Alcantara® care

In order to preserve the beauty of Alcantara® it is recommended that regular cleaning is carried out. Don’t rub too vigorously, and we don’t recommend using steam machines.

Daily cleaning

It is sufficient to dust Alcantara® using a soft brush, a dry cloth, or a vacuum cleaner.

Weekly cleaning

After having dusted Alcantara®, run a slightly moistened white cotton cloth over it. Avoid the use of printed absorbent cloths/papers as they can release ink onto the material.

Yearly cleaning

If the upholstery is removable, it is recommended that you wash it in a washing machine, following the instructions below (general washing instructions). If the upholstery is not removable it is possible to clean Alcantara®, by using specific products listed in the web-site www.alcantara.com. If such products are not available, please follow these instructions: dust the material with care; moisten a soft cloth or a sponge in clean water, wring it thoroughly and run it over the whole Alcantara® material, making sure not to wet it excessively; rinse the cloth or sponge and repeat as necessary. Leave to dry (overnight). Once dried, in order to restore the material, brush it delicately with a soft bristle brush.

General washing instructions

 

If it is necessary to fully wash the furniture’s removable upholstery due to extensive staining, follow the washing instructions below carefully:

• Alcantara® can be safely machine washed with water at about 30° C and a mild detergent; do not spin-dry.
• If there are Velcro fastenings along the edges of the upholstery, they must be protected with counter-Velcro before washing in order not to damage the upholstery.
• Once the upholstery is washed, let it dry in the open air and brush it delicately with a soft bristle brush.
• Alcantara® is not to be bleached with chlorine.
• If necessary, Alcantara® can be ironed, making sure that a white cloth is put between the iron and the product. The base of the iron must not reach a temperature higher than 110°C.
• In case of dry cleaning, trichloroethylene must not be used and direct contact with steam machines must be avoided. The use of the “spray extraction machine” is allowed only at low temperature.

General instructions for stains removal

 

In the case of localised stains the upholstery can be cleaned as follows:

• Act immediately (within 30 minutes) and begin treating the stain from the outside edge into the centre in order to avoid the stain spreading.
• Never pour a cleaning product directly onto Alcantara®.
• Before removing the stain, remove any of the substance that has fallen on the upholstery: if it’s thick (yoghurt, jam, etc.) use a spoon or a plastic spatula; for liquids, use non printed absorbent paper or a sponge.
• Avoid rubbing to prevent the stain from spreading or going deep into the material.
• Use a white cloth or a well wrung sponge for the removal of the stains.
• If you use a sponge, rinse it in clean water and wring it well between each wipe.

Detailed instructions for removal of different stains

 

For the specific treatment of the different types of stains and the relative materials that should be used, follow the instructions below.

 

Water-soluble stains

It is recommended that you use the specific products for Alcantara® cleaning, (a list of which is available on www.alcantara.com); if the products listed are not available, it is recommended, depending on the type of stain, that you should use water, lemon juice, or pure ethyl alcohol (from liquors) and follow the instructions below:

• Fruit juice, jam, jelly, syrup, ketchup: use lukewarm water, rinse by dabbing with clean water.
• Blood, egg, excrement, urine: use cold water; avoid warm water because it makes these substances coagulate, rinse by dabbing with clean water.
• Liquors, alcoholic beverages, wine, beer, coke and tea: use lukewarm water; if the colour mark remains, treat it with lemon juice and then rinse it well.
• Indelible pencil, cocoa, chocolate, pastry with cream or chocolate, ice-cream, mustard: use lukewarm water; rinse by dabbing with clean water.
• Vinegar, hair gel, tomato sauce, coffee with sugar: use lemon juice and then wipe with lukewarm water; rinse by dabbing with clean water.

 

Stains not soluble in water

• Lipstick, foundation, mascara, eye-shadow, perfume, shoe polish, oil and grease in general, grass stains and felt tips in general (including the indelible kind): rub with ethyl alcohol, then with water and rinse. For grass stains and felt tips, which are quite difficult to remove, especially on light colours, it is necessary to act as soon as possible in order to prevent them from becoming too “dry”.
• Chewing-gum and wax: put a plastic bag full of ice on the stain; when the material becomes hard remove the pieces and then treat with ethyl alcohol.

 

Resistant stains

• Repeat the above described treatments as often as necessary. Even the stains that are not soluble in water often require to be treated afterwards with water. 

 

Old stains of unknown origin

• First of all, treat with lukewarm water, then rinse by dabbing them with clean water. If you see that the stain begins to dissolve in the water, repeat the treatment as often as necessary; let it dry and treat with ethyl alcohol.