dry cleaning drapes Archives - ADVANCED ON-SITE Drapery Cleaning

April 30, 2019May 1, 2019

Drapery AND Upholstery Cleaning

Requested Service: Drapery AND Upholstery Cleaning

ADMIRAL’S COVE – Homeowners are often pleased to learn the process used by Advanced On-Site is suitable for Drapery AND Upholstery cleaning. Good thing too, because designers often specify coordinating fabrics.

In such cases a difference in appearance can occur after cleaning one, but not the other. It’s also less disruptive to have everything cleaned at once, rather than by different specialists at different times.

Don’t Entrust To Just Anyone

Carpet cleaners, maid services, and even restoration services offer drapery and upholstery cleaning. However, most require a signed form releasing them from any responsibility should damage or shrinkage occur. Such conditions are common when the same cleaning solutions are used across the board.

Carpet is made of rugged materials. It can withstand heavy traffic. Stretched taught and held in place by tack strips, properly installed carpet cannot shrink. More powerful water-based cleaning agents are therefore deployed with impunity.

Drapes on the other hand are free-hanging and much more delicate. Lined drapes are especially susceptible to shrinkage when water is present during the cleaning process. Upholstery, too, requires careful handling. Most sofas and chairs can in fact be wet cleaned. However, some accessories like sofa skirts and arm covers must be dry cleaned.

Choose Wisely

It’s important to select the right man for any job. As to drapery and upholstery cleaning, a technician trained in the myriad fabrics and configurations is the wise choice. He employs less powerful injection/extraction, as well as special attachments for delicate work. Most importantly he’ll never use the wrong cleaning methods on a given product. That, more than any other factor is why he can offer a NO shrinkage, NO damage GUARANTEE!

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

February 22, 2019February 27, 2019

Service: Removing Mildew from Drapes

IBIS COUNTRY CLUB – Experts agree, removing mildew from drapes is vital to good respiratory health in the home.

Interestingly, the mildew we see most often on fabric is not the dark gray, or black variety more common on other surfaces. It is in fact an orange-ish color, and usually manifests as circular colonies of one-eighth to one-half inch in diameter.

For an in-depth look at what can cause mildew on draperies click here.

Don’t Try it at Home

Removing mildew from drapes is best left to a professional. His, or her trained eye can identify each of the many different weaves and fabrics used. This is critical to determining which might react adversely to the cleaning agents and mechanical action necessary.

Synthetic sheers offer the best chance of complete removal, as they are easily cleaned using water and detergent. They can also withstand a great deal of mechanical action and the use of effective water-based agents such as peroxide and degreasers.

On the other hand, drapes made with natural fibers can become limp, and even shrink when water is present. Lined drapes such as those pictured nearly always contain at least some natural fibers. Use of a water-free solvent is therefore imperative. Unfortunately solvent based spot treatments are never as effective as their water-based counterparts against mildew. Or for that matter most any stain. But fear not.

The Dry/Wet/Dry Method

A process known as the Dry/Wet/Dry Method has been perfected in recent years. It involves soaking the fabric with solvent to seal out moisture, attacking the surface with a commercial degreaser and appropriate mechanical action, then flushing again with solvent. After that, it’s kind of a “lather, rinse, repeat” scenario until all traces of mildew are gone. Or the technician determines that further mechanical action could damage the fabric.

When partially dried it gets a very light spray of industrial grade peroxide. But only if its color is closer to white than black. Peroxide has brightening characteristics that can produce uneven results on darker colors. Its effervescing characteristics are the key here, though.

Just consider how the peroxide in your medicine cabinet works when applied to a cut or scratch. Its bubbling action literally beats bacteria-containing contaminants out of the wound. Now, multiply the strength of that peroxide by 5 or 6 and you have an all-natural substance that’s so strong it’ll sting your fingers if you touch it! However on fabric it’s actually safer than bleach by a mile.

As the World Turns

I’ve gotten to the point on certain projects where I know the mildew is dead, yet its faded footprint is still visible. That’s when peroxide’s brightening and effervescing action becomes so important. It continues to work for as much as six hours after drying. On returning later, or occasionally the following day, I’m nearly always pleased.

Only twice have I observed little to no improvement following treatment. Even after reapplying peroxide, then checking back after the requisite amount of time. Don’t know why.

Alas, while the process renders mildew unable to proliferate, it seems we must stop just short of guaranteeing the elimination of all traces.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.

November 1, 2015November 2, 2015

Job Photo – 10/31/15

These very heavy lined draperies and matching top treatment really drank up the dry clean solution.

The main ingredient in dry clean solution is a solvent that can best be described as mineral spirits, subjected to several more levels of refinement. As such, it is a petroleum derivative, and therefore much more expensive than the distilled water used for wet cleaning.

Interestingly, while the cost of gasoline has dropped by up to $2.00 a gallon in the year preceding this writing, dry clean solution has remained pretty much steady. Primarily because the main costs are associated with the comprehensive refinement process, as well as special cleaning agent additives. For these reasons, a dry cleaning project can end up costing half again as much as a wet cleaning project.

Coming soon, a post explaining why certain window coverings must be dry cleaned rather than wet cleaned.

ADVANCED ON-SITE‘s specialty is drapery and shade cleaning, though we offer a range of other services related to window coverings. Contact us to discuss your needs.