While working in Mountain Top, PA last week I was presented with a fabric upholstered ottoman which I determined to be a cotton blend. The customer’s son had broken a Halloween toy containing a red dye causing a 3 inch diameter red stain on the top of the stool.
After inspecting the piece thoroughly, the customer decided to just have me try to just clean the stain at her home. Having explained my concerns about what may have leaked underneath and into the cushion, I preceded to the process of cleaning.
My concern was that the unseen dye in the cushion may wick back up into the fabric during the drying process. Fabrics and upholstery usually dry toward the surface where there is air movement. Remaining soils and liquids are drawn from behind and may re-soil the area.
After working the spot for about 20 minutes, I dried the spot the best I could and everything looked OK. I packed up and went home expecting the phone to ring the next morning. Sure thing, the customer called to explain that her husband came home from work and prior to going to bed for the night commented that I had done a very nice job. However the next morning the spot had returned.
Sometimes it’s not always what’s on the face of the fabric or carpet that’s cause for concern. Spills and soils that have breached the back of the textile being cleaned require special attention. In some case it is necessary to peel back the carpet or upholstery and treat the hidden damage underneath.
We did re-clean the furnishing at our shop where we were able to control the drying time. We did not have to remove the fabric, the red spot was removed and the customer satisfied. In some cases simply drying the area may work for a while but the humidity of summer could re-activate the original problem.