Alex had purchased the furniture set last Summer, over the Winter months the cushions had been stored inside the furniture base as suggested by the manufacturer.
Back Story
So with the weather improving and the current lockdown restrictions in place, getting out and enjoying your garden has suddenly become a lot more precious.
For Alex, the idea of a late afternoon BBQ and glass of Wine was a welcome distraction.
Unfortunately when removing the seat cushions Alex noticed a strong unpleasant odour and some damage (ripping) had occured.
The flaw in the storage was a few holes in the base, allowing what we can only assume to be mice or rats the chance to nest somewhere safe and dry.
After a few attempts at cleaning the cushions using certain 'well known' home based fabric cleaners/Deodorises the strong odour remained.
Warning
It's at this point I would just like to reiterate the MOST important thing to remember when self cleaning Carpets or Upholstery, in fact most Cleaning practices in general.
Whatever cleaning products you add need rinsing or extracting. This is often the cause for most stains/smells becoming rapidly worse after cleaning.
For more information on the damage caused by Home based products view our blog here
Story cont....
So after realising that their attempts of cleaning was in fact creating new staining and doing little to mask the smell Alex decided to look online for some replacement cushions.
Now whether they proved difficult to source or the cost was too great (I'm saying abit of both) Alex decided to place a post on Facebook calling for any help, ideas, solutions or similar experiences.
Collect & Return
During the current lockdown and social distancing measures being enforced. Excel Carpet Clean will continue to operate on an Emergency Call Out Only basis for fresh stains such as blood, vomit & faeces.
I am also offering a Collection & Return Service to all Rugs & Cushions.
To find out more about the effects Covid-19 is currently having on my services and the extra precautions I'm taking to ensure safety for all please click here.
Contact
After many unhelpful and potentially damaging comments, a friend of mine suggested Alex tries a Professional Upholstery Cleaner and of course recommended my Facebook page Excelcc
After making contact we arranged I would collect the cushions from outside Friday afternoon and I would Return Tuesday once fully dried. This also fitted in with prior arrangements meaning no unnecessary journeys being taken.
Giving a 5 minute heads up of my arrival Alex left the cushions outside by their car to which I swiftly loaded them into the van and set off again.
Cleaning Time
After a long hard week doing, frankly not a lot! I decided to treat myself to a nice Saturday Morning lay in. Finally retrieving the cushions from my van just after Lunch.
After a nice Sunny Morning the smell that welcomed me when I opened the rear door was a smell I can only describe in one way.
Remember as a kid when the novelty of your first hamster wears off and regular cleaning of the cage goes out the window. Yes that's right when the smell of stale urine on old shavings that would overpower any child's bedroom (pit).
I decided therefore to treat the cushions in a higher grade Sanitising/Odour solutions, leaving to dry overnight.
Cleaning Time Take ll
Not wanting to disturb the flats above I decided Sunday wasn't the best day to clean the cushions, Professional, powerful machine's do produce a fair amount of noise.
So at a nice respectable time Monday morning I returned to the van to retrieve the cushions, unfortunately although not as bad the smell was still noticeable. Highlighting the challenge that may lay ahead.
Once work commenced upon the cushions it soon became clear that the smell was well and truly embedded within the foam padding and although results would show from the clean and benefits from a good Sanitisation against the mouse urine the smell albeit improved will unlikely ever disappear.
Watch below, clean in progress
Results
So after the clean was completed visibly the cushions showed results all bird poo had been removed, due to the corrosive nature of bird poo unfortunately leaving some darker spots where the worst areas had been.
As for the water marks evident from Alex's attempt to clean, all but one removed which was conveniently place upon the side wall of the cushion.
The smell had disappeared although this is often the case directly after the clean due to the chemicals used.
Leaving the cushions overnight to dry occasionally applying a light misting of a Deodoriser, come Tuesday morning it was clear that the nasty odour was still present. Although hugely impoved with a citrus scent there's no getting away from the fact the smell will in time return as the dominant odour.
Returning the Cushions
After speaking with Alex, I arranged to return the cushions just after lunch.
Typically the weather had turned to rain so I had placed the cushions in some lage bags, knocked the door and placed the cushions under the porch.
From a safe distance we had a brief discussion about the results, they noted a huge difference and was extremely grateful for the attempts. It was also discussed about adding zips professionally so they could be washed in the future, to which I suggested to have the foam padding replaced aswell as no doubt this would be the cause of the odour remaining.
Alex has since paid my min charge fee and again stated how the smell had notibly reduced and she remained happy with the outcome.
Summary
I've decided to write this post to highlight the fact not all jobs can have 100% results. I can't claim to remove all stains and odours this can depend upon many differing circumstances including age of the stain, amounts spilled and whether any bleaching agents such as Vanish has been applied.
Again I stress without a wet vac attempting to remove any stain yourself can lead to further permanent damage. Please seek PROFESSIONAL ADVICE 1st.
0800-195-6360 www.excelcarpetclean.co.uk Scott@excelcarpetclean.co.uk
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