So remember last week when we talked about what type of testing they do on fabrics to see how durable they will be? Today we'll talk about something else found on the fabric label: Cleaning codes.
Many times the furniture stores will tell you the wrong information on how to clean your upholstered pieces. Or try to sell you solvent cleaner, when your fabric can be cleaned with water as well. The best way to check is to ask them for the cleaning code. There are 4 different cleaning codes you'll see on your upholstery and window treatment fabrics. Here's a brief synopsis of them below:
W. ( water based cleaners) | S. (solvent or dry cleaning products) | W-S. (solvent and/or water based cleaners) | X. (vacuum or brush only) |
| To prevent overall soiling, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean using the foam only from a water-based cleaning agent such as a mild detergent or non-solvent upholstery shampoo. Apply foam with a soft rag or brush in a circular motion. Vacuum when dry. Always pretest a small area before proceeding. | To prevent overall soiling, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean using a mild water-free solvent or dry cleaning product. Clean only in a well ventilated room and avoid any product containing carbon tetrachloride which is highly toxic. Pretest small area before proceeding. | To prevent overall soiling, frequent vacuuming or light brushing to remove dust and grime is recommended. Spot clean with a mild solvent , an upholstery shampoo or the foam from a mild detergent. When using a solvent or dry cleaning product, follow instructions carefully and clean only in a well ventilated room. With either method, pretest a small area before proceeding. | Clean this fabric only by vacuuming or light brushing to prevent accumulation of dust and grime. Water based foam cleaners or solvent based cleaning agents of any kind may cause excessive shrinking, staining, or distortion of the surface pile and therefore should not be used. |
The biggest thing to remember is to always test it on a small, inconspicuous spot on your sofa. A favorite place of mine is on the fabric between the seat cushions. The fabric is never seen but provides a flat surface for testing. Always leave the test space fabric for a day or two. One time I performed a test, and it looked like it worked, then the next day there was a ring around both my test spot and where I cleaned in a very conspicuous place. Yikes! So, after you test, wait a day to make sure this doesn't happen to you!
Are you finding these helpful at all? Again, if there's any questions please leave them in the comments!
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