smaller denier (typically less than 1), or diameter, which makes this a soft fabric. They can often be manufactured to imitate other types of fibers. They often look like leather and suede, but all microfibers are synthetic and most often polyester, so can be cleaned with almost any system. Just watch the texture and your agitation.

 

 

Leather is another category altogether, and the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification has approved an entire class on cleaning leather.

 

Here are some brief leather specifics:

 

Aniline is a fine leather but only represents a small percentage of what you will see. It actually improves and becomes more valuable with age. It is soft, absorbent, easy to scratch, and expensive.

Protected is a stiffer leather and nonabsorbent, hard to scratch, not expensive.

Nubuck is the softest of leathers, absorbent, easy to scratch, and affordable. It has a manmade texture, and often looks like it has a pile.

 

Protected leather is easy and safe to clean, but you should only clean nubuck or aniline after a complete training.

 

Fiber identification:

Why bother? Is this important?

          Fiber identification tells you exactly what you are working on, and what is safe and what is not. A true professional will want to know his “patient” – so to speak.

          There are two basic ways for fiber ID

Burn testing (a simple way to ID fiber):

          This method evaluates several things:

1.    The color of the flame

2.   The way the flame acts

3.   The color of the smoke

4.   The odor of the burning fiber

5.   The color and luster of the burned fiber

6.   The shape and hardness of the burned fiber

 

Synthetic fibers burn/melt and result in a hard plastic bead, while natural fibers burn and have an easily-crumbled ash. Since wool and silk are naturally flame-resistant they may not burn easily.

 

Tools needed to burn test: Ashtray or similar protective surface, tweezers, odorless butane lighter, duckbill scissors, a sensitive nose.

 

 

Fiber identification chart

    Fiber         Flame          Odor             Ash          Color        Chemical ID

Wool/Silk	Orange, sputters, little or no Smoke – flame self-extinguishes	Burning hair for wool Burning feathers for silk	Irregular, black, crumbles	Light black	Dissolves in bleach
Cotton/jute	Orange, smolders, little or no smoke	Burning paper	Irregular and crumbly	Gray	Dissolves in sulfuric acid
Rayon	Orange, smolders, little or now smoke	Burning paper	Soft ash and no bead	Gray	Dissolves in sulfuric acid
Acetate	Sizzles	Acetic acid	Hard bead	Black	Dissolves in acetone
Acrylic	Orange, sputters, black smoke	Acid and harsh, burning meat	Irregular and hard, can crumble	Black	No response
Nylon	Orange, blue base, even flame, little/no smoke	Celery	Round bead, very hard	Grey, brown or black	Dissolves in formic acid
Olefin (Polypropylene)	Orange, blue base, even flame, little/no smoke	Tar or asphalt	Round bead, very hard	Light tan or brown	Floats in water, has less specific gravity
Polyester	Orange, sputters, very black smoke	Sweet and fruity	Round black bead, very hard	Black or brown, shiny	No response

 

Fiber ID shortcuts: 

 

Best way to identify wool is with a burn test and the resulting odor of burning hair. Wool also dissolves in chlorine bleach.

 

Best way to identify nylon is to put a small amount of formic acid on the nylon sample. Within about 15 seconds, you should see the nylon completely dissolve.

 

Formic acid has no affect on polyester.

 

Olefin floats freely in water.

 

Important: Blends and chemical treatments can alter tests. Most important aspect of testing for fiber content is to determine if a fiber is synthetic or natural.

 

 

The second way is to use the last entry on the chart – chemical reaction. A user perspective angle:

 

Wool/silk: A good sense of smell works fine. Wet wool smells like a wet dog. A burn test for wool will show it ignites and burns with a sputter and smells like burning hair. Wool will char and pull or curl away from the flame. Once pulled away from the flame, it normally self-extinguishes. It makes a true ash in that it easily crumbles. Burned silk smells like burned feathers.

 

Cotton/Jute: These are both cellulosic fibers and ignite easily when a flame is applied. It will burn rapidly with an orange or yellow flame. When pulled from the flame, it will continue to burn rapidly and have a red “afterglow” when the flame goes out. It smells like burning paper – because it is! Since it is a natural fiber, the ash is crumbly. (Note: Natural fibers are absorbent and so take more drying time). Cellulosic browning can only come from plant fibers.

 

Rayon: A popular furniture fiber. This fiber scorches and ignites easily. Once the flame is applied, it burns fast with an orange flame and sometimes blue. When pulled from the flame, it continues to burn fast with a red “afterglow” when the flame goes out. It smells like burning paper because that is its original content. It leaves a soft ash.

 

Acetate: This fiber will sizzle and have an acid odor to it. The bead is hard and black. It will dissolve in acetone.

 

Acrylic: Acrylic will melt and shrink away from the flame. Once the flame is applied, it will burn fast, with bright, sputtering flames. Smells mostly like burning meat, and has lots of smoke. It will even drip as it burns. Has appearance of wool.

 

Nylon: This fiber will melt and shrink from an approaching flame. Once in the flame, it will melt and burn slowly and have virtually no smoke. It will self-extinguish. Formic acid is the easiest test for nylon.

 

Olefin: This is an easy one. All things being equal, it floats in water. It’s the least absorbent fiber on the market. Test it in a cup of water with a small amount of dish soap. That will break the surface tension and allow a true test. Put the fiber in the water, squeeze out the air, and if it floats right to the top, it’s olefin. For burn testing, it melts and shrinks away from the flame, and once in the flame, it melts and burns, and when withdrawn, continues to burn.

 

Polyester: This fiber melts and shrinks from the flame, and once in the flame it melts and burns slowly. When withdrawn, it continues to burn slowly, melts and drips. It has a slightly sweet smell. Plastic beverage bottles are made into polyester fibers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Characteristics of fiber types:

Fiber                                   Advantage                  Disadvantage

Nylon	Dyes easily, very resilient, easy to clean, hides soils, accepts protectants* well, easy to perform spot removal	If not stain resistant, nylon fibers can be stained by acid dyes, found in most spills
Olefin	Olefin is solution dyed, so there are no dye sites and thus extremely spot and stain resistant. Cleans easily, colorfast* Can be bleached with .5% or 1% solution of sodium hypochlorite	Can’t be color repaired, likes oily spills, melts easily. When exposed to direct sunlight, may become brittle and split easily (more so than other synthetics)
Polyester	Very colorfast, spot and stain resistant, cleans easily. Slightly bleachable but will lose some color.	Mats and crushes easily, likes oily spills, abrasion (wear), pilling, yellowing with body oils
Wool/silk	Wears well due to natural crimp, hides dirt, easy to repair color, feels “warm” and cleans easily	Costly, easy to stain, damaged by some alkaline agents, dissolved by bleach spills, slow to dry
Cotton/jute/linen	Dyes easily and withstands bleach. Can be color repaired.	Shrinks, stains easily, absorbs dirt, subject to cellulosic browning, slow to dry because of absorbency.
Rayon	Inexpensive fiber, very colorful	Absorbent as cotton, slow drying fiber, low resiliency. Can shrink every time it is wet cleaned, weakest when wet
Acetate	Imitation silk, at fraction of cost, low absorbency, resistant to sunlight. Usually disperse or solution dyed, so it is colorfast.	Stains easily, wear and chemical sensitive. Dissolves in acetone (fingernail polish remover).
Acrylic	Imitation wool. Solution or dispersed dyed (resists staining, bleaching) holds colors well, sun resistant, imitation wool, cleans easily	Sensitive to heat, loses dimensional stability. Tend to yellow or gray in heavy use areas. Damaged by moist heat above 200 F.

 

 

 

 

 

Yarn manufacturing

So now you know all about specific fiber types… but that’s just the beginning. Those fibers now have to be spun into yarns.

 

These will end up being woven, tufted, knitted or flocked.

A durable olefin fiber can be weaker than a cotton fiber if the weave is made in such a way as the cotton fiber is tighter and has more bulk. Don’t assume that a specific fiber is Superman.

 

Remember from earlier in this manual that there are two types of fibers: Bulked continuous filament (BCF) and staple. You will find most furniture fibers are staple, as it resembles natural fibers more closely.

 

Blending of fibers is done so you have a more uniform product. If one piece of furniture was made from just one sheep… you might have a texture or color concerns. But blend the wool fibers of 100 sheep together and a better mix develops.

 

Carding of fibers straightens the fibers.

 

Pin drafting keeps them straight and as close as possible before twisting.

 

Spinning is when the fibers are formed into a yarn (spun together).

 

Plying is done by taking formed yarns, two or more, and twisting them together to get a stronger yarn. These can be done tight or loose, depending on desired effect.

 

There are also yarns that are made with variations, typically called “novelty yarns”. These have a core (the base), effect (the part that goes around the base) and a binder (this one ties the effect yarn to the base), and can include:

Boucle’ – These are plied yarns, usually three-ply and having one thread looser than the others, that produces a rough-textured cloth. Also referred to ratine.

Slub yarns are made by have various twist strengths along the length of a yarn, where in once section the twist is tighter and an inch later it is looser. The area that is softer and thicker is the slub – and is also weaker.

Seed yarns are loosely twisted yarns and have a binder yarn that holds everything in place. A weak yarn that is used as a decoration.

 

Fabrics and weaves

 

Fabrics in upholstery is an almost endless category. Unlike installed carpet, there are many weaves and fabrics you will clean.

 

In carpet, almost everything you clean is tufted – but in furniture care, most everything you clean is woven, although fabrics can also be tufted, flocked, quilted, etc.

 

What is weaving?

 

A simple description of weaving is an interlacing of fibers or yarns. Think of a basket, and how each piece of material goes in and out of other pieces. Look closely at your clothes, and you can see most often a typical basket weave.

 

Warp goes up, weft goes left and right

 

The lengthwise yarn is called the “warp” and the yarn crossing the warp is the “weft”. As a loom is working, the length of the fabric is the warp length. The tighter the warp and weft yarns, the better durability a fabric has.

 

Types of weaves

 

Plain weaves (typically called “basket”) are the most common in furniture. Strong weave, durable, easy to clean, can use agitation in both directions of warp and weft.

 

Basket weave is two or more warps and two or more wefts side by side

Ribbed weave is like the name implies… an uneven number of yarns crossing over a number of larger yarns – with the result having a “ribbed” or uneven appearance.

Twill weaves have a diagonal movement of the yarns, with herringbone as one of the most recognized. These weaves are very strong and durable.

Satin weaves look shiny due to the “float yarns” in the weave. A “float” yarn is a yarn that “floats” across several other yarns, giving it the shiny appearance. Be careful with agitation on satin weaves because the “float” yarns are not durable.

Jacquard weaves have a “negative” backing… in other words, what you see on the surface is reversed on the backing. These fabrics will bleed easily, and usually have many colors. Examples of Jacquard would be brocade, with patters of flowers and figures embossed, brocatelle, same as brocade but with high-relief patterns, and damask, a mixture of Jacquard and satin.

Tapestry weaves are found most often hanging on walls…they have a high pattern face and design. The backing is the same design but different colors.

Pile weaves have many categories. A pile simply means a weave with extra yarns coming up to make a face pile – such as found in carpet. Velvet, corduroy and chenille are examples. Like in carpet, pile weaves can be very dirty without looking dirty, so clean with that in mind. Be sure to set the nap for best appearance – just like in carpet.

Tufting is a style found in 90% of all carpets, but only a small amount in furniture. Tufting machines push the material into a backing. There is typically a layer of glue (latex) on the backing to hold it all together, so be careful in using solvents.

 

 

Flocked weaves have short fibers, typically nylon, that are glued onto the surface of a fiber cloth. An electrostatic method keeps the fibers upright until they are implanted into the glue (latex). Be very careful with solvent cleaning, as the only thing holding these fibers together is glue.

Quilted weaves have three layers, and look like a bedspread quilt. Often, a filling material is present – so be careful with moisture.

 

 

 

 

 

Fabric finishes

Moire looks like a material with water marks. Watch the agitation on these weaves as you can remove the watermarking effect.

Polished or high-polished cotton has a “glazing” that gives the cotton fabric a shine. Chintz is the same thing except it has a printed design. Wear and cleaning can remove this shine, so be very careful with agitation, temperature and chemistry. Use lower moisture.

 

Adding color to fabrics

 

Fabric dyeing and colors is one of the main reasons your customers choose certain pieces for their homes.

Primary colors are: Red, blue and yellow, with all other colors coming from these three.

 

How fabrics receive their color

 

The following are considered “pre-dyed” in that they are dyed before becoming a fabric:

·       Solution dyeing simply means the fiber had color added before being extruded… so solution dyeing only applies to synthetic fibers. All olefin fibers are solution dyed, while many nylon fibers are solution dyed and a few polyester fibers are solution dyed. (Pigments are used in this system instead of soluble dyes – the following use soluble dyes).

·       Stock dyeing is dyeing a fiber in basic stock (staple) form, before becoming a yarn or woven into a fabric.

·       Yarn dyeing is the dyeing of individual yarns, before being woven into a fabric.

 

The following are considered “post dyed” because they are dyed after becoming a fabric:

·       Continuous dyeing is a process where the fabric or “greige” good are put through a continuous dyeing process, continually run through a dye bath without interruption.

·       Beck or piece dyeing is used to dye separate pieces of fabric (thus the name “piece”) – typically when the fabric is complete.

·       Print dyeing is the process where a pattern is sprayed or rolled onto the fabric.

 

Color troubles and cleaning nightmares

 

With all the fibers, weaves and finishes, one of the most fear-inspiring challenges upholstery cleaners face is with color loss or color bleeding.

Bleeding is the loss of color with moisture present, without agitation. Alkaline cleaning agents, too hot of water, or if a fabric is wet too long can make this happen. Dye sites can release color. Fabrics that are potential bleeders include, but are not limited to:

Jacquards, prints, needlepoint, quilts, tapestries, any area with color change (patterns, flowers, etc.)

 

Because of bleeding, always pretest fabrics. Put a small amount of your strongest cleaning agent in an inconspicuous area, apply pressure and wait 10 minutes to see if you have color transfer. Always prequalify each job with each customer.

 

Transition areas are a challenge. This includes arms, headrests, welting – any area where your upholstery tool might lose some vacuum and leave more moisture behind. Towel these areas with a white, cotton terry cloth.

 

Crocking occurs either wet or dry, but with agitation. The “rubbing off” of a dye.

Fume fading is the loss of color or change of color due to atmospheric fumes. This is not your fault, but don’t take the blame. Pre-inspect.

Bleaches, whether chlorine, benzoyl or peroxide, plus others, will remove color.

Ozone will also remove color.

 

Other color problems include metamerism (the way fabrics look different in different light sources); shading (change in color when pile is bent and light reflects differently than when new); soil shading (abrasion of fibers from soils and altering color reflection); pH indicator dyes (altering an indicator dye with pH changes color).

 

Soils and fabric performance

 

Soil is anything that shouldn’t be there

 

Types of soils: Most soils are acidic, and between two and 10 microns (a micron is a measurement of 1/1,000,000 of a meter). Fine particulate soils can scratch and abrade fibers, giving them a dull appearance. Frequent vacuuming is best for removing most fine particulate soils.

 

Nearly 80 percent of dry soils can be vacuumed away, but compared to carpet, furniture fabrics have more oily soils. Fabrics act as a sink that will trap particle soils, dander (human and animal) and many other pollutants.

 

Types of soils:

 

·       Water soluble soils: These are soils that can be absorbed into a water-based carrier. Examples: Beverages, tracked-in soils, food spills, pet “spills.”

·       Solvent soluble soils: These are soils that need a solvent to dissolve them. Examples: Tar, oil, grease, greasy foods, cosmetics, sugars.

·       Insoluble soils: These are soils that cannot be absorbed or dissolved. Example: Beach sand, hair, clay, carbon (copy toner).

Typically, 79% of soils are insoluble.

 

It’s dirty, so clean it

 

Principles of cleaning

 

Remember: Pre-inspection prevents problems, pre-vacuuming aids in cleaning (don’t make mud, instead, vacuum the dry soils).

 

After inspection and pre-vacuuming, use TACT.

 

TACT (Time, agitation, chemical action, temperature) Balance these four principles out during the cleaning process. If you reduce one, you must increase another. It’s a balancing act.

 

Time: This includes chemical dwell time and working time

 

Agitation: Works solution into the fiber, distributes preconditioner, suspends soils

 

Chemical action: Proper formulation and use of chemicals suspends soils and breaks them down, reduces surface tension of water.

 

Temperature: Hot cleans best, within reason. Cleaning goes faster with hot water. Anyone that has washed a dirty, greasy dish knows this. For every 18 degrees Fahrenheit above 118 degrees Fahrenheit, you increase the chemical activity by 2 X. Some claim that hot water extraction will create a new fiber “memory” by using extreme temperatures (called “heat setting”) but it is virtually impossible to get water that hot.

 

TACT is used to suspend soil – and can be applied to multiple cleaning methods, from shampoo to foam to hot water extraction.

 

Removing suspended soils (soil extraction) is performed to physically transfer soils from the furniture into another medium – perhaps a cleaning machine, a bonnet or towel, or a solvent solution. Increased solution temperatures help this process, along with increased surfactancy. Remember those bleeders! If you have a bleeder, you need to reduce TACT. Shorten cleaning times, lessen moisture, lower the temperature, use less chemistry. After soil removal, dispose wastewater in an approved drain.

Grooming upholstery fabrics is much more important than grooming carpets. Especially with pile weaves, and even more importantly with velvet weaves, you need to set the nap. For natural velvets, do this after each section, and do it in each direction with the final grooming in the direction of pile lay. Use a carding brush or velvet brush.

Drying the fabric is also important in upholstery care. When the piece is dry, it is safe. Drying is affected by humidity levels, air flow, amount of soil, the method you used to clean (HWE versus dry foam, etc.) If you use an airmover, angle the air flow across the piece, and not directly on it, so as to not push moisture into the foam. The technician is always responsible and at fault if overwetting occurs. Perform extra dry strokes when cleaning and use white cotton towels for more soil and moisture transfer.

 

Furniture should be cleaned every 12-24 months – which means you need to educate your customers. Maintenance cleaning is something your customer might do (vacuuming and spotting) while normal cleaning is what is recommended each 12-24 months – performed by you, the trained textile cleaner.

 

Salvage, or restorative cleaning is very typical, since most consumers do not clean their furnishings as often as they should. Sever soils, stains, wear and more problems make this a challenge. Many unforeseeable problems can arise when doing this type of work. Inspect and have the customer sign a work order outlining everything you will do, along with expectations.

 

Methods of cleaning

 

There is no right or wrong method of cleaning. What’s great in this industry is you can choose what method you want to use. Match up the fiber, weave and soil to the method you think will work best. The main difference is the carrier used to remove soils.

 

When using your method of choice, don’t forget dry vacuuming first, then applying TACT (time, agitation, chemical and temperature).

 

When cleaning delicates, watch the amount of agitation you use and always towel off each section as you clean. Clean in sections – don’t do an entire piece and then start inspecting. Make this a “step-by-step” procedure.

 

1.   Dry solvent cleaning

 

This method is not used often as cleaning with low moisture has gained popularity. So dry solvent cleaning is mainly utilized when colors bleed or run with any type of water-based solutions, or when materials show signs of shrinking when moisture is applied.

 

But be careful using dry solvents when there is a latex backing or foam present. You do not want solvents to penetrate to those areas, as they can be weakened in solvent. Always remember that limited amounts of soils will be removed with this method – it is strictly a maintenance method used for delicate fabrics.

 

How to perform dry solvent cleaning:

 

a.    Apply dry solvent to furniture section with a trigger sprayer or pump-up sprayer and carefully agitate into the fabric and then towel dry, or

b.    Apply dry solvent to furniture section with a hand bonnet, brush or towel to remove soils, or

c.     Use an approved machine that will apply the solvent under pressure and remove with vacuum (dry solvent extraction machine).

 

Remember: Use plenty of ventilation, vent to the outside, shut of building’s HVAC system, or at least close off cold air return vents. Be careful of the solvent’s flash point (temperature when ignition can occur), do not smoke, turn off pilot lights and other ignitable sources, use proper extensions and grounds, use drop cloths, wear proper personal protection equipment (PPE) such as respirator, gloves and skin and eye protection, dispose of solvents in accordance with local and federal regulations. Keep the dry solvent use within the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) – the measurement of air concentration of solvents that workers can be exposed to in an 8 hour-40 hour work week. These are listed on the material safety data sheet.

 

2. Dry foam cleaning

 

Now we are into wet cleaning, and dry foam cleaning – although using very little water – is still considered wet cleaning and the safest wet cleaning method you can use.

 

This system is very safe for fabrics and technician alike – along with occupants.

 

How to perform dry foam cleaning:

 

a.    Add the proper amount of upholstery shampoo (preferably on the acid side) to a measured amount of hot water in a bucket. Whip the solution into a foam, and use a hand bonnet, brush or towel and apply the dry foam only to the furniture section. Agitate. Wet vacuum with portable or truckmounted machine (or towel off the dry foam and soils), or

b.    Purchase a machine capable of producing dry foam and that has a wet extraction feature. Use the machine’s tool to distribute the foam on to the piece, work it in and use the same machine to vacuum the wet soils (or towel if the machine only produces foam without extraction). Follow machine manufacturer’s recommendations on using their equipment.

 

3.  Shampoo cleaning

 

This method uses more moisture, more chemicals and at times, more agitation. It’s very effective as you use more water for soil removal and wetter, active chemistry than the previous two methods.

 

 

 

How to perform shampoo cleaning:

 

a.    If the piece is medium to heavily soiled, you may apply a preconditioner to loosen these soils. Always pretest.

b.    Use a trigger sprayer, pump-up sprayer or other applicable sprayer to apply shampoo to the section. You can also use a bucket and hand bonnet/brush to apply the shampoo. Agitate it into the material thoroughly, loosening all soils, and wet vacuum, or

c.     Do the above and allow the solution to dry, and dry vacuum, or

d.    Use this method with hot water extraction, explained next.

 

4. Hot water extraction

 

Hot water extraction is the most aggressive, most effective way to remove soils because of the flushing action. It is not the only way to clean, and not the only way to clean effectively. But, minute for minute and dollar for dollar, this method is fast and effective.

 

Remember that all overwetting is due to operator error.

 

How to perform hot water extraction:

 

a.    Apply preconditioner if necessary

b.    Work preconditioner into fabric, agitating until soils are loose

c.     Using a portable or truckmounted machine, carefully move the upholstery cleaning tool with trigger applied over the fabric. Never stop movement as overwetting can occur. Let off the trigger 1-2 inches before lifting the tool off the fabric. You can do single passes, double, or chop stroke, especially on spots and stains – but be careful of removing color or damaging texture.

d.    Dry vacuum all areas with same tool.

e.     Towel off all areas, or at least all transition areas.

 

Note: Hot water extraction uses more heat, more water and more vacuum (measured by cubic feet per minute (CFM) and lift) than other methods. Water pressure is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI). Drying should occur within 6-8 hours, and never exceed 24 hours in any circumstance. Use air movers, customer’s ventilation system (with permission) and towels to aid in drying.

 

One effective method is to use shampoo and HWE together. Use the shampoo as the agitation stage, and then use hot water extraction to remove soils.

 

Remember, you can blend and combine all methods – this is try custom cleaning. For example: You can use HWE with dry solvents. You might carefully use dry solvents on all areas not heavily soiled, and then carefully use hot water extraction on the seat cushions or arms, where the dry solvent wasn’t effective. Or you could use dry solvents and shampoo.

 

Use your common sense and judgment when cleaning and mixing methods.

 

No matter the method of cleaning, always groom fabrics with a pile. You want to set the nap before it dries. Do these to each section as you complete each area.

 

Safety issues

 

1.     All vehicles (including truckmounts) need to exhaust away from the building.

2.    Mount all propane tanks on outside of truck.

3.    Inspect and replace hoses often.

4.    Make sure all extensions and power cords have the third plug – the ground.

5.    Have an MSDS for each chemical on the truck within reach of the seat-belted driver.

6.    Label all containers, and don’t give out samples not formulated and labeled for consumer use.

7.    Carry or provide proper PPE, especially gloves, eye protection and respirators.

8.    Mix chemicals only at your own location or in the van.

 

OSHA has “right to know” laws. Become familiar with them. In a nutshell, all workers have a right to know what chemicals they are using and what hazards may be present. Some standards you can research include: Respiratory protection 1910.134; Bloodborne pathogens 1910.1030; and Personal protective equipment 1910.132.

 

Chemistry of cleaning

 

Now that you know the principles of cleaning and methods of cleaning, it’s time to get technical and learn about the chemistry involved.

 

pH and cleaning

 

pH stands for “potential of hydrogen” and in layman’s terms measures the acidity or alkalinity of a water-based solution. The pH chart (see below) runs from 0-14, with 0 being most acidic and 14 being most alkaline. When you move one whole number of the pH scale, you have a solution 10 times stronger than the previous solution.

 

pH is very important in cleaning, as too high of a pH can create more bleeding and more troubles with delicate fabrics, and can leave a fabric with a stiff  feel (hand).

 

Leaving a fabric in a slightly acidic state is always best.

 

Review this following chart, and think about what you clean and what chemistry you use, and where it fits in on the chart:

 

Soils                              Neutral                         Alkaline

 

Think of the pH scale as a rumbling, dangerous chemical reaction. As you increase or decrease one whole number on the pH scale, you get a reaction that is 10 X the amount from the previous number.

 

0 1 2 3 4 5 6       7       8 9 10 11 12 13 14

 

Numbers 0-6 are acidic, while 8-14 are alkaline. The pH scale stops at 14. Distilled water has a pH of 7.

 

The strength of a cleaning solution is determined by its pH and its concentration. Just because a pH of 8 is the same distance from neutral as a pH of 6 (from the neutral 7), don’t assume by mixing equal amounts that you get a perfect balance to 7 again.

 

A chemical with a pH of 10 is 1,000 times stronger than a chemical with a pH of 7. A chemical with a pH of 2 is 100,000 times stronger than a chemical with a pH of 7.

 

Note: Changing the pH of a fiber can alter an indicator dye. Use the opposite pH to correct this. Always test the final product – the fabric surface – for a pH reading. What’s in the bottle or jug isn’t always the determining factor.

 

Important chemistry words in cleaning

 

1.    Compound – A substance with two or more elements bonded together with a chemical. Soap is an example of a compound.

2.   Mixture – A substance with two or more different elements mixed together, with the separating of these performed easily but without a chemical reaction. Simple dirt is an example.

3.   Solubility – Something that is soluble will dissolve into something else (sugar in water). A solvent is a generic word for anything that will dissolve something else (water, acetone, gasoline). Something that is not soluble (sand, hair, graphite) will not dissolve, but has to be physically removed.

4.   Emulsifier – This is the process of dispersion, such as dispersing one liquid into another one for removal of soils, when the mixture is not mixable (or immiscible, such as oil and water).

5.   Surfactant – This is a tremendously important aspect of chemistry and cleaning. Surfactants allow emulsification. A surfactant changes the surface tension of water, making water penetrate and allow cleaning to take place. Classes of surfactants include anionic (negative), cationic (positive) and non-ionic (no charge). In carpet cleaning you are not allowed to use cationic chemistry in stain resistant carpets, but in furniture that’s not an issue. Anionic and non-ionic are effective cleaners, and cationics are typically disinfectants and biocides.

6.   Builders - To increase alkalinity and cleaning performance, builders are used. It also helps reduce hard water.

7.   Saponification – Fancy word, but basically it means the converting fat into soap. Clean a greasy restaurant with alkaline, and you have a saponification process that can be more easily rinsed.

8.  Hydrophilic – anything that loves water but hates oil.

9.   Hydrophobic – anything that hates water but loves oil.

 

The ultimate chemical in cleaning: Water

 

The best cleaning occurs in water, as most materials that create soiling is water-soluble – after vacuuming, of course, which removes nearly 80% of dry soils.

 

Water is attracted to water – which is why when you put water in a plate, it tends to hold itself together until you touch the surface with soap or detergent – which breaks the water bond.

 

This is called “surface tension”, and in cleaning, you must break this tension. To make something stain resistant, you reduce the surface tension on the fabric, so to penetrate that reduced tension, you have to lower water’s tension to below that of the surface.

 

There are various ways to break surface tension of water and make water wetter. Earliest ways was with real soap (fat and lye), and the soap made the water work better.

 

Today, we use synthetic detergents because real soaps cause rapid resoiling. Synthetic detergents can be formulated scientifically to clean specific soils without becoming “sticky” and thus resoiling.

 

Plus, synthetic detergents work better in hard water than real soap does.

 

The best cleaning detergent, no matter your cleaning method, will include, but not limited to:

 

·       Surfactancy to break surface tension of water

·       Builders to provide alkalinity, soften the water, and keep soils suspended

·       Solvents to break down oils, especially in furniture where body oils need removed

 

Soap and detergent molecules have in common two things: Hydrophobic and hydrophilic features. One end of the soap or detergent molecule is hydrophilic, in that it loves water and wants to penetrate water and get to work. The other end is hydrophobic, in that it hates water but loves oil. Together, they go to work and remove both types of soils.

 

Chemicals we use in cleaning

 

Most of you are carpet cleaners, as carpet cleaning naturally leads to furniture cleaning. The chemistry used in furniture is very similar to carpet, except there are more natural fibers in furniture so our chemistry has to reflect the danger of damage.

 

Nearly all carpet is synthetic, and isn’t harmed by most chemistry. Don’t make that assumption with furniture. Blends create havoc.

 

Furniture fabrics are thin; you don’t need to penetrate an inch into a material to get the soil removed.

 

Watch the pH of your cleaning chemistry for furniture. For the most part, lower is better.

 

1.    Preconditioners – This is the workhorse of the operation, and the rinsing agent is the buggy. You want to apply a good preconditioner to suspend soils. Most preconditioners are alkaline, since soils are acidic. Categories of preconditioners range from mild to very strong on the pH scale, depending on manufacturer. Try to stay under 10 on the pH scale. No matter what, you want to rinse out the preconditioner and leave the material in a slightly acidic state.

2.   Rinse detergents – This chemical runs through your portable or truckmounted machine, and rinses out the soils and preconditioner used in cleaning. Keep your pH as close to neutral or slightly acidic for best final results. You can use high-alkaline rinse agents for severe soiling as long as the material can handle it, but always reduce the pH of the fabric before drying. Strong acid rinses remove previous detergents and foam, and rinses old urine salts (which are alklaline). Mild acids are good for preventing browning and bleeding, and leaves the fabric softer (soft hand).

3.   Shampoos – Typically found in both alkaline and acid solutions, with surfactancy to break water tension and remove soils. These dry to a crystal and can be vacuumed wet or dry, depending on product.

4.   Deodorizers – It’s best not to use too much chemistry, but if a piece has an odor that isn’t removed with cleaning, choose a quality deodorizer safe for the piece in question. Deodorizers can be broke down to:

Scents – these mask malodors while cleaning, and dissipate

Neutralizers – these attract odor molecules and neutralize them

Biocides – these are sanitizers or disinfectants, and reduce microbial levels

Oxidizers – such as sodium percarbonate or hydrogen peroxide, they reduce odors by adding oxygen

 

The best way to remove odors is to remove the source. A complete cleaning is the best type of deodorizing. However, odors often penetrate into the foam cushion, and that needs either replaced or deodorized. Each job is different. Too much contamination means it would be more cost efficient to replace the foam.

 

5.   Fabric protectors – A quality fabric protector is smart business. You can use water-based or solvent-based protectors, but for furniture, solvent-based is often the best choice, especially when concerned with moisture. Most solvent protectors (fluorochemicals) are carried by mineral spirits. When applying either type, always follow manufacturer’s directions.

 

Applying chemicals can be performed with trigger sprayers, pump-up sprayers, battery-powered sprayers or inline sprayers. They can be applied with brushes or towels. There’s no right or wrong way. But since many furniture cleaning jobs are small, you can often do all chemical applications with a few trigger sprayers.

 

Spot and stain removal

 

Hopefully, your normal cleaning will remove most spots. Stains are a different matter, as a stain is something that adds color, often a permanent color, and more drastic efforts need to be taken.

 

Natural fibers are more likely to have permanent stains. They also release spots slower.

 

Don’t be so aggressive that you create texture or color change. That’s your fault. You didn’t put the spot or stain on the furniture – but if you change color or texture, you take the blame.

 

Step 1: Identify spots or stains

 

Spot – substance added

          gum, tar, food, ink

Stain – color added

          wine, red pop, mustard

Discolorations – color removed

          bleach, medicine

Damage – repair required

          strong acids, burns

 

Ask the customer, use your senses, analyze the location, smell, touch.

 

Which spots are actually stains and will require extra effort?

 

Difference between spot and stain

 

A spot is an external contamination, such as gum, tar, food spill like ketchup…

 

A stain is an internal contamination, such as Kool Aid, mustard, red wine… although a spot and stain can be together, especially before rinsing the spot away – and then you see the stain.

 

Tools to have in spot and stain kit:

 

·       Flip-top bottles

·       Trigger sprayers

·       Funnel

·       Ultraviolet light

·       Tamping brush (for working chemical in and agitation)

·       Scraper

·       White cotton towels

·       Duckbill napping shears

·       Pipettes

·       Measuring cups

·       pH test kit, including butane lighter and tweezers

·       Iron or steamer for color stain removal

 

Chemistry needed:

 

·       Dry solvents: Volatile (dries or evaporates quickly and completely, with no residuals) dry solvent (VDS) can be a formulated dry solvent or a citrus solvent (good for gum removal), used for oily spots (and mystery spots). A non-volatile dry solvent (NVDS), or a POG solvent is used for paint, oil, grease, and must be rinsed out with a VDS or very hot water because they can cause rapid resoiling. Many NVDS are gels. (Cautions: These dissolve latex, damages foam, can cause skin damage including dryness, creating poor indoor air quality). Acetone is a solvent you can use on synthetics, but don’t use on any fibers with acetate as the solvent will dissolve the fiber. Use adequate ventilation with solvents. Only spot clean with dry solvents; never clean entire sections.

·       Wet solvents: These can be alkaline (ammonias), acid (7% acetic, as found in vinegars, and good for coffee (tea and coffee create tannin stains), urine or feces removal), or neutral cleaners, protein spotters, digesters (enzymes for protein stains like egg, blood, dairy products) and rinses. (Cautions: Alkalines can cause dye bleeds and color transfers).

·       Rust removers: Oxalic, hydrofluoric, phosphoric acids, or other formulations. Use caution, and always neutralize and rinse. (Can etch glass, burn skin)

·       Oxidizers: Most popular include hydrogen peroxide (accelerate with ammonia), a fairly safe color bleach (store in cool, dry area, use fresh only). Oxidizers add oxygen to the fiber. Household bleach is an oxidizer, (never add ammonia!) but is generally banned from the carpet cleaner’s kit, as color damage can be extensive.

·       Reducing agents: Sodium hydrosulfite, sodium bisulfite, etc. are used with heat activation to remove unwanted colors by removing oxygen from the fiber. These can also remove original colors, so use caution. (Accelerate with acids)

·       Red dye removers: A heat transfer system that physically removes color from fibers. Dye stains are the most difficult to remove and may require “sectioning” or “patching” the carpet.

Enzymes:

·       Proteases, which break down proteins such as blood, egg, milk.

·       Amylases, which break down starch-based stains, such as gravy, pudding, and potato.

·       Lipases, which break down grease, oils and fats such as margarine and oil.

·       Cellulases, which break down cellulosic materials and are used for color maintenance or restoration benefits on cotton textiles.

Note: Enzymes take time, don’t like other chemicals, and don’t like high heat

 

 

 

 

Spot/stain removal procedures

 

Steps of removal – proper procedure:

 

1.      Remove contamination (blot, vacuum). 

2.     When determining how much solution to use in cleaning, start with small amounts. Using a flip-top bottle is recommended, or an eyedropper.

3.     Dissolve with dry solvent action if unknown source. (Be wary of delamination).

4.     If spot is a stain, utilize the stain wheelä to determine proper technique.

5.     Do not over saturate when spotting (limit capillary action – which is essentially “wicking” or “reappearing” and the contamination works up to fibers tips. This then attracts soils. Using a poultice such as an absorbent powder or a towel, weighed down, will collect these contaminants)

6.     Add solvent like d-Limonene (rinses with water) to water based pre-sprays.

7.     Carry a spotting bottle with water based pre-spray and d-Limonene mixed at a higher dilution and get the spots that do not come out when cleaning the 1^st time (while you are still cleaning)

8.    When removing spots/stains, work from the outside into the center of the spot/stain. Tamp or blot – never rub.

9.     When there is concern of spreading the spot/stain, contain it by surrounding the spot/stain. You can mix peroxide and ammonia in equal amounts and use this as your containment. It also aids in removing the color of the stain. Always be careful with strong chemicals on natural fibers.

10. Give your cleaning solution time to work. Dry solvents don’t need the time that water-based solutions or specialty solutions need.

11.  Heat activates chemistry. Do not use excessive heat on protein stops/stains or on delicate fabric.

12. Always completely rinse cleaning solutions from the fabric.

13. If a spot/stain is “unremovable” you can often get results by leaving an oxidizer on the spot/stain and cover with plastic and allow dwelling for up to 24 hours. Only on colorfast, synthetic fabrics.

14. In some situations, you can use high heat and oxygen, but only on synthetic, colorfast fabrics.

15. Use solvent based protectors as they help prevent capillary action by the nature of their chemistry and the faster drying.

 

The following chart is a great reference guide to make sure you stay in the right “family” of spot and stain removal chemistry.

 

 

 

 

 

Best practices for removing spots while performing regular cleaning

1.      Do not over saturate when prespraying (limits capillary action)

2.     Add solvent like d-Limonene (rinses with water) to water based pre-sprays

3.     Agitate all cleaning solutions into the fabric.

4.     Carry a spotting bottle with water based pre-spray and d-Limonene mixed at a higher dilution.

5.     Use solvent based protectors as they not only work better, but prevent capillary action by the nature of their chemistry and the quick drying.

6.     Chop stroke and other techniques help remove stubborn spots and stains, but be careful of damaging fabric.

 

Exercise: Put the following spots or stains where they belong on the stain wheel and what chemistry you need for removal: Mustard, milk, egg, blood, ink, grease, coffee, Kool-Aid, iced tea, medicine.

 

Fighting wicking or capillary action - What is spilled and goes into the backing must come back up… get it clean, dry it fast, use an absorbent compound or poultice.

 

 

 

 

Inspection

Again, problems can be eliminated with a thorough preinspection. You want to head off potential problems with your customer, and a complete analysis of each piece you will clean will do this. Involve your customer in your inspection process. Look at the complete piece:

 

In order to properly inspect a piece of upholstered furniture we need to use the correct terminology. Using the proper vocabulary in discussing the piece with the customer allows us to demonstrate our professionalism.

	Inside arm Outside arm

 

Back cushions, buttons, inside back (behind cushions), outside back, arm top 

                                                                        Top back

 

Skirt - Pleated flat

 

Deck (under cushions) dust cover (under piece) crevice (behind cushions)                                                Seat edge (kickboard)

	If the fabric is quilted the fabric has bumps

 

                                    Zipper is located at cushion back

 

Cushion top                                                                                                   

 

 

piping

                                                                                                            seat boxing

 

 

 

Inspection Procedures

 

First step: Fiber ID. Use the procedures you learned earlier (burn testing).

 

Colorfastness test – clamp a white towel on an inconspicuous area that has been dampened with the strongest (highest pH) chemical that you may use. Tests are not conclusive until dry, but after 10 minutes, you have a good picture if the piece is colorfast or not. If there has been no color transfer, the chemical should be safe to use. If there is a color transfer, use a weaker chemical or a dry cleaning solvent, or low moisture cleaning.

 

Once you have performed these two tests you should have the information needed to choose a cleaning method.

 

Furniture manufacturers use an ASTM labeling system for colorfastness codes to assist consumers in determining colorfastness to spotting or cleaning agents.

 

Content label refers to filling materials only. Ignore that part for choosing cleaning methods.

 

S, W, SW, X

 

S – Dyes are stable to dry solvent-based spotters/cleaners, and moisture is not recommended.

W – Dyes are stable to water-based spotters/cleaners.

W-S - Dyes are stable to either water or solvent-based spotters/cleaners.

X – Dyes are not stable to either water or solvent-based spotters/cleaners – dry vacuum only.

 

 

 

 

Questions to ask the customer

 

·       How old is the fabric? (The older the fabric, the weaker it may be. It may have faded areas, or older stains).

·       Has it been cleaned? (You want to know who else has touched the piece, what cleaning methods might have been used, if there is residue).

·       What have you done to the piece? (You want to know about consumer heroic efforts in cleaning or spot removal. Has the cushions been removed and washed?)

·       What are your concerns? (Find out why the customer called you. Is it overall soil or maybe just one spot?)

·       What is the value of the piece? (Get this in writing on your invoice. This would be the dollar amount you would be responsible for if there was a problem in cleaning and you created damage. You would be amazed how valuable a piece becomes if you cause damage. If the customer states a very high dollar amount, you should charge more.)

 

Inspection specifics

 

1.    Inspect each piece the same way, and stay consistent.

2.   Look at the back, the sides, under each cushion, lift the dust ruffle (skirting).

3.   Open the cushions (zipper) and look at the foam for markings. If there are ink markings, these can bleed out during cleaning. See if the foam is degrading.

4.   Check the wood on the furniture (legs, trim, etc)

5.   Look for torn areas, worn areas, faded areas, stains, possible damaged areas, color loss.

 

Mark all items down on your inspection form. Communicate concerns to the customer. Don’t hide anything.

 

After inspection, begin cleaning. Generally, follow this system, but you can vary it or even combine cleaning methods, discussed previously.

 

·       Set up your cleaning area. Bring in all your equipment and chemistry. You may want to protect the floors with a tarp or other protective cover, but if you are also going to clean the carpet, this may not be necessary.

·       Vacuum the piece. Take your time, and vacuum thoroughly.

·       Mist the decking and extract. Do this evenly.

·       Precondition one or two sections. Don’t get too far ahead of the extraction. Work solution into fabric with horsehair brush, sponge, towel or bonnet, agitating in direction of any float yarns (satin). Clean the cushions on a work table, not the deck.

·       After dwell time, extract. This is typically with your truckmount or portable machine, but the word “extract” can apply to wet vacuuming or toweling.

·       Towel the piece to remove more soils and moisture.

·       If the piece is velvet or has a pile, use a carding brush to set the nap. If it is natural, set the pile after each section.

·       Put the cushions on a drop cloth in an inverted “V” with a Styrofoam block keeping them apart, and use an air mover to dry the cushions. Do not push air right onto the flat part of the cushions, as this can drive moisture into the foam or filling.

·       Apply protector and do anything else you need to do to complete the cleaning job.

 

 

After the job is complete, don’t hide anything. If there was a spot or stain that wasn’t removable, point it out to the customer.

 

Be honest. There may be some disappointment, but this is much better than having the customer find a spot or stain later and think that you did a bad job and didn’t communicate any failure.

 

Inform the customer that the piece(s) should not be touched for several hours, until completely dry.

 

The cushions should remain on the drop cloth until dry.

 

Inform the customer about how rotating cushions each month can help their furniture have an “even wear” appearance.

 

 

Problem fabrics and concerns

 

	Fabric

 

 

 

 

Haitian cotton       Cellulosic materials	Concerns   Browning/shrinkage   Weak, low twist yarns   Browning/shrinkage	What to do   Use a Haitian cotton cleaner Agitate with filling yarn Moderate pH prespray, acid rinse, speed dry.
Natural fiber velvet and other sensitive pile weaves	Texture distortion	Prevacuum completely, use moderate pH prespray Card each section immediately to set nap.
Jacquard weave	Color loss, bleeding	Test for colorfastness, use moderate chemicals, acid rinse, dry fast.
Polished cotton/chintz (high polished)	Loss of shine, sheen, polish	Clean normally, but do not chop stroke and keep agitation to a minimum. This is not the time for high heat.
Silk	Color loss, texture loss	Pretest for color fastness, use neutral to slightly acidic prespray. No agitation. Moderate heat only. Wet evenly to avoid rings. Speed dry.

Equipment and chemical list

 

This will include, but is not limited to:

 

Equipment:

·       Hot water extractor

·       Dry cleaning machine (which you probably won’t use often)

·       Upholstery cleaning tools

·       Wet-dry vacuum (for dry foam or shampoo cleaning)

·       Vacuum cleaner

·       Buckets

·       Immersion heater

·       Agitation tools (horsehair brush, bonnets)

·       Carding brush

·       White, cotton towels

·       Spot and stain kit with all accessories

·       Pump-up and trigger sprayers

·       Air mover

Chemistry

·       Preconditioners

·       Rinses (including alkaline and acid)

·       Shampoos

·       Haitian cotton detergents

·       Spot and stain kit with all accessories (mentioned with equipment listing)

·       pH paper

·       Tamping brush and scraper

·       Deodorizers

·       Fabric protectors

 

 

 

Upholstery Cleaning Homework

 

1. Wool fibers should be cleaned with a pH range of:

A.   Wool is not affected by pH

B.   4.5 to 8.5

C.   Dry solvent cleaners only (dry solvents have no pH)

D.   Flamebroil only

 

2. Which of the following are more absorbent and thus take longer to dry:

A.   Wool

B.   Silk

C.   Polyester

D.   Olefin

 

3. Cellulosic fibers come from…

A.   Plants

B.   Petrochemicals

C.   Animals

D.   Minerals

 

4. Which of the following fibers are protein:

A.   Nylon, olefin

B.   Wool, silk

C.   Acrylic, polyester

D.   Cotton, jute

 

5. This chemical will dissolve wool:

A.   Chlorine bleach

B.   Acid rain

C.   Formic acid

D.   Hydrogen peroxide

 

6. The most popular natural fiber used in furniture fabric is:

A.   Wool

B.   Cotton

C.   Acrylic

D.   Silk

 

7. Nylon is most affected by what type of stains:

A.   Oily

B.   Dry soil

C.   Acid dyes

D.   Coca Cola

 

8. Linen comes from:

A.   Nordstroms

B.   The flax plant

C.   Llama hair

D.   Mercerized cotton

 

9. Which fiber is most stain resistant:

A.   Nylon

B.   Wool

C.   Olefin

D.   Acrylic

 

10. Which upholstery fibers are treated with stain blockers:

A.   Nylon

B.   Olefin

C.   None

D.   All natural fibers

 

11. Cotton fibers are…

A.   Solution dyed

B.   Best to clean your ears with

C.   Grown on a seed plant

D.   8 inches long

 

12. Olefin fibers are

A.   Hard on the ears

B.   Print dyed

C.   Solution dyed

D.   Acid dyed

 

13. This fiber melts easily due to hot couplers resting on the fabric, or when dragging heavy furniture:

A.   Polyester

B.   Wool

C.   Nylon

D.   Olefin

 

14. Silk comes from:

A.   Soybeans

B.   Silk worms

C.   Rayon

D.   Happy cows

 

15. Microfibers are…

A.   Thinner denier than silk

B.   Made from coconut husks

C.   Natural fibers

D.   A punk rock group from Cleveland

 

16. When doing a burn test to identify a fiber, if the residue turns to ash, you have:

A.   Screwed up big time

B.   A natural fiber

C.   A synthetic fiber

D.   A burnt finger

 

17. This fiber floats on top of water:

A.   Olefin

B.   Nylon

C.   Wool

D.   Cotton, when wearing a life vest

 

18. Rayon comes from:

A.   Cotton lintners

B.   Nylon pellets

C.   Rayonville

D.   Old Hawaiian shirts

E.   Linen plants

 

19. Polished cotton is problematic due to:

A.   Loss of sheen

B.   Delamination

C.   Shedding

D.   I can’t tell if it is cotton or not

 

20. Primary colors consist of:

A.   Any color you see in Kindergarten

B.   Red, yellow and blue

C.   Blue, green and red

D.   Black, white and magenta

 

21. When a fiber is dyed during extrusion, the dye method is called:

A.   Beck

B.   Solution

C.   Hit and miss

D.   Print

 

22. Browning is caused by:

A.   Loss of the brown dye

B.   Excessive solvent

C.   Too much alkalinity and too slow drying

D.   Sunshine without sunblock lotion

 

23. Bleeding is normally caused by:

A.   Tripping over your cleaning machine and hitting your nose

B.   High alkalinity and slow drying

C.   Solvent chemicals

D.   Absorbent compounds

 

24. The weakest fiber when wet is:

A.   Rayon

B.   Cotton

C.   Silk

D.   Wool

 

25. Velvet is a:

A.   Fiber

B.   Weave

C.   Favorite choice of mine for jackets

D.   Fake finish

 

26. The substance that holds cotton fibers together is called:

A.   Super Glue

B.   Lignin

C.   Viscose

D.   Cottonelle

 

27. When using dry solvent chemicals, it is important to:

A.   Inhale deeply so you don’t miss the rush

B.   Ventilate the area

C.   Warm up the solvent over an open flame

D.   Splash it on the dog if he keeps barking

 

28. Expensive fabrics:

A.   Never bleed

B.   Never shrink

C.   Never brown

D.   Are more difficult to clean (generally)

 

29. Cushion covers can be removed for cleaning when:

A.   It is a natural fiber

B.   It is a synthetic fiber

C.   When the Bengals win the Super Bowl, or at least two games in a row

D.   When they have zippers

 

30. A warp yarn is:

A.   Woven at warp speed

B.   The lengthwise yarn

C.   The widthwise yarn

D.   The pile yarn

 

31. The difference between real versus apparent soil is:

A.   How you spell it

B.   You can charge more for real soil

C.   Apparent soil comes from just one of your parents

D.   Apparent soil cannot be removed and shows up as a discoloration

 

32. Inspect the foam cushion for:

A.   Other people’s money

B.   Ink marks and deterioration

C.   Needles

D.   Flexibility

 

33. When vacuuming, the technician should:

A.   Slow down on his pull pass

B.   Wear his special vacuuming suit

C.   Use the truckmount

D.   Use the customer’s vacuum

 

34. Dry insoluble soil including hair, sand, skin and dust account for:

A.   74-79 percent of total soil

B.   50 percent of total soil

C.   30 percent of total soil

D.   Most of what’s bothering me in my shoe

 

35. Dry, insoluble soil is best removed by a:

A.   Vacuum

B.   Older sister

C.   Truckmount

D.   Shampoo machine

 

36. Soil suspension includes TACT, which stands for:

A.   Time, agitation, chemical and temperature

B.   Techniques used to tell your customer the house smells like a zoo

C.   Tannin, acid, chemical, time

D.   Petroleum

 

37. Jacquard fabrics are:

A.   Printed

B.   Always natural fibers

C.   Made by some French guy who couldn’t get a real job

D.   Made on a punch card controlled loom

 

38. After cleaning, place the cushions on:

A.   The sofa platform or deck

B.   Plastic drop cloths

C.   Non-bleeding paper

D.   The roof, where it’s really sunny

 

39. Place the principles of cleaning in the proper order:

A.   Drying

B.   Grooming

C.   Soil suspension

D.   Soil extraction

E.   Dry soil removal

 

40. The best way to prevent cleaning complaints when dealing with a consumer is:

A.   Show the consumer your gun first

B.   Thoroughly inspect and communicate your findings

C.   Spray a deodorizer before cleaning

D.   Give the dog a biscuit

 

41. When can you skip the dry soil removal (vacuum) step?

A.   When the customer has prevacuumed

B.   When you feel there is no dry soil

C.   Never

D.   When you win the lottery and you just don’t care about cleaning

 

42. How much dwell time should you allow the preconditioner to work on a synthetic fabric:

A.   No dwell time. My chemicals are great!

B.   Following colorfastness test, about 5-10 minutes

C.   Spray the whole piece at once, and then hose it off

D.   What is a preconditioner?

 

43. Silk fabric is:

A.   Very durable

B.   Water spots easily

C.   Best cleaned with dynamite, because it’s stronger than steel

D.   Water resistant

 

 

 

44. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for each chemical:

A.   Must be on each truck and within reach of the seat-belted driver, and made available to anyone asking for it

B.   Are talked about in my company, but no one really knows what they are

C.   Are given to small children to draw on to keep them occupied while I raid the customer’s fridge

D.   Must be given to all people at a cleaning location

 

45. Which chemical is always applied last:

A.   Acid rinse

B.   Fluorochemical

C.   Detergent

D.   Preconditioner

 

46. Where should wastewater be legally dumped?

A.   In a street sewer, far away from cops

B.   Down my driveway, after midnight

C.   In a sanitary sewer system or approved wastewater disposal site

D.   Back on my customer’s carpet if she doesn’t pay

 

47. Masking deodorizers (scents) are used to:

A.   Permanently remove the offensive odor

B.   Spray my mouth when it’s obvious I need a Tic Tac

C.   Provide a pleasant scent while cleaning

D.   Fool the customer

 

48. Biocides are products that can

A.   Brighten the fabric

B.   Be mixed into the cleaning solution and then I charge double for cleaning

C.   Destroy bacteria-causing odor

D.   Be sprayed after the fluorochemical

 

49. The purpose of a defoamer is:

A.   To keep my beer from foaming over and embarrassing myself in front of the customer

B.   Breaks down the foam in the recovery tank

C.   Keeps the foam down in the solution tank

D.   Used on deplane

 

50. Art silk is:

A.   Silk made by a guy named Art

B.   Really rayon or mercerized cotton

C.   Short for “artificial silk”

D.   A microfiber

 

51. Satin is a:

A.   Fiber

B.   Weave

C.   Name if a happy dancer

D.   Medicine for high cholesterol

 

52. Odor problems are most prevalent during:

A.   Warm seasons

B.   Cold seasons

C.   Doesn’t matter. I can’t get rid of odors

D.   When company is coming

 

53. Products like 3M Scotchgard and DuPont Teflon are known as:

A.   Fluorochemicals

B.   Silicones

C.   Ripoffs

D.   Surfactants

 

54. The purpose of Scotchgard or Teflon is to:

A.   Repel soils, oils and waterbased stains

B.   Deodorize

C.   Pad my wallet

D.   Keep the carpet wet longer

 

55. Browning is caused by:

A.   Overwetting, slow drying and cellulosic material

B.   Olefin Berbers

C.   Acid chemicals

D.   Solvents

 

56. Wicking is caused by:

A.   Kerosene

B.   Deodorizers

C.   Fluorochemicals

D.   Excess residue, slow drying, dry soil not removed while cleaning

 

57. Haitian cotton is:

A.   Cotton from Haiti

B.   Jute fabric

C.   Minimally processed cotton

D.   Artificial cotton

 

58. When cleaning with dry solvents:

A.   Where PPE (personal protective equipment)

B.   Expect great results

C.   Use your truckmount for extraction

D.   Only smoke if the customer says you can

 

59. The definition of pH is:

A.   Pretty Hot

B.   The relative acidity or alkalinity in a water-based solution

C.   The amount of phiz in water

D.   Phat

 

60. The purpose of a surfactant (surface-active agent) is:

A.   To allow penetration of the cleaning solution into the fabric being cleaned

B.   To skip the vacuuming process, which is boring anyway

C.   Make the fabric slippery, so the kids fall of and it stays clean longer

D.   I don’t know. I’m tired

 

61. Cationic chemicals…

A.   Have a positive charge

B.   Have a negative charge

C.   Have no charge

D.   Come from cats

 

62. Anionic chemicals…

A.   Have a positive charge

B.   Have a negative charge

C.   Have no charge

D.   I don’t know. I’m tired

 

63. Non-ionic chemicals…

A.   Should be easy to guess by now

B.   Have a neutral charge

C.   Are sad because they don’t have ions like their cousins

 

64. Bionic chemicals

A.   Come from Lee Majors

B.   Have a positive charge

C.   Have a negative charge

D.   Let’s move on, this isn’t funny

 

65. A detergent molecule has a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head, which means…

A.   It has a split personality, so I should get along fine with this molecule

B.   The head likes water and the tail hates water but likes oil

C.   It hates large crowds

D.   It works best in a petroleum solvent

 

66. Doubling the amount of detergent in a cleaning solution:

A.   Cleans twice as fast

B.   Cleans four times as fast

C.   Allows me to charge double, thus able to make that truck payment

D.   Will leave more residue which may cause rapid resoiling and stiff texture

 

67. Solubility is important because:

A.   Your breathalyzer test may not work correctly

B.   It determines what the soil or spot will dissolve in

C.   The pH may be out of whack

D.   It sounds impressive to your customer

 

68. Most preconditioners and detergents are:

A.   Neutral

B.   Acidic

C.   Alkaline

D.   Expensive, so I skip this process

 

69. According to the IICRC S300 standard, upholstered fabrics should be cleaned:

A.   Every 12-24 months

B.   When the carpet is cleaned

C.   When the backing of the fabric is definitely showing through

D.   When the Teflon rubs off

 

70. When using any powdered detergents, it is very important to:

A.   Remove the Tide label, because I have a reputation

B.   Dilute thoroughly in very hot water

C.   Have it blessed by a local minister

D.   Mix your secret formula into it

 

71. Using an acid rinse after thoroughly preconditioning the fabric will:

A.   Make you enjoy Neil Diamond records even more

B.   Soften the fabric, brighten the colors, and neutralize the alkaline preconditioner

C.   Cause rapid resoiling

 

72. What is the best way to identify a spot:

A.   Cut out the spot and ship it to Dalton, Georgia for analysis

B.   Guess at it, and if that doesn’t work, lick it

C.   Spray it with your magic potion and if it is still there, call it a stain

D.   Use your senses, check the location and ask the customer

 

73. You would use a POG (paint, oil and grease remover) to:

A.   Remove paint, oil and grease (if you can’t get this one, ask for a class refund)

B.   To delaminate the fabric to impress the customer

C.   To cause purple spots, which are better than those black spots on the fabric

 

74. Using too much POG will:

A.   Delaminate the fabric

B.   Cause uncontrolled twitching, which is solved by guzzling milk

C.   Bleach out the fabric

 

75. The most effective method for deep cleaning a fabric is:

A.   Dry solvent cleaning

B.   Dry foam cleaning

C.   Shampooing

D.   Hot water extraction

 

76. This chemical helps to safely remove color stains by adding oxygen:

A.   A box cutter

B.   Oxidizers such as 3 percent hydrogen peroxide

C.   Sodium hypochlorite

D.   Any chemical with a pH of 15

 

77. Another name for rayon is:

A.   Jacquard

B.   Viscose

C.   Moire’

D.   Raymond

 

78. The safest wet cleaning method for upholstery is:

A.   Hot water extraction

B.   Shampooing

C.   Dual method

D.   Acidic dry foam

 

79. The type of fiber used to upholstered fabric can be found:

A.   On the store label tag

B.   On the underside of the dust cover

C.   Seldom is listed

D.   Under the arm cover, so you need a knife

 

80. The cleaning codes S, WS, W, and X are:

A.   The proven way to clean

B.   Only right when is says S

C.   Little help, but a guide nonetheless

D.   Secret messages to real upholstery cleaners, so I don’t know the answer

 

81. It’s your job to remove the maximum amount of soil from the fabric while:

A.   Not changing the color or texture

B.   Looking through customers’ desk drawers for $20 bills

C.   Whistling a tune the customer likes

D.   No matter what happens to the fabric

 

82. Polyester and olefin fabrics attract oily soils that may yellow over time because:

A.   They are solution dyed

B.   They aren’t happy because their names are as neat as nylon or acrylic

C.   Are hydrophilic

D.   Like to drink Mellow Yellow

 

83. The acid side of the pH scale would be below:

A.   7

B.   0

C.   8

D.   15

 

84. TLV stands for:

A.   Threshold limit value

B.   That Live Varmint

C.   The Last Vacuumer

 

85. After cleaning velvet pile, no matter if it is synthetic or natural, you must:

A.   Groom it to set the pile

B.   Charge triple, because you worked harder

C.   Get out the checkbook, because you probably ruined the piece

D.   You never have to groom furniture fabrics

 

86. A good way to remove the “pills” from upholstery is to:

A.   Burn them off with a match

B.   Pull them off

C.   Shave them off with an appropriate fabric shaver

D.   Soak them in A1 Sauce and let the dog loose

 

87. The lowest temperature which a volatile solvent must be heated before it goes BOOM is:

A.   The flash point

B.   About 500 degrees, but I don’t care. I use an assistant to handle the solvents

C.   Not measureable

D.   What’s a volatile solvent?

 

88. When you remove oxygen from a stain, you are:

A.   Reducing the stain or color

B.   Killing the stain, because now it can’t breathe.

C.   Destroying the fabric, so collect your money fast and change the name of your company

D.   Adding solvents

 

89. Each whole number increases or decreases by what on the pH scale:

A.   10

B.   100

C.   7

D.   I don’t know. My Mom said not to use pH

 

90. Stains on olefin fibers can be bleached safely using:

A.   Chlorine bleach poured straight from the jug

B.   ½ to 1 percent solution of chlorine bleach

C.   A sharp knife

D.   Solvents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For IICRC Use Only. Approved by _________ Date ______ No. of credits____ _________

Institute of Inspection, Cleaning

 and Restoration Certification

2715 East Mill Plain Blvd

Vancouver, WA 98661

(360) 693-5675

 

APPLICATION FOR IICRC CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

 

Name                                                                                          Date           

Company                                                                                                       

Address                                                                   Phone(          )               

City                                                     State           Zip/Postal Code            

Event Date                                         Event Sponsor                                  

Event Description                                                                                         

Application must be signed by an authorized individual such as School Instructor, Association President, Executive Administrator or a pre-approved individual.

 

Sign                                                    Print Name                                       

Title                                                    Date                      Phone (       )        

***************************************************************

APPROVED EVENT

Attendance at Approved Schools.

 

Attendance at Association sponsored Conventions, Workshops, Seminars, Chapter Meetings, and other educational functions as pre-approved.

 

Attendance at supplier sponsored seminars as pre-approved.

 

Attendance at Carpet Markets and or Carpet Market workshops.

 

Attendance at other IICRC pre-approved functions.

 

 

 

 

COPIES CAN AND SHOULD BE MADE OF THIS APPLICATION FOR FUTURE USE.

 

                              Institute of Inspection, Cleaning                    

and Restoration Certification

2715 East Mill Plain Blvd

Vancouver,  WA  98661

(360) 693-5675  fax (360) 693-4858

e-mail:  info@iicrc.org

 

 

CERTIFIED FIRM APPLICATION REQUEST FORM

 

 

Name:                                                                              Title:                                                                                

 

Company Name:                                                                                                                                                      

 

Company Address:                                                                                                                                                   

 

City:                                                                                  State/Prov:                          Zip/Postal Code:                

 

Country:                                                                                          E-Mail:                                                                            

 

Phone:                                                                              Fax:                                                                                  

 

If you know the names of IICRC Certified Technicians currently employed by the firm, please list their names here:

 

                                                                                                                       

 

                                                                                                                       

 

Request for Certified Firm Application fee is $25.00 (U.S. Funds) and must accompany this form.  Fees are nonrefundable.

 

r    Check or Money Order enclosed or:

               Please charge my:                      r  Visa                        r  MasterCard                r   American Express      

               Account number:                                                                            Expiration date:                                

 

               Cardholder Name:                                                                                                                                                   

 

               Signature:                                                                                                                                                  

 

Send fee along with this completed request form to:

        IICRC

               2715 East Mill Plain Blvd

               Vancouver, Washington 98661

 

An additional annual fee for Certified Firm Status is $125 (U.S. funds) and must accompany your final application. 

 

If the firm does not meet the requirements to become an IICRC Certified Firm upon submission of this request, the pending application will be held for six months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REVISED RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR IICRC

 

 

CERTIFICATIONS AVAILABLE BY EXAMINATION

 

CERTIFIED CARPET CLEANING TECHNICIAN                                                                        (CCT)           Exam 101

CERTIFIED COMMERCIAL CARPET MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN                               (CCMT)        Exam 201

HEALTH AND SAFETY TECHNICIAN                                                                                            (HST)            Exam 202

CERTIFIED UPHOLSTERY & FABRIC CLEANING TECHNICIAN                                       (UFT)            Exam 301

CERTIFIED WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION TECHNICIAN                                                     (WRT)          Exam 501

CERTIFIED CARPET REPAIR & REINSTALLATION TECHNICIAN                                   (RRT)           Exam 601

CERTIFIED COLOR REPAIR TECHNICIAN                                                                                (CRT)           Exam 701

CERTIFIED FLOOR CARE TECHNICIAN                                                                                     (FCT)            Exam 890

CERTIFIED FIRE & SMOKE RESTORATION TECHNICIAN                                                  (FSRT)          Exam 901

*        Academic:  Must attend an approved course with fourteen (14) hours of classroom instruction and pass appropriate exams with 75% or higher.

CERTIFIED ODOR CONTROL TECHNICIAN                                                                              (OCT)           Exam 401

*        Academic:  Must attend an approved course with eight (8) hours of classroom instruction and pass exam with 75% or higher.

APPLIED STRUCTURAL DRYING TECHNICIAN                                                                       (ASD)            Exam 511

*        Academic: Attend approved 3-day course with at least 24 hours of classroom instruction and pass exam with 75% or higher.

*        Prerequisite: IICRC Certification in WRT

APPLIED MICROBIAL REMEDIATION TECHNICIAN                                                                    (AMRT)       Exam 521

*        Academic: Attend approved 4-day course with at least 28 hours of instruction (20% hand-on) and pass exam with 75% or higher.

*        Prerequisite:               IICRC Certification in WRT

APPLIED MICROBIAL REMEDIATION SPECIALIST                                                               (AMRS)

*        Prerequisites: AMRT: and HST or an OSHA 10 hour General Industry Health and Safety course, or other suitable program subject to IICRC approval; and one year verifiable microbial remediation experience after the date of issuance of the AMRT certification; and  one of the following within one calendar year immediately before AMRS qualification:  10 verifiable microbial remediation projects or  1000 hours verifiable microbial remediation experience.  Verification is by written Witness Statement under penalty of perjury plus an appropriate Project Sheet(s).

CERTIFIED CARPET INSPECTOR                                                                                                   (SCI)             Exam 801

*        Academic:  Must attend at least thirty five (35) hours of classroom instruction over a five (5) day period and pass exam with 75% or higher.

*        Prerequisites: IICRC Certification in CCMT or CCT and RRT.  In lieu of the RRT, the student may have achieved the Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI) CFI-R1, R2, C1, C2, CFI Master Installer status or attended the CFI Installation for the Inspector program, Installation Training (FIT) program, or achieved Journeyman status in an approved installation program. During the first year after passing the IICRC inspector exam, the individual is required to submit a minimum of ten (10) inspection reports which will be reviewed by the Inspector Committee.  Inspector status will not be awarded until such time these reports are approved by committee.

SUBSTRATE SUBFLOOR INSPECTOR                                                                                            (SSI)              Exam 811

MARBLE & STONE INSPECTOR                                                                                                      (MSI)            Exam 821

*        Prerequisite: IICRC Certification in SSI and FCT

RESILIENT FLOORING INSPECTOR                                                                                             (RFI)             Exam 831

*        Prerequisite: IICRC Certification in SSI and FCT

CERAMIC TILE INSPECTOR                                                                                                            (CTI)             Exam 841

*        Prerequisite: IICRC Certification in SSI and FCT

WOOD LAMINATE FLOORING INSPECTOR                                                                              (WLFI)         Exam 851 & 852

*        Prerequisite:  IICRC Certification in SSI and FCT

*        Academic for all hard surface inspection courses:  Attend approved course with at least 14 hours of classroom instruction and pass exams with 75% or higher.

 

ADVANCED DESIGNATIONS   (NO EXAMINATION)

 

JOURNEYMAN TEXTILE CLEANER                                                                                             (JTC)

Twelve (12) months active service in the industry after original certification date, plus attainment of specific designations as listed below.  Designation will automatically be awarded upon attainment of the proper credits

*        Certification in(CCT or CCMT) and (UFT) and either OCT, CRT or RRT

JOURNEYMAN FIRE & SMOKE RESTORER                                                                               (JSR)                  

Twelve (12) months active service in the industry after original certification date plus attainment of specific categories as listed below.

*        Certification in UFT, OCT and FSRT

JOURNEYMAN WATER RESTORER                                                                                              (JWR)

Twelve (12) months active service in the industry after original certification date plus attainment of specific categories as listed below.

*        Certification in CCT, WRT and RRT

MASTER TEXTILE CLEANER                                                                                                           (MTC)

A minimum of three (3) years after original certification date plus attainment of specific certifications as listed below.

*        Certification in (CCT or CCMT), UFT, OCT, RRT and CRT

MASTER FIRE & SMOKE RESTORER                                                                                            (MSR)

A minimum of three (3) years after original certification date plus attainment of  specific certifications as listed below.

*        Certification in (CCT or CCMT), UFT, OCT, FSRT and HST or equivalent

MASTER WATER RESTORER                                                                                                           (MWR)

A minimum of three (3) years after original certification date plus attainment of specific certifications as listed below.

*        Certification in (CCT or CCMT), RRT, WRT, ASD, AMRT/S and HST or equivalent

 

 

IICRC  TESTING  FEE  STRUCTURE

 

FOR CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS NEW TO THE IICRC:  Upon testing through the IICRC for the first time, the registration fee and test fee is $40.00.  If a registrant is already certified through the IICRC, upon taking an exam in another category, the registration fee and test fee will be $30.00. 

SENIOR CARPET INSPECTOR and HARD SURFACE INSPECTOR:  $105.00

APPLIED MICROBIAL REMEDIATION TECHNICIAN: $150.00

 

 

RETESTING

 

If technician doesn’t pass an exam and wishes to retake, there will be a fee of $15.  Only two retakes are allowed.  Exam must be retaken within 90 days of receiving test results otherwise re-attendance will be required before testing can be done again.  Registrant will only be allowed two retakes. 

 

ANNUAL  REGISTRATION  FEE

 

After one (1) year, registrant will receive annual renewal billing. If certified in 1 or 2 categories, fee will be $30 annually, 3 and 4 categories is $40 and 5 or more categories is $50 annually.  Master status will be an additional $10.00. Applied Microbial Remediation certification will be $60.00 annually. If registrant lets certification lapse for a period of over twelve (12) months, he or she will be required to re-attend an approved school, retake exam and pay appropriate fees.  If registrant wishes to reinstate certification within the twelve (12) month period, outstanding fees and fulfillment of continuing education credits will be required.  Registrants must follow the Code of Ethics or be subject to sanctions up to and including loss of certification.

 

CERTIFIED SENIOR CARPET INSPECTOR: Once the inspector has passed the probationary requirements, he or she may choose to be listed as “Practicing” or “Credentialed”.  Practicing inspectors will pay $80.00 annually for fees with listing on the #800 IICRC Referral System and the web site, while Credentialed will pay $40.00 per year with no listing.

 

CERTIFIED FIRMS:. A Certified Firm Application Request Form must be requested and returned to IICRC with a nonrefundable $25.00 processing fee.  Upon approval of the request form, the firm will be sent Application for Certified Firm.  The Application for Certified Firm must be forwarded to headquarters with the annual fee of $125.00.  This is a separate fee from the $25.00 processing fee and is also nonrefundable. Once Certified Firm status is granted, the firm is immediately listed on the #800 IICRC Referral System as well as the IICRC web site at www.iicrc.org.  The Certified Firm is also eligible at this time to use the registered trademark for advertising purposes.

 

IICRC REFFERAL SYSTEM: - Requires Certified Firm status to be listed.  The system works by a radius search on a zip code basis.

IICRC WEB SITE: - The site can be found at www.iicrc.org and has a wealth of information for the consumer and the professional.  The consumer can search for qualified firms in their area, while the professional will find it useful for information on schools, courses and continuing education programs.

                                                                                                                                                                             Revised 07/01/03