Cleaning hacks and FibreGuard fabrics: your questions answered

We are frequently asked about using different cleaning methods on our high-performance stain resistant fabrics, especially when it comes to FibreGuard sofa fabrics for both residential and contract upholstery applications.

The stain resistant properties of FibreGuard performance fabrics are permanent through our innovative stain-on-stain technology. This means that these contract fabrics will always be easier to clean than other home furnishing textiles. However, questions do pop up from time to time, and today we address four common concerns:

1. Can I use my own homemade cleaning products on my FibreGuard performance couch?
2. What tools and equipment do I need to clean my FibreGuard contract upholstery fabrics?
3. Can I steam clean FibreGuard stain resistant fabrics or dry-clean them? Do I need to?
4. What about really tough accidental stains? How do you get those out of your contract upholstery?

Let's get to it!

Can I Use My Own Homemade Cleaning Solutions on My FibreGuard Performance Couch?

Unlike other décor fabrics, FibreGuard's stain resistant properties are permanent because they're impregnated in the fabric at yarn level—a key feature that sets our performance fabrics apart.

There are two topical cleaning solutions that frequently appear in lifestyle hacks for upholstery cleaning: vinegar and bleach. Both are not very friendly to the environment (understatement!), even containing harmful chemicals, and you don't need either of them to clean our stain resistant upholstery fabrics.

How's that for peace of mind?

This gives us the freedom to concentrate on the look and feel of our performance fabrics, knowing that they will always feel soft and lovely to touch, unlike other décor fabrics that are topically treated to facilitate cleaning.

Read about FibreGuard Pro, our first antimicrobial contract fabrics range designed to perform in the most demanding commercial environments.

Free of Harmful Chemicals

All of our easy-to-clean performance fabrics come with our stamp of approval that they will cause no harm to the environment, or you.

They're also certified under the 'STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®', meaning that our contract upholstery fabrics are completely free from harmful chemicals and safe for human use.

All factors of the production process come into question, including the dye that's used, the threads the fabric is sewn with, the lining used, any print patterns, and accessories such as tassels and buttons.

Tools: Do I Need Special Equipment to Clean FibreGuard Contract Upholstery Fabrics?

No, you don't need special tools to clean our performance fabrics. All you need is water, a microfibre cloth, and perhaps a small hard bar of white household soap to clean FibreGuard stain resistant fabrics.

You don't even need household implements like steel wool scrubbing sponges or toothbrushes.

We promise.

With FibreGuard performance fabrics, we do suggest that all accidental stains are cleaned up as soon as possible, but yes, they will still be removable even if there is some time between messing and cleaning.

Please check our cleaning hub for the full story on maintaining your contract fabrics.

Deep Cleaning: Can I Steam Clean FibreGuard Stain Resistant Fabrics or Dry-Clean Them?

We're big fans of the satisfaction we feel when our homes and commercial spaces are spick and span. Deep cleaning is one of our favourite activities, to be honest.

You could say it's our passion.

We've tried every deep cleaning trick and tool in the world when we were developing FibreGuard performance fabrics, and we're really glad to be sharing them now.

People go to great lengths when it comes to deep cleaning, us included. We realized early on that life would be much easier if you had high-performing contract upholstery fabrics and surfaces to begin with.

That's why we've been able to develop performance fabrics with incredibly easy-to-remember care instructions.

All you need is water, soap, and the right technique. If you still feel it's necessary, you actually can wash our stain resistant fabrics in a washing machine, generally at 30 degrees Celsius (86ºF).

Related reading: Washing Performance Fabrics: A Functional History and Need-to-Know Facts

Cleaning Tougher Stains from Your FibreGuard Contract Upholstery

Some accidental stains are harder to clean up than others. For example:

• Your excited pupper has had an accident on your velvet performance couch.
• You've unintentionally spilled black coffee on your cream-colored contract upholstery armchair.
• Hair products and greasy hair oils have built up to leave a particularly unpleasant stain on your luxurious upholstered headboard or sofa cushions.
• Your child was taken ill with a sick stomach, on your pastel-colored stain resistant pouf.

Remember though that immediate stain removal will be less work for you. If however, you don't get to the stain immediately, it's still easily cleaned up with our performance fabrics.

FibreGuard's Stain Resistant Fabric Testing

Our guarantee that FibreGuard contract fabrics are permanently easy to clean with no topical treatments necessary comes from rigorous testing. We developed an extra testing level as a bespoke project together with Labotex, an independent, fully-accredited textiles laboratory.

Bear in mind that when we say, 'the stain', we mean a variety of stains, and by 'the fabric', we mean an entire range of performance fabric characteristics.

1. A 'direct' test is our first line of FibreGuard testing: our textile engineers apply the stain to a fresh fabric and remove immediately.
2. The second FibreGuard-specific test is really special. Unique in the industry, it focuses on time: do the stain-resistant properties still perform after a stain has soaked into the contract fabric for 24 hours?
3. Thirdly, performance fabrics are tested when they have already been washed to see if the stain-resistant properties are still as strong as ever.
4. The fourth test takes this washing durability test to the max: what if the stain is applied to contract upholstery fabric that has been washed repeatedly, ten times even: do the stain-resistant properties still perform?

Read more about mechanical textiles testing and our performance fabrics.

Long-term FibreGuard Performance Fabric Protection and Maintenance

So what should you do to prevent everyday dirt and grime build-up on your contract fabrics?

It's easy to freshen up your couch with some pillow-plumping and some spot cleaning (if that's even necessary).

The best thing about our stain resistant fabrics is that they are durable and reliably cleanable from your first day to years down the line. It's only once our performance fabrics pass the standard textiles tests, and the special extra FibreGuard tests, that we release them onto the market.

How to Clean Contract Upholstery Without a Machine

Are you fired up about doing the easiest deep clean of your home or commercial space that you've ever done in your life?

Great! Contact us today to get in touch with a distributor and learn more about our premium performance fabrics and contract upholstery fabrics for your specific needs.

Long-term FibreGuard fabric protection and maintenance

So what should you do to prevent everyday dirt and grime build-up?

It’s easy to freshen up your couch with some pillow-plumping and some spot cleaning (if that’s even necessary).

The best thing about our fabrics is that they are durable and reliably cleanable from your first day to years down the line. It's only once our fabrics pass the standard textiles tests, and the special extra FibreGuard tests, that we release them onto the market.

How to clean upholstery without a machine

Are you fired up about doing the easiest deep clean of your home that you’ve ever done in your life?

Great! Contact us today to get in touch with a distributor.