Frequently asked questions about FibreGuard's stain resistant furnishing fabrics
There is no such thing as a silly question, and we have the answers to all of your FibreGuard ones.
If you have a question that isn’t touched on here, please send us an email because we’re ready, waiting, and eager to help you out.
General questions about FibreGuard fabrics
When you say FibreGuard is “environmentally friendly”, what do you mean?
FibreGuard fabrics are certified under the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® and also comply fully with the EU’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation.
We have endeavoured since the very beginning to supply fabrics that are safe for both the environment and its inhabitants, and we’re not stopping.
Learn more about our commitment to sustainability in the textiles industry.
Who uses FibreGuard's stain-resistant upholstery?
There are two kinds of people who use FibreGuard fabrics:
- Families. We’re talking:
- Friends coming over to drink a few glasses of wine
- House party guests
- Enjoyers of kitchen coffee mornings and breakfasts
- Mucky pets
- Arty children
- Messy adults
- People who work from home
- Private boat interiors (ahoy matey!)
- Contract industry professionals and the end-users of interior spaces. By this we mean:
- Architects and Interior designers who would be specifying various fabric applications for their interiors projects
- Everyone in the hospitality industry, from contractors to designers to hotel guests to cruise ships to rental properties like homes, apartments, B&Bs and apart-hotels. Our easy-to-clean fabrics work hard for everyone from hotel staff to non-guests who sneak in with their laptops to use the free lobby Wi-Fi, to hospitality resorts that accept pets
- Healthcare facility staff and patients, from hospital rooms to waiting rooms, from receptions to lobby areas, canteens, and cafeterias, from rest homes and retirement villages to physical rehabilitation centres and nursing homes
- Bars and restaurants (and their patrons) because FibreGuard fabrics are easy to clean, good-looking and durable
- Corporate environments, like office buildings, cubicles, reception areas, etc., because work is messy at the best of times
- Childcare facilities, because FibreGuard fabrics are safe for delicate skin and easy to clean for household stains – scroll down for more about cleaning FibreGuard fabrics
Where can I buy FibreGuard's high performance fabrics?
FibreGuard is everywhere including the USA, Myanmar, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Australia, Canada and South Africa. Find us in Europe in Greece, the UK, Norway, Belgium, Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Hungary, Portugal….you name it.
If we haven’t named your country yet, don’t worry, that doesn’t mean we’re not available there, it just means we’ve run out of space.
You can find FibreGuard fabrics in all good fabric supplier shops, on sofas and chairs in retail shops and at fabrics wholesalers for volume, contract-specific orders.
Want to know more? Please get in touch with us here.
How does FibreGuard's stain resistance work?
During the manufacturing process, the yarns are protected with our unique and well-researched finish to make them both stain-resistant and long-wearing, even after multiple washes. We don’t use any cleaning sprays to make FibreGuard fabrics, because you don’t need them.
Cleaning FibreGuard's High Performance Fabrics
What soap do we need to clean FibreGuard?
A bar of normal, white, hard soap that doesn’t contain heavy detergent.
What kind of microfibre cloth should I use?
It doesn’t matter what size or colour microfibre cloth you use, just that it is a real microfibre cloth. This is because the many fibres in a microfibre cloth work kind of like millions of tiny fingers, doing the hard work for you.
Can we bleach FibreGuard fabrics?
No, bleaching your FibreGuard fabrics really isn’t a good idea for a number of reasons:
- Bleach will damage the overall structural integrity of your fabrics. Eek! This means weakening the fibres, weakening the seams, and thinning the pile
- Bleach will damage your fabric’s colour or pattern, causing it to drastically fade
- You don’t need bleach to clean FibreGuard fabrics
- Using bleach isn’t only bad for your upholstery or drapery fabrics, it’s pretty harmful in a number of ways, from being harmful to your body, to your pets and even to the environment.
Does FibreGuard fabric need to have Scotchgard applied to prevent everyday dirt and grime build-up?
No, FibreGuard fabric is inherently stain-resistant and does not need any other sprays or finishes to keep it being incredibly easy to clean, day after day after day after day.
How much water?
A lot! No really, it’s ok: using plenty of water won’t damage your FibreGuard fabrics. Let it air dry afterwards, and don’t use any heating method, such as hair dryers, to speed up the drying process. Heat will damage the fabric.
Is the circular movement important?
Yes, rubbing gently in a circular motion is important because of the crisscrossing structure of the yarns. Using a circular movement is the best way to make sure you clean the whole stain effectively.
What is the ideal pressure to apply when cleaning?
A gentle pressure is all that’s required. Rubbing harder will just smush the stain further into the structure of the fabric itself and make it harder to remove in the long run. Yes, ‘smush’ is the technical term.
Do I need a toothbrush to clean FibreGuard fabrics?
No, you don’t. All you need is water, a real microfibre cloth, and perhaps a small hard bar of white household soap to clean FibreGuard fabrics. We know that there are articles out there online advising that people use household implements like scrubbing sponges or toothbrushes to deep-clean stubborn stains from fabrics: you don’t need to use abrasive items like these on our fabrics. We promise.
Can I use vinegar to clean FibreGuard fabrics?
No, don’t use vinegar on your FibreGuard fabrics. You don’t need it to clean FibreGuard fabrics, and it could actually damage your fabric. Similar to the previous question, vinegar seems to be the internet’s famous home remedy for cleaning the home, so we thought we’d address that.
What kind of stains can I remove from FibreGuard fabrics?
All kinds of household stains. Here are just the ones we can think of immediately.
- We’re talking oily, greasy stains like:
- mayonnaise
- ketchup
- BBQ sauce
- olive oil
- castor oil
- pizza grease
- butter
- You can clean gloopy stains off of FibreGuard fabrics too, such as:
- honey
- syrup
- toothpaste
- mud
- eggs
- tinned foods like baked beans or ravioli
- Liquid stains are cleanable from FibreGuard fabrics, such as:
- red wine
- black coffee
- sugary soft drinks
- fruit juice
- milk
- biological materials like blood, sweat or vomit
- Even unusual or hybrid household stains like pen ink, or nail varnish, wax crayons, paint, lipstick, mascara, chewing gum, putty, grass stains, toner or printer ink, colouring pencils, condiment stains (jam, chutney, etc.), ice cream stains and baby formula stains can be removed from FibreGuard fabrics!