The A-Z of cleaning & disinfecting our fabrics

Introduction

Since its inception in 1934 Agua has understood the vital importance of hygiene and infection control, and the role upholstery fabrics can play in enhancing and maintaining both of these critical elements in commercial environments. From day one, our performance fabrics have been, and continue to be anti-microbial, stain resistant and waterproof as standard.

The value of, and requirement for materials with these properties, has been unequivocally validated by recent events.

This document has been specifically produced to ensure, that having selected and installed an Agua performance fabric, customers can simply and easily maintain maximum protection and longevity of their chosen fabric and its inherent hygiene properties.

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Definitions

Cleaning is the process of removing dust, dirt and staining from the surface of a fabric or vinyl to maintain its appearance and prolong its life.

Disinfection is intended to kill germs – micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi – which can cause infection and spread disease.

Some methods, notably using soap and water, bleach or steam – are effective at both cleaning and disinfecting, but certain methods can only be carried out on specific fibre types.

Prevention is better than cure

Regular cleaning and maintenance will ensure that the fabric not only retains its appearance but its performance benefits too. Whether you have chosen a soft fabric, faux leather, or vinyl the tried and tested advice below will stand you in good stead:

• If addressed quickly most stains can be removed using cold/warm water and a clean microfibre cloth.
• Periodically use a vacuum cleaner or soft brush to remove dust and solid particles
• Wipe frequently with a damp cloth to maintain the appearance of the fabric.
• If soap based cleaners are used, all soap residues must be rinsed from the fabric. Soap residues on soft fabrics can and will negate the stain resistant finish that is applied to the surface of the fabric.
• Always test cleaning products on a patch of fabric that is not visible to the naked eye to check suitability.
• Do not machine wash or dry clean.
• On soft fabrics remove all stains immediately before they set. Our soft fabrics are stain resistant not stain proof. Failure to remove stains may encourage the growth of bacteria or fungi.
• Do not use marker pens on the back of the fabric.
• All spillages should be removed immediately with a clean absorbent cloth.
• Do not use solvents, chemical agents, waxes or polishes as this will damage the surface of the fabric. The repeated heavy use of wipes/agents with high concentrations of any of the above may cause cracking and peeling of vinyl’s and damage to the surface of soft fabrics.
• Poorly fixed clothing dyes, e.g. Denim, will cause permanent staining.
• Stains from products containing oil and grease should be treated with a spirit based solution.
• All our fabrics can be steam cleaned in situ.

Disinfection

All our fabrics are bleach cleanable and can be cleaned with mild Hypochlorite solutions (up to 10,000 ppm of available chlorine – including Haz Tabs and Chlor-Clean) or Mineral Spirit for infection control purposes.

Soft Fabrics vs Vinyl’s

For front line health care, high traffic/fast food/ take away environments or areas at high risk of spillage we would always recommend the installation of a vinyl upholstery fabric. The ability to quickly and easily wipe down such fabrics and their enhanced resistance to the ingress of moisture is unsurpassed.

Agua’s advanced design and production techniques have long since addressed the “old” aesthetic objections associated with previous generations of vinyl upholstery fabrics. The appearance of a soft fabric married to the additional ease of cleaning of a vinyl upholstery now comes as standard across the entire collection.

Please note that for obvious reasons light, pale and pastel coloured vinyl upholstery are more susceptible to poorly fixed denim dyes and therefore will require more frequent inspection and cleaning.

Safety and the Environment

All our anti-microbial treatments are REACH compliant (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals Act) and phthalate free.

All our fabrics meet Oeko-Tex standards and are certified free of harmful chemicals and safe for human use.

Contact Us

You can contact us for more information here: info@aguafabrics.com

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