Cellulosic browning on upholstery separates upholstery cleaning specialists from run-of-the-mill carpet cleaners.
Case in point: I received a panicked call from another cleaner asking for help. An upholstery cleaning that went bad. He wisely declines cleaning high-end upholstery. He does not have the experience or the training. Cellulosic browning knows no mercy!
As soon as he applied pre-spray, the white fabric turned brown. Panic set in, and he continued to clean both sofas, hoping for the best. Now both sofas had browned. That’s when he called me. This article is about correcting cellulosic brewing on linen sofas.
Cellulosic Browning
The problem he encountered is called cellulosic browning. Cellulosic browning is the wicking of lignin. Lignin is a naturally occurring gum present in cellulosic fibres such as cotton, jute and linen. It is common when cleaning all types of natural cellulosic fabrics, such as cotton, linen, rayon, and viscose.
It is usually the result of technician errors. For example, over-wetting the upholstery or using alkaline cleaning products. It is very challenging to correct. It requires time and patience.
Restorative Cleaning
Upon inspection, I could see that the two sofas were 100% linen. Furniture and upholstery labels do not tell the whole story. These sofas are super high-quality, hand-made furniture, and extremely expensive. Unfortunately, the yellowing was severe. The photo below does not reveal the severity. I explained it was likely correctable with patience. Most likely requiring two visits.
I cleaned both linen sofas entirely by hand using a fine fabric upholstery shampoo, a reducing agent, a secret ingredient, and very hot, soft water. The first attempt removed 95% of all browning. A second visit removed the remaining 5%. Thankfully, there was no permanent damage.
Final Result
I was super happy with the final result. I never saw the sofas before the browning occurred, but the homeowner said this is the best the sofas have ever looked! I now clean them yearly. The featured image of this article demonstrates how they look in their beautiful living room. That was very satisfying to hear. The carpet cleaner who contracted me to correct the browning was ecstatic! As you can imagine, he hadn’t slept for a week after the damage occurred! It was a good reminder for him to stay in his comfort zone.
This situation also highlights the importance of experience and training in upholstery cleaning. A fine fabric care specialist will not panic in situations like these. It is essential to stop and think about what is occurring and why. What are the next logical steps to take? When cleaning fine upholstery, the golden rule is to always begin with the least aggressive method. At Tapestry, our mantra is to clean without damage.
I hope you enjoyed reading about correcting cellulosic brewing on linen sofas. If you are searching for meticulous furniture and upholstery cleaning in Victoria, BC, then let us know how we can help.
