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 TEXTILE
CLEANING & PROTECTION
It's the body oils that do it. The slow, relentless build-up that
accumulates on the arms is what drives most people to contact Wayne
Avnell.
"Body oil is the issue with leather and fabric," says Avnell, whose
company specialises in fabric cleaning and protective finishes,
induding fire retardants. It seems we don't plug in the vacuum cleaner
often enough. "Occasionally, you'll arrive at one (a lounge suite)
that's beautiful - it's not big and it's not dirty - and then you'll
arrive at a monster that's filthy. That's the luck of the draw."
Avnell and his team, who are based in Marrickville, work in the
metropolitan area. "It's pretty easy to quote over the phone," he
says. "It's black and white what the price is going to be." For
example. it costs $250 to clean a five-seat lounge suite ($50 a
seat) and there is a $99 minimum call-out charge (which would cover
the cleaning of an armchair or a two-seater). Fabric protection
is charged at the same rate as cleaning and involves a product called
Guardsman, which has a five-year warranty.
Some customers "have already been through two or three carpet cleaners
before they get to us" Avriell says. Usually, the operator is a
carpet/upholstery cleaner who "cleans 98 per cent carpet". But,
"cleaning furniture is a lot more fiddly. It's pretty hard to clean
a full suite in less than two hours. "We use very low volume steamcleaning
equipment. The idea is to always maintain as dry a finish as we
can."
Customers can be nervous. "A lot of people are terrified of what
you're going to do to their lounge, he says. To combat this, and
to keep a good reputation "you've got to do the best you can while
you're out there, and on that (rare) occasion when The cleaning
routine goes like this: the suite is vacuumed and then sprayed with
a cleaning product that is lightly brushed into the fibre. The cleaner
and any dirt are then flushed out using a neutralising product.
Finally, the furniture is towelled down. "We work with white towelling
so it shows us that we've got a finished and clean result."
Cleaning a leather suite costs $55 a seat, which is more than fabric,
because it is done by hand. It's hard work, but it has its perks:
"It's quiet so you can watch the rnidday movie while cleaning the
lounge."
Avnell thinks lounge suites should be cleaned every two years (annually,
if you run a busy house with sproglets). He's happy to talk to people
about stains: "It costs nothing to have chat on the phone."
Meanwhile, Trade Secrets wonders if some vintage antimacassars might
be the answer to the body oil issue? Could be a new trend. Trader's
Tip: Vacuum your lounge suite atleast monthly and give it a firm
rubdown with a damp, lukewarm hand towel every couple of months.
QUALIFICATION DETAILS
18 Years Experience
Family Owned Company
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