Cleaning hacks and FibreGuard fabrics: your questions answered

We are frequently asked about using different cleaning hacks on our stain-resistant fabrics, especially when it comes to FibreGuard sofa fabrics.

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

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

Let’s get to it!

Can I use my own homemade cleaning solutions on my FibreGuard couch?

Unlike other décor fabrics, FibreGuard’s stain-resident properties are permanent because they’re impregnated in the fabric at yarn level.

There are two topical cleaning solutions that pop up when it comes to lifestyle hacking and upholstery cleaning: vinegar and bleach. Both are not very friendly to the enviornment (understatement!), even containing harmful chemicals, and you don't need either of them to clean our upholstery fabrics.

How's that for peace of mind?

This gives us the freedom to concentrate on the look and feel of our 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 fabrics range designed to perform in the most demanding environment.

Free of harmful chemicals

All of our easy to clean 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 they are completely free from harmful chemicals and safe for human use.

All factors of the production of the fabric comes into question, and this includes 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.

Read more about how our fabrics are free of harmful levels of more than 100 substances known to impact human health.

Tools: Do I need a toothbrush to clean FibreGuard fabrics?

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

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

We promise.

With FibreGuard 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.

It’s time for a deep clean. Can I steam clean FibreGuard fabrics or dry-clean them? Do I need to?

We’re big fans of the satisfaction we feel when our homes 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 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 realised early on that life would be much easier if you had high performing upholstery fabrics and surfaces to begin with.

That’s why we've been able to develop 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 fabrics in a washing machine, generally at 30 degrees Celsius (86ºF).

Related reading: Washing fabrics: a functional history and need-to-know facts

Cleaning tougher stains from your FibreGuard sofa

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

• Your excited pupper has had an accident on your velvet couch.
• You’ve unintentionally spilled black coffee on your cream-coloured 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-coloured pouf.

How can you clean up all of these varied stains?

With FibreGuard fabrics, the cleaning ritual is always the same, and it works on all these stains and more.

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.

FibreGuard’s Stain Removal Testing

Our guarantee that FibreGuard fabrics are permanently easy to clean with no topical treatments necessary. We developed an extra testing level as a bespoke project together with Labotex, an independant, 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 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 fabric for 24 hours?
3. Thirdly, fabrics are tested when they have already been washed to see if the stain-resistant properties are still as strong as ever.
4. The third test takes this washing durability test to the max: what if the stain is applied to fabric that has been washing repeatedly, ten times even: do the stain-resistant properties still perform?

Read more about mechanical textiles testing and our fabrics.

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.