Delicate & Specialty Fabrics — Cleaning Policy
Why delicate fabrics cost more to clean
Some upholstery and rug fibres cannot be cleaned with standard hot water extraction. They weaken when wet, shrink, brown out, or bleed colour — so they need specialised low-moisture chemistry, gentler hand tools, colour-fastness testing and controlled drying. That takes different products and roughly twice the time, which is why a delicate-fabric surcharge applies.
Fabrics this applies to
- Viscose / rayon (often sold as “art silk” or “bamboo silk”) — the most fragile fibre we see. It loses up to half its strength when wet and can yellow or distort with regular cleaning methods.
- Silk and silk blends — colour bleed and water marking risk; solvent or low-moisture cleaning only.
- Velvet and chenille — pile crushing and watermarking; needs directional finishing by hand.
- Wool and wool blends — safe to clean, but only with wool-safe pH chemistry and controlled moisture.
- Jute, sisal and other plant fibres — browning and shrinkage risk; dry or very low moisture methods.
- Leather and suede — separate process and products entirely.
How the pricing works
The surcharge covers the specialised chemistry, hand work and extra drying time — it is not a penalty, it is a different service. We confirm the exact price before any work starts: send us a photo of the piece and the fabric label, or we identify the fibre on-site and agree the price with you first. If we only discover the fabric at your home, you always see the revised price and approve it before we touch the piece.
Not sure what your sofa or rug is made of?
Check the manufacturer’s label (usually under seat cushions or on the rug corner), or just send us a photo of it — we will tell you what you have and quote both options honestly. If a fabric is not safe to clean at all, we will say so and not charge you for guessing.