Cotton velvet wall panels

[Brian H]

We had a customer call up to have us clean some newly installed cotton velvet wall panels that had soil and fingerprint marks on them. We used a low moisture tool on them and lightly cleaned and regroomed them. Our technician did a terrible job and left the panels streaky and blotchy. That's simple enough to correct, but we also were accused of creating holes in the fabric because we were too "aggressive" in the cleaning. The holes just happen to coincide with where a needle gun was used to insert needle nails. (I am not sure I have ever heard of a needle nail).

The installer claims that he didn't damage the fabric by nailing through it, as he does this all the time. He said that since the holes didn't really show, then they didn't exist. The claim is that we did it using an aggressive back and forth motion and it made the tiny hole visible. I went back and rewet and regroomed the fabric and worked the areas around the nail holes and it looks significantly better. There are still a few holes that kind of show, though I am not too worried as we have some before pictures that do show some nail holes if you know where to look. Also I have a piece of the fabric and every time I put a needle through it I take a tiny piece of the fabric with it.

The question I have, has anyone had experience nailing cotton velvet and the issues that might arise from it? I think the installer was wrong in nailing though the fabric.

The pictures below were taken before I did a lot of work on them. A couple of the pictures look bleached but that's just areas I had started working on and must have been the lighting.

 

[SamIam]

We had a customer call up to have us clean some newly installed cotton velvet wall panels that had soil and fingerprint marks on them. We used a low moisture tool on them and lightly cleaned and regroomed them. Our technician did a terrible job and left the panels streaky and blotchy. That's simple enough to correct, but we also were accused of creating holes in the fabric because we were too "aggressive" in the cleaning. The holes just happen to coincide with where a needle gun was used to insert needle nails. (I am not sure I have ever heard of a needle nail).

The installer claims that he didn't damage the fabric by nailing through it, as he does this all the time. He said that since the holes didn't really show, then they didn't exist. The claim is that we did it using an aggressive back and forth motion and it made the tiny hole visible. I went back and rewet and regroomed the fabric and worked the areas around the nail holes and it looks significantly better. There are still a few holes that kind of show, though I am not too worried as we have some before pictures that do show some nail holes if you know where to look. Also I have a piece of the fabric and every time I put a needle through it I take a tiny piece of the fabric with it.

The question I have, has anyone had experience nailing cotton velvet and the issues that might arise from it? I think the installer was wrong in nailing though the fabric.

The pictures below were taken before I did a lot of work on them. A couple of the pictures look bleached but that's just areas I had started working on and must have been the lighting.
View attachment 126548View attachment 126549View attachment 126550

Wow really takes the inspection level up a notch.

Would one dry clean something like this by hand?

Presuming the nail area could be damaged by any stress at all.

Or just go low flow and crack the relief on the machine?

Did he use a butler set at 15hg?

 

[Mikey P]

Another reason to learn Jim's OP Uph method..

you should have him out to train your whole crew

 

[Brian H]

We used a low moisture tool on it with the vacuum relief valve cracked.

I hid most of the holes again using Wally Mist*, a brush. Wet it, brush it up, then brush back down. I then wet out the entire panel and groomed it all down with a damp towel.

*For those old timers, you may remember Wally Weber who taught upholstery cleaning more than 35 years ago. He is the one that I learned about the mixture called Wally Mist. He said an old time dry cleaner had taught him the recipe and when he had used it, he said you can call it whatever you want but that he calls it Wally Mist. I have used it in a number of different situations every since. Take an empty gallon jug, add 1 ounce of unscented fabric softener, 1 quart of isopropyl alcohol and fill the balance of the jug with water. It's a great wrinkle remover as well as a good tool to use when you need to groom out wand marks on upholstery and drapes.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

He said an old time dry cleaner had taught him the recipe

Yep

I learned that one from my father (who started as a dry cleaner). It was used back then for taking wrinkles out of drapery when they were delivered and re-hung.

It is great for correcting distortion on velvet, especially viscose/rayon, because steaming can cause discoloration.

I turned a green velvet yellow once by using steam....

 

[Nomad74]

Man Brian, that is a tough one, especially if the customer won't listen to reason.

I have 16 rugs to clean today. You'll be in my thoughts.

 

[Doug Cox]

I would’ve dry cleaned seeing as it was new.

 

[Cleanworks]

We used a low moisture tool on it with the vacuum relief valve cracked.

I hid most of the holes again using Wally Mist*, a brush. Wet it, brush it up, then brush back down. I then wet out the entire panel and groomed it all down with a damp towel.

*For those old timers, you may remember Wally Weber who taught upholstery cleaning more than 35 years ago. He is the one that I learned about the mixture called Wally Mist. He said an old time dry cleaner had taught him the recipe and when he had used it, he said you can call it whatever you want but that he calls it Wally Mist. I have used it in a number of different situations every since. Take an empty gallon jug, add 1 ounce of unscented fabric softener, 1 quart of isopropyl alcohol and fill the balance of the jug with water. It's a great wrinkle remover as well as a good tool to use when you need to groom out wand marks on upholstery and drapes.

We used to have a similar product for drapes. I believe it was called "spring mist".

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Man Brian, that is a tough one, especially if the customer won't listen to reason.

I have 16 rugs to clean today. You'll be in my thoughts.

All while you’re hoping your land owner is getting antsy!

 

[Nate The Great]

My mom took Wally's class.. I changed my name in her phone to Wally Weber.. I'd call it and say hurry up, your taking too long.. It's our inside joke.. My pops glanced at her phone and said, why the hell would Wally be calling you.......Our stomachs were sore after that one!

What was the name of the DyeCo owner? Something Greenberg?? He taught my mom some tricks for dyeing..

 

[Jim Pemberton]

My mom took Wally's class.. I changed my name in her phone to Wally Weber.. I'd call it and say hurry up, your taking too long.. It's our inside joke.. My pops glanced at her phone and said, why the hell would Wally be calling you.......Our stomachs were sore after that one!

What was the name of the DyeCo owner? Something Greenberg?? He taught my mom some tricks for dyeing..

My son leaves his phone out a lot........Now I just have to think of which crazy ex-girlfriend of his will be put by me where his mother's name is on his phone