Dry vs. Extraction Sofa Cleaning
Everyone uses the sofa. Kids play on it, you host guests there, it’s ground zero for parties and those dinner dates with your significant other, it’s the relaxation point as you binge watch those TV shows that have been the talk of town, or read a book from your favourite author. Sofas are the most popular sets of furniture in the household. Even pets enjoy sleeping on those warm and cosy cushions. All this heavy usage means that dirt and grime will build up fast. From drink spills as you lounge back with some hot coffee, beer or even fine wine, food crumbs from those snacks people take as they rest on the set, pet fur and dander especially with cats and dogs, all through to body oils and sweat when the skin gets rubbed onto the sofa’s material. Add to this issues like hair dyes that form unsightly patches on the couch. Pathogens too are not left behind. Handbags, remotes, video game consoles, and other items that are dropped onto the sofa deposit a plethora of bacteria picked from all over the premises, and even brought in from the outdoors. There are also those cases of colour bleeding from clothes, like denim stains that end up on the sofa’s fabric. Ink blots, cigarette smoke particles for homes where a family member takes the occasional puff, to everyday dust that settles in onto the surface from the air above, and even allergens like pollen that are wafted into the house and end up on the sofa- it is a cocktail of grime. For you to be able to enjoy your sofa, it needs regular, thorough cleaning. Dry vs. Extraction Sofa Cleaning
In commercial establishments, the higher traffic means that the sofas get soiled at a faster rate. Whether it’s the couch in the counsellor’s office, the set in a hotel’s lounge, those in the reception area of business centres, or even the sofas in food establishment joints like restaurants and clubs- they all need thorough cleaning. After all, you don’t want clients coming to seek your products and services being greeted by dingy looking sofa sets. That will dent your business image. The processes used determine the outcome of the results. Two major approaches are used in the industry: dry and extraction, and here we’ll look into both. Dry vs. Extraction Sofa Cleaning
- Dry Sofa Cleaning
There are different forms of dry cleaning the sofa. For instance, dry foam can be used. Here, shampoo or other foam solution is applied onto the sofa by hand, and worked onto the stains and other dirt areas. It is then allowed to dry, then it’s all vacuumed up. The soiling is removed though encapsulation of the particles. The products aren’t actually “dry” per se. They are liquids, but just don’t have any water like water-based solvents. Plenty of residue is left behind, which means that the sofa will get soiled faster. It’s like shampooing your hair, letting it dry then vacuuming it up. Dry-compound method can also be applied. In this case, an absorbent mixture is sprinkled all over the sofa. The dirt is absorbed into the compound. It is then allowed to dry and thereafter vacuumed. Dry vs. Extraction Sofa Cleaning
For dry sofa cleaning, the goal is to circumvent the waiting times for drying, since there will be no moisture to factor in. However, there is one major drawback: the sofa doesn’t get really clean. In fact, the dry cleaning methods are only effective for removing the light soiling on the surface. However, as seen above, there is plenty of gunk embedded deep in the furniture, and it will be left behind. Hence, it continues building up, turning your furniture into a health hazard, and not to forget the odours that will develop from the decaying organic matter within the sofa. The residue from the cleaning process is also a dirt magnet, trapping the dust particles floating about, meaning that you will have to repeat the process much sooner than you had anticipated. Dry vs. Extraction Sofa Cleaning
- Extraction Sofa Cleaning
Needless to say, things get wet. The goal is to achieve an in-depth clean, where even the soiling that is buried within the sofa’s material is removed. The process starts with preconditioning of the fabric. The products used loosen and dissolve the dirt, which will make it easier for removal. The cleaning solution is then prepared, depending on the particular type of material of the sofa. It is fed into the steam vacuum, and applied onto the sofa. The hot cleaning solution is then injected into the sofa at high pressure, suspending the soiling, dust particles, pollutants, and even killing the microbes crawling within the material. The high temperature steam heat extraction technology breaks down the dirt and grime, and literally sucks it out of the sofa. The excess moisture is also removed, ensuring that the sofa is not left wet or soggy. Hence, risks such as fabric shrinkage are avoided. In addition, no residue is left behind, thus you won’t have to worry about rapid resoiling. The sofa is then allowed to air dry. The high temperatures means that the little moisture left behind will get to evaporate much faster, leading to fast dry times. The end result is clean and fresh smelling sofa, whose look and feel you are bound to enjoy. Dry vs. Extraction Sofa Cleaning
Hire Professional Sofa Cleaning Services
In order to get the job done right in moments, call in the experts to take care of it for you. The different types of sofa fabrics, from natural fibres like the plant-based cotton and linen, along with silk and wool, to synthetic materials like polyester or polypropylene, nylon, acrylic and olefin, require different products to be used on them. You don’t want to risk issues like colour bleeding due to harsh cleaning agents being used. Common DIY blunders also include excessive moisture, whether it’s due to too much solution being used, or the vacuum not having enough suction power to extract it. This can lead to shrinkage of the fabric, and even encourage fungal growth. Sofa sets are major investments, and you don’t want to ruin yours by applying the wrong cleaning measures. This can be avoided by hiring a professional crew for the job. What’s more, they will deliver quality results in a fraction of the time that you would have taken had you undertaken the task yourself. Dry vs. Extraction Sofa Cleaning
