Can you spot the damage on this antique couch?
How old would you guess this couch is? I received a phone call from the sweetest sounding lady the other day and she asked me if I knew where Felt, Idaho was. I responded with a reluctant, "No...?" Felt, Idaho, she explained further, is north of Tetonia in the Teton Valley, near Driggs and Victor. I still had never heard of it. But like the ambitious professional that I am striving to become, I of course told her that I am sure that it is near enough and I wanted to know how I could help her. She said that she had a 125 year old couch that was hand made which has a silk covering and that she had a friend over and that her friend had spilled some red wine on the side, and she was curious to know if I thought that I could clean it. Due to the nature of this call and the love of fine textiles that I possess, I told her that I was sure that something could be done about it and asked her if she could take some photos and send them to me. A few days later in the mail I received a piece of the actual fabric that this was upholstered with as she had saved some of the material from what looked like forever ago. I have rarely seen this type of silk but I was excited to take on this project regardless.
This is what it looked like when I arrived in northern Teton Valley to inspect the damage. You can see the red wine stain where it ran down the side of the cushion. There are numerous drops here and there and on the seat cushion as well. She had attempted to clean it herself and created the yellowing stain as a result. Anytime you have a natural fiber piece of cloth it is really important that it be dried very fast in order to prevent this yellowing from happening.
This poor woman was practically in tears over this episode and after trying a few spotters that I had on my truck I was not able to even touch the red wine stains. I remembered that I had a bottle of spotter that I was never able to remove anything with so I thought w-t-h and was surprised that it made them instantly vanish. I would post here the name of the chemical, but what would the fun in that be?
This poor woman was practically in tears over this episode and after trying a few spotters that I had on my truck I was not able to even touch the red wine stains. I remembered that I had a bottle of spotter that I was never able to remove anything with so I thought w-t-h and was surprised that it made them instantly vanish. I would post here the name of the chemical, but what would the fun in that be?
This is the other side of the stained inner area. The red wine had run down this side too and was pretty noticeable.
After working on these sections of the couch and thoroughly cleaning, scrubbing, extracting, and drying them, I had spent about 3 hours on the stained sections and the seat cushion. I had a few other appointments to make in Jackson Hole so I informed the customer that I would be back in a few days to bring this couch back to my shop where I wash oriental area rugs and I would clean and restore the rest of the couch. She was so happy with the sections that I cleaned that she asked me to take the matching chair with me. So I did, and here are the results....
This is how bright and vibrant this piece looked after a thorough cleaning. I was so pleased.
Here is an after shot of the outer section that had previously been stained with the red wine drops. You can see how renewed the fibers look.
This was one of the most interesting and fun jobs that I have taken on, and from Felt, Idaho of all places. I learned so much from this experience and would like to offer my services for cleaning and restoring antique furniture to anyone interested in the Star Valley, Swan Valley, Jackson Hole, or Teton Valley areas.
RYC, out.
Restore Your Carpet
307.887.0223
in Star Valley
307.774.0223
In Jackson Hole
RYC, out.
Restore Your Carpet
307.887.0223
in Star Valley
307.774.0223
In Jackson Hole
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