"Out, damn'd spot! out, I say!"

As careful as you are, you just can’t avoid some kind of spot or stain.

Spot, stain..... what’s the difference?  That stuff on your drapes or sofa doesn't belong there, no matter what name you give it!

A spot is still a spot while there is some residue of the substance - for example, a spatter of pasta sauce on the living room drape.  But, once you wipe the spot away, you will probably still have..... a stain!

There are three very, very important factors to consider when dealing with spots and stains.  If I see a stain on your upholstery or window treatments, I will ask you these three questions:

• Do you know what that is?
• Do you know how long it has been there?
• Have you done anything to it?

If the answer to the first two is "I don’t know" - it makes stain removal somewhat of an experiment.  Stain removal involves chemistry, and the right chemistry needs to be determined.  Stains come in a variety of flavors..... acid, alkaline, tannin, protein, and so on.

If the answer to the last question is "Yes" - it may be impossible to get the stain out:  stains can be "set" while attempting to remove them.  The best thing to do with a spot or stain may be - nothing... except to call a trained technician.

UNDERSTANDING FABRICS:

There are two types of fabrics used in home furnishings and draperies:  "natural fabrics" - made from plant or animal fibers, and "synthetic fabrics" - which are man-made fibers.  Sometimes, natural and synthetics are blended.  Natural fabrics, such as cotton, linen, wool or silk, are generally more absorbent than synthetics, which means that they might tend to "grab" a stain and hold on to it more tenaciously than synthetic fabrics.  Natural fabrics can present some unique cleaning challenges, although some of the synthetics do as well.  There is also the matter of dyes, or colors, in the fabric, but that is a subject all its own, and should be the cleaning specialist's concern, not yours.

It is important to have someone who is properly trained to clean your upholstery and window treatment fabrics (as well as your carpet, by the way) - technicians who attend classes and seek to specialize and excel in what they do.

An organization that certifies technicians is IICRC - The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification.  IICRC has served as the Industry Guardian for the cleaning, inspection and restoration service industries for more than 30 years. As a non-profit certification organization, the IICRC helps ensure that you have access to trusted and trained cleaning professionals by establishing and monitoring certification programs and standards for these industries. You can find more about this at  http://www.iicrc.org/.

JUST SAY "NO" TO "SPOT" CLEANING:

"Spot cleaning" is the practice of trying to clean just a spot, or stained area. This is not a good idea, as you will end up with a "clean spot" - unless you are dealing with an absolutely new item.  And, even so, it is possible that the cleaned area will be conspicuous. I deal with spotting and staining issues after cleaning the entire article, since it is possible that the spot or stain will come out in the cleaning process. Knowing the fabric content, or type of material, determines the type of cleaning process.

Dry clean OR wet clean?

"Wet cleaning" refers to a process using a water-based cleaning solution, while "dry cleaning" just means the cleaning solution contains no water.  Dry cleaning is generally the safest method for most fabrics, but it isn’t always the most efficient, as some soils are better removed using an aqueous solution.  But wet cleaning some natural fabrics can have undesirable consequences, such as shrinking, browning or color bleeding.  Some spots or stains will not come out without the help of spotting agents that are more on the "wet" side than on the "dry" side.  In no case should the fabric be saturated, but when wet cleaning, the drying time can be crucial due to the problems associated with leaving fabric wet for more than just a few hours.

A well-trained technician will determine the fabric content, the preferred method of cleaning, and explain the prospects of spot or stain removal, allowing you, the client, to decide how to proceed.  A color fastness test must be done to assure there is no bleeding or crocking (removal by rubbing) of colors.  The technician’s job is to clean the fabric without changing the color or texture.

"Dry/wet/dry" method:

This is a procedure where the fabric is dry cleaned, then the stain is removed using "wet-side" spotting agents.  The chemical is thoroughly flushed from the fabric, then the area is again dry cleaned to remove any water.  The dry cleaning solution encapsulates the fabric and protects it from absorbing water, while the wet-side agent removes the staining material.

Contrary to popular marketing, there are no "one-size-fits-all" stain removers:  spotting agents must be matched to the chemistry of the spot or stain in order to remove it.  It is actually possible to change the color of a stain, so that, while it is still there, it becomes invisible, even though the substance remains!