Upholstery, Testing Cleaner Residue
Determine the residue of the detergent or shampoo
before applying it to the upholstery. Excess will remain
in the upholstery fabric to attract and hold soil. Use a
clean glass pie plate. Add approximately 1/4 inch of the
detergent water mixture or shampoo mixture. Allow liquid
to evaporate; to shorten time of evaporation, place pie
dish in the sun or in an oven set no higher than 150 F.
After all liquid has evaporated, examine the remains to
see what is left in the pie plate. Has it dried to a
powder which can be vacuumed. To determine whether the
residue is sticky, oily, or waxy, run a finger over the
inside of the plate, and rub the fingers together. If the
residue is sticky it will hold onto soil at an
accelerated rate and make the upholstery fabric soil
faster.
Once the sticky or waxy residue gets on the fibers,
it usually remains until the residue is flushed out with
a lot of warm water. Another cleaning with the same
solution will only build up the residue. If it is
suspected that a residue is already present on the
upholstery fabric, place a tablespoon of warm water on a
spot and work it in with the fingers. A foam or a
slippery feeling will indicate a detergent residue. The
best way to remove it is by the hot water extraction
method using clear water.