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pH Indicator Dye On UpholsteryOrange chair turns Green After Cleaning. This report was commissioned by the cleaner.THE CLAIM STATISTICS PROBLEM REPORTED: Browning PROBLEM FOUND: pH Indicator Dye PERSONS PRESENT: Inspector & Claimant THE UPHOLSTERY FIBER/ ID METHOD: Cotton-Burn FIBER CONSTRUCTION: Chenille COLORS: Green TYPE: Ottoman Chair SIZE: W 34", D 40", H 42" BACK GROUND INFORMATION TYPE DWELLING: Residential ESTIMATE VALUE Not Determined AGE: 2Years Old USE & MAINTENANCE INFORMATION AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION LITERATURE RECEIVED WITH PURCHASE: None Reported TEMPERATURE: 69.8°F - 21.0° C RH 34% ADULTS: 2 - CHILDREN: 1 - PET(S): 1 - Dog DO THEY SMOKE? No SPOTTING AGENTS: None Reported VACUUM/FREQUENCY: Not Determined Monthly ENTRY-MATS: Yes SOIL: None Noticed HEATING TYPE: Central Force Air Gas COOLING TYPE: Central - Electric CLEANING: Professional METHOD: Steam Cleaning TYPE OF CHEMICAL: Acidic Rinsing Agent DATE LAST CLEANED: 12/5/96 TREATMENTS APPLIED: Fluorochemical, Solvent Base REASON FOR COMMISSION The chair changed colors after cleaning. THE REPORT Site Conditions and Geographical Information The chair was located in the claimant’s free standing two story house situated in a residential neighborhood in the Canoga Valley. The house was well maintained and was owner occupied at the time of the inspection. BACKGROUND INFORMATION MADE TO THE INSPECTOR For the first time a protectant was used after cleaning the sofa. The cleaner reports that he used RST as an extraction cleaner, and later rinsed by Detergent Rinse. Upon drying the color of the chair changed from green to red. Corrective services were attempted with a slight improvement. DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM AREA BY THIS INSPECTOR The discoloring was primarily located on the seat and back cushions. On the seat cushion the problem was primarily on one side. The discoloring was patchy looking with defined edges. The cushion inside was urethane with polyester liner covering. There were no ink marks or other unusual marks inside the cushion. ON-LOCATION FIELD TESTING An inspection lamp was used in these two rooms for closer evaluation and to create shadows. This high intensity lamp is equipped with a 200 watt halogen bulb. The problem became more obvious with increased lighting. Numerous moisture tests were performed using a TRAMEX moisture encounter. This devise measures the percentage of moisture in the area that was being tested. This devise is suitable for measuring moisture in wood and concrete. The results of these tests revealed that there were no moisture readings of any kind. An ultraviolet light was shone throughout the installation. This tool draws a yellow reflection from most urine stains and a blue or lavender reflection from detergents with optical brightening agents. The result of this test revealed that were no reflections except for lint from clothing. Numerous pH tests were taken using a digital type pH meter and a special low moisture probe that made direct contact with the face yarns. This device is accurate to ± 0.1 and was calibrated with a laboratory testing solution immediately before these tests were made. All tests were made using distilled water with a pH of 7.0. The test results were as follows: affected areas 6.3 6.5 6.3 Ave. 6.37 non-affected areas 5.5 5.3 Ave. 5.4 The pH of any of the above substances if present at the time of testing would be affected by any other substance with a pH and also by dilution with the distilled-water. A tannin spotter from The Ramsey Chemical line was applied to the affected area. This product is a professional, acidic, spotting agent and with a ready to use pH of less than one. Its primary use is for removing coffee, teas and urine stains. If the problem reported was created by an acids, then it might become more severe with this test. If the problem was created by alkalinity, then it might reverse its severity. Also, the presence of pH indicator dyes can be determined with this method. If a pH indicator dye were present, it would likely turn red. This product was applied to a towel and the towel was blotted on to the affected area. The result of this test showed no improvement on the affected areas. A 7% ammonium hydroxide solution was applied to the affected area. This product is a professional, alkaline, spotting agent and with a ready to use pH of more than ten. This product was applied to a towel and the towel was blotted on to the affected area. The hue of the affected area reverted to the original color for a period of only 10 minutes. THE ISSUE OF THIS REPORT The question that I have been asked to address is: what has caused the fabric to change colors? GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATING THE ISSUE Color change problems can occur: 1. when indicator dyes are affect by pH changes 2. when ink or other materials wick from under the fiber 3. when there is a color loss INDUSTRY STANDARDS, PRACTICES & DEFINITIONS According to the ASSOCIATION of SPECIALISTS in CLEANING & RESTORATION it says this about CHENILLE DESCRIPTION: Chenille is a term applied to a type of yarn, or a fabric woven with a chenille yarn as the filling. The yarn resembles a hairy caterpillar as it is covered with short cut fibers or pile. These pile fibers are perpendicular to the base yarn which is usually of cotton. The cut fibers appear on the surface of a chenille fabric and may have entirely different properties compared to the base yarn they cover. The fabric looks similar to a hairy striped velvet or a fine corduroy but close examination reveals the pile fibers wound on a base yarn. The pile can be of wool, rayon, silk or cotton. The warp threads in a chenille fabric can be synthetic or natural. CLEANING CHARACTERISTICS: CAUTION-DRY CLEAN or WET CLEAN. A chenille fabric may have as many as three different kinds of fibers. Protesting is therefore essential. The pile fibers, the base yarns they cover and the warp yarns should all be pretested for color fastness or pretest both sides of the fabric. Chenille is a delicate fabric; cleaning should therefore be done with extreme care, otherwise pile distortion may occur. General cleaning procedures are similar to velvets. Dry cleaning is satisfactory, as well as wet cleaning or the DRY-WET-DRY method. Indicator Dyes/color change is defined by the Floor Covering dictionary as. Indicator dyes are not a separate class of dyes, but rather a characteristic of the some dyes in almost every category of dyes. These dyes change color in the presence of acids and alkalizes. A familiar example would be litmus paper (pH paper) which is blue in an alkaline condition but changes to red when in an acid condition. This is typical of the reaction of indicator dyes. THE INSPECTOR'S ANALYSIS The pH readings of the affected and unaffected areas were a little confusing at first, so an acid treatment was tried before the ammonium hydroxide, however, this problem is beyond any doubt a classic indicator dye change. Although no official standards for cleaning furniture existed at the time of the writing of this report, the industry accepted way of cleaning cotton is to leave it slightly acidic. Tests confirmed that this chair was cleaned in that manner and with no over wetting. It should be remembered too that finding an indicator dye is rare. Therefore this inspector believes that this problem would be inherent in correct cleaning. CONCLUSION The color change in the chair in question was inherent in the dyes as an indicator dye and are correctable. RECOMMENDATIONS Lasting corrections cannot be made with just ammonium hydroxide because of its volatility. The acid residue needs to be rinsed out of the fabric. Therefore, a steam extraction with a mildly alkaline cleaning solution should correct the situation. If the resulting pHs are slightly over seven, then ammonium hydroxide should clear up any remains of redness. |