Wendy’s BlogYour Upholstery This Dirty? It’s “Screaming” To Be Cleaned!
Wendy’s Blog
Dirty upholstery is dusty upholstery, is "germy" upholstery and ugly upholstery too!
Upholstered fabrics are mostly woven and designed to take a beating over the life of their use. Think about it, every time you sit on it, then get up, sit on it, then get up. That is one test of its endurance.
Another test is its ability to hide foreign soiling that is comes in contact with. And actually, unless it is a fabric type like polished cotton or silk, chances are the fabric does a fantastic job of “masking” or hiding soil.
So once you start to "see" soiling on upholstered fabrics, well those helpless fibers are screaming "help me" they are so dirty!"
Once you see this kind of visible dirt on upholstery you probably shouldn't even sit on it
You might not realize that bisibly soiled fabric is any big deal, but from a microbiological perspective you mignt be kidding yourself!
Years ago I had a carpet cleaning friend actually send a sample to a lab, with I think a sample of dirty carpet. Although carpet, not upholstery, the results that he received were astounding! That very carpet sample had about 30 different contaminations in it. And when you read it, it actually “skeeved ” you out. Amongst the items listed were pesticides, fertilizers, smoke, dander, fungus, bacterial, and i am sure a long list of other things, some pretty scary!
If I remember correctly much of the contamination was related to chemicals applied close to the ground or found closer to the ground. And think about it, that makes sense.
So let's apply the same logic to upholstery.
Much of what comes in contact with upholstery might be more related to a “higher” category of contamination. What I mean by that is soiling, perhaps not traveling and circulating at the ground level. Moreover, it is soil exposure at a higher level because of its proximity at knee level or hip level.
Therefore, it might stand to reason that foreign contamination sources may be more from human exposure, because of dermal contact with it. It might also be comprised of spillage from food and beverage. And it might be because of accidental transfer of some unwanted contamination.
For instance, it might succomb to the transfer of more bodily matter than say carpet. In example, you would probably agree,. Even if you don’t want to think about it, that fabric might harbor stuff like: fungus, bacteria, skin flakes, body oil, butt secretions (from say dogs sitting on it), spit up and drool from babies, urine from leaky diapers, maybe even vomit,. Add to that spillage from common food and beverage, and airborne contamination like aerolsolized cooking oils, graphite-grease, pool chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, etc. All in all by the time you see visible soils your upholstery is a “red hot mess of a petri dish: on steroids!
Are you finding it nauseating yet?
You should! In fact when it comes to trying to convey how dirty upholstery really is I use the analogy:
“You wouldn’t sleep on sheets that haven’t been washed in 6 months, why would you go years without haveing your upholstery cleaned for years even?”
I hope you agree that the thought of that analogy might be very humbling, right?
It is. But really upholstered fabrics are designed to hide a multitude of sins, kind of like carpet is too.
And with reason and purpose because of the trend toward consumer’s buying habits toward wood, tile and natural stone, much of the push has been to rid the home of carpet because its some contaminated with germs. (Honestly people get that and “skeeve” till they get rid of their carpets.
But what people don’t reason with is upholstered fabrics collect and hold nearly the same contamination, and more. As stated above it probably harbors more bodily secreted germs, oils and dander than does carpet. So with that thinking why the heck do people ignore cleaning upholstered fabrics?
I don’t know for the life of me!
Again, why? Because upholstered fabrics do a bang up job of masking soil!
Don’t believe me? Try this: Take a bristle broom and bang the broom end of the broom on your upholstered pillows you sit on. Before you do you might want to take a clothespin to your nose. Or, hold you r nose with one hand while you bang the fabric with the other hand.
Take a step back, because you are likely going to see a billow of dust release from the fabric into the air. (don’t choke!)
The release of dust can be impressive from fabrics that haven’t ever or recently been cleaned!
The take-away of this is the conclusion that likely your upholstery is dirty, and needs cleaning. In fact by the time you see the visible dirt, spillage and such it is screaming at you, “clean me, clean me, for gosh sakes, clean me!”
And the concept like with carpet, that people conclude is really dirty, you can’t do that with upholstery or bedding (and bedding is a whole different subject! (We as Americans never or very rarely clean and sanitize our beddlng. Other cultures find that vile in fact! But that is for another story!)
In conclusion, now I think you can answer your own question, "Is my upholstery dirty? Does it need cleaning?"
Well, you know the answer, and I will say it,
It’s time to call us to get your upholstery cleaned!
If your upholstery hasn’t been cleaned in a while it’s time! And if you see the dirt visibly, your upholstery is screaming to be cleaned! Free estimates. Just one call away! Call 609.953.0472. Or Contact Us online and we’ll reach out!
Dirty upholstery is dusty upholstery, is "germy" upholstery and ugly upholstery too!
Upholstered fabrics are mostly woven and designed to take a beating over the life of their use. Think about it, every time you sit on it, then get up, sit on it, then get up. That is one test of its endurance.
Another test is its ability to hide foreign soiling that is comes in contact with. And actually, unless it is a fabric type like polished cotton or silk, chances are the fabric does a fantastic job of “masking” or hiding soil.
So once you start to "see" soiling on upholstered fabrics, well those helpless fibers are screaming "help me" they are so dirty!"
You might not realize that bisibly soiled fabric is any big deal, but from a microbiological perspective you mignt be kidding yourself!
Years ago I had a carpet cleaning friend actually send a sample to a lab, with I think a sample of dirty carpet. Although carpet, not upholstery, the results that he received were astounding! That very carpet sample had about 30 different contaminations in it. And when you read it, it actually “skeeved ” you out. Amongst the items listed were pesticides, fertilizers, smoke, dander, fungus, bacterial, and i am sure a long list of other things, some pretty scary!
If I remember correctly much of the contamination was related to chemicals applied close to the ground or found closer to the ground. And think about it, that makes sense.
So let's apply the same logic to upholstery.
Much of what comes in contact with upholstery might be more related to a “higher” category of contamination. What I mean by that is soiling, perhaps not traveling and circulating at the ground level. Moreover, it is soil exposure at a higher level because of its proximity at knee level or hip level.
Therefore, it might stand to reason that foreign contamination sources may be more from human exposure, because of dermal contact with it. It might also be comprised of spillage from food and beverage. And it might be because of accidental transfer of some unwanted contamination.
For instance, it might succomb to the transfer of more bodily matter than say carpet. In example, you would probably agree,. Even if you don’t want to think about it, that fabric might harbor stuff like: fungus, bacteria, skin flakes, body oil, butt secretions (from say dogs sitting on it), spit up and drool from babies, urine from leaky diapers, maybe even vomit,. Add to that spillage from common food and beverage, and airborne contamination like aerolsolized cooking oils, graphite-grease, pool chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, etc. All in all by the time you see visible soils your upholstery is a “red hot mess of a petri dish: on steroids!
Are you finding it nauseating yet?
You should! In fact when it comes to trying to convey how dirty upholstery really is I use the analogy:
“You wouldn’t sleep on sheets that haven’t been washed in 6 months, why would you go years without haveing your upholstery cleaned for years even?”
I hope you agree that the thought of that analogy might be very humbling, right?
It is. But really upholstered fabrics are designed to hide a multitude of sins, kind of like carpet is too.
And with reason and purpose because of the trend toward consumer’s buying habits toward wood, tile and natural stone, much of the push has been to rid the home of carpet because its some contaminated with germs. (Honestly people get that and “skeeve” till they get rid of their carpets.
But what people don’t reason with is upholstered fabrics collect and hold nearly the same contamination, and more. As stated above it probably harbors more bodily secreted germs, oils and dander than does carpet. So with that thinking why the heck do people ignore cleaning upholstered fabrics?
I don’t know for the life of me!
Again, why? Because upholstered fabrics do a bang up job of masking soil!
Don’t believe me? Try this: Take a bristle broom and bang the broom end of the broom on your upholstered pillows you sit on. Before you do you might want to take a clothespin to your nose. Or, hold you r nose with one hand while you bang the fabric with the other hand.
Take a step back, because you are likely going to see a billow of dust release from the fabric into the air. (don’t choke!)
The release of dust can be impressive from fabrics that haven’t ever or recently been cleaned!
The take-away of this is the conclusion that likely your upholstery is dirty, and needs cleaning. In fact by the time you see the visible dirt, spillage and such it is screaming at you, “clean me, clean me, for gosh sakes, clean me!”
And the concept like with carpet, that people conclude is really dirty, you can’t do that with upholstery or bedding (and bedding is a whole different subject! (We as Americans never or very rarely clean and sanitize our beddlng. Other cultures find that vile in fact! But that is for another story!)
In conclusion, now I think you can answer your own question, "Is my upholstery dirty? Does it need cleaning?"
Well, you know the answer, and I will say it,
It’s time to call us to get your upholstery cleaned!
If your upholstery hasn’t been cleaned in a while it’s time! And if you see the dirt visibly, your upholstery is screaming to be cleaned! Free estimates. Just one call away! Call 609.953.0472. Or Contact Us online and we’ll reach out!