Vinyl Fabric Care Guide

Also termed as pleather or artificial leather, vinyl fabric has become one of the most used materials in different industries. Be it for designing a bag's cover or upholstery of furniture, PVC fabric is used in manufacturing several elements. Since it has chlorine molecules connected to the hydrocarbon group, pleather is quite durable, resistant to fire and wear and tear, and also has the ability to resist chemical reactions with other elements. This is one of the major reasons for which the vinyl material has become the most used synthetic fabric type. 

As the vinyl fabric resembles original leather in both features and textures, it has a grained surface with varying levels of prominence. Even though the fabric is quite durable and can resist the weathering process, it needs to be taken care of. Vinyl leather will show its strength and robustness only to a certain extent after which it will form tears and wrinkles. So, for maintaining the quality of vinyl upholstery and normal fabric, one needs to know about different ways of taking care of the material type.

In this article, we have discussed the major ways in which you can take care of the vinyl material. 

Cleaning the Vinyl Fabric

The first process of taking care of PVC textiles is to clean them properly. Even though vinyl is resistant to most of the chemicals, one still needs to be careful about the cleaning agents being used. 

For properly cleaning the vinyl upholstery or anything other item made from this material, one will have to adhere to the following steps: 

1. Since the vinyl surfaces are usually slippery, you don’t need to scrub it with full force to remove any mark or stain from the surface. All you need is a cleaning solution having 80% water and 20% of liquid detergent. 
2. It is best to use liquid detergents because powder soaps may contain residues that might damage the vinyl product. Also, before you use a certain detergent, check it once whether it is applicable for vinyl fabric or not. 
3. We usually prefer to use organic detergents having fragrance because these products aren’t harsh on any textile element. In addition, the fragrance will help in suppressing the smell of artificial leather that usually comes off the vinyl fabric. 
4. Once the cleaning solution is ready, it’s time for cleaning the surface. Unlike other materials, there is no need for deep cleaning unless there is a hard stain on the surface. So, a normal brush or scrubber will be enough for cleaning the surface. 
5. A smooth to and from the motion of the brush on the vinyl surface will help you to clean it properly. Also, there is no need to lather the upholstery or the vinyl material because a simple diluted soap solution will be enough to clean the fabric. 
6. After the cleaning process is over, one will have to dry the surface. Since PVC is waterproof and moisture resistant, no water will get absorbed by the material. Hence, drying the surface is necessary. 
7. For drying the vinyl material, a small dry cloth will be more suitable. It should be made from cotton or any other fabric that can absorb the water from the vinyl surface. It’s better not to use heat for drying the surface as it can destroy the finished look of the vinyl fabric, especially if it has a glossy finish. 

Stain and Mark Removal from Pleather

Even though the vinyl material is usually available in dark colors like black, grey, brown, beige, blue, maroon, and so on, there are certain item categories where light-colored vinyl is used. For example, in bags, wallets, and even in shoes, lighter shades like white, cream, yellow, sand, and others are used. 

These vinyl fabrics are susceptible to stains and tough marks that can’t be removed so easily. For this reason, we have come up with the perfect solution that will help everyone to remove stains and then clean the surface. 

1. First, bleaching needs to be done to remove the stain mark. For this, powdered bleach needs to be dissolved in normal water such that the final solution has 80% dilution. 
2. Once the bleach solution is ready, you have to dip a brush or a small rag in it. Using this soaked fabric, you need to rub it on the vinyl upholstery or the normal vinyl fabric surface. 
3. The bleaching solution will help in cleaning the hard stain from the vinyl cover. After bleaching is done, you have to repeat the normal cleaning steps we have mentioned earlier. 
4. One precautionary step that we would like to share is that using too much of bleach powder will cause discoloration of the vinyl upholstery or any other vinyl-made fabric. 

Conclusion 

Vinyl is one of the most used textiles in several industries, starting from automobiles to furniture. However, the material is prone to dust, stain mark,s and other such issues which will cause a decrease in the shine and texture of the vinyl fabric. The above-mentioned steps will help everyone to clean their belongings made from PVC artificial leather.