Upholstery cleaning professionals are commonly called to deal with problems that simply can’t be fixed and that Ugly Black spot on the Fabric lounge or dining suite may be one of them. That would be the one that mysteriously appeared on your new dining room chair after a dinner party and no matter what magic potion you apply nothing seems to shift it in any way whatsoever. Even the professional you eventually called with his supa dupa machine makes no impact other than to charge you a fee for….. not doing anything.

The cause of the problem is a man made fibre called polyester and it has a secret that no-one tells you about. In the trade we call it an oleophillic or oil bonding fibre and bond it does….. instantly, permanently and forever more! This is especially the case with faux suede or micro suede fabrics that now dominate the market because they are principally made of…..you guessed it, polyester. The problem is that fabrics made from polyester will bond instantly with Oily Soils and no matter how quickly you get to it with your spot cleaner you won’t succeed. You will always be left with an ugly black mark at best, and if you persist with cleaning potions you may cause more physical damage to the fabric itself.

So the lesson here is to avoid oily soils by either covering your precious fabric before the guests arrive, which is not a good look, or invest in a fabric that has a genuine mill applied fabric protector applied to it. If not call an ACCI member to apply a reputable brand of fabric protection.

NB  Fabric protectors are actually designed to prevent oily soils from bonding to the fabric.  Contrary to popular belief they were never designed to be a stain proofing agent at all.