Damage Claims from Down Filled Cushions Skyrocketing!
I first shared my concerns over discoloration with down filled cushions in July. I regret to say that what had been a very rare occurrence has become more and more common, and I feel strongly that I must once again share this issue with you, and add some late breaking news.
If you have not been previously aware of this problem, this is a brief summary:
Because of new consumer safety laws, the use of flame retardants in residential upholstery fabrics is becoming more widespread.
However, these products often are acidic and can react and cause color changes on fabric after cleaning, or even just from long term exposure to humidity.
The place you are most likely to find such material is on the cotton fabric (known by upholsterers as “ticking”) used to encase down feathers.
If an acidic flame retardant is exposed to enough moisture (and it doesn’t take a lot of it to do this), the fabric will often discolor. The discoloration is most often pink or red, but sometimes can be purple, and in a few recent cases, there is actual color loss, instead of a change of color to pink, red, or purple.
On white fabrics this condition may look like browning, but in most cases it shows up in random spots over time, and is not always associated with cleaning.
What you MUST do to minimize your risks:
When inspecting furniture, always unzip cushions, (as you normally would do when looking for ink marks on cushions), but in this case also inspect for down filling, and even if down filling is not present, look to see if cotton fabric (ticking) is used to encase the cushion.
If a pH test reveals the presence of an acid residue on this cotton fabric, even one as mild as 6, you should not clean the fabric!
Even if you choose to dry clean the fabric, or encase the inner fabric (ticking) in plastic as some have, you still should advise your customer of the presence of this material, as there is always a risk that either the moisture could eventually cause this problem later, or that environmental conditions might also cause this reaction and you could be blamed for it.
The following pictures are from the most recent claims I’ve seen. In the fabric that was bleached, you can see what the ticking looks like. This one read a pH of 5 when tested afterward.
PICS:
I am working with a testing laboratory to get more answers on this subject, and will continue to post new information here. There remains, as of this date, no reliable way to prevent this condition from occurring, or to correct it either.
| P.S.If you’re not aware already, Lisa Wagner and I have developed a serious training program for those who want to become specialists in rug and fine fabric care.It’s not the typical sit in a classroom and get powerpointed to death course. It’s limited to those who want to be the best in the craft in their region.
We have just begun choosing the companies we will work with in 2012, so if any of my CleanTip readers are interested in more details, please send an email to textilepros@gmail.com with “more information” in the subject line. |
Fine Fabric Care, Upholstery Cleaning | Jim Pemberton | 
December 22, 2011 1:01 pm
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By Bert Bolton, December 27, 2011 @ 6:30 pm
Great article Jim. Any collaboration involving the knowledge both you and Lisa possess in the industry is going to be good. What pH testing method do you recommend for use when out doing quotes in client’s home?