INDUSTRY TRENDS The Battle Against Viscose How to handle the most problematic in homes today. BY LISA WAGNER

CLEANFAX® APR 2020 10 | iscose is a fiber that ex- are often sold as “luxury” at Cleaners are not being paid a commis- ists in just about every home. luxury prices, and consumers are not sion on the sale, and they have the It is used in creating paper being informed about the realities of firsthand experience of cleaning all V towels, kitchen sponges, diaper this product. types of fibers, so what better person liners, and sanitary products. It is very Sometimes this lack of informa- to get that reliable feedback from? absorbent and often biodegradable. This makes it great for cleaning up messes; however, it is a horrible choice for a floorcovering or fabric exposed to any kind of daily foot traffic, moisture, Viscose rayon production is one oils, spills, pet accidents, or dust. of the most toxic production processes Viscose belongs to a category of fi- bers that professional cleaners are see- in our history. ing much more of these days—regen- erated fibers. These fibers are tion is intentional, with sellers trying The lies being told about viscose to made of wood and plant pulp which is to push a sale through at maximum consumers heavily chemically processed to give it profit, but sometimes the lack of in- With thousands of readers visiting my a soft, glossy finish. formation is due to the manufacturers Rug Chick blog weekly, I have a steady It is artificial ; however, it is rare- of these fibers misleading distributors stream of questions and problems ly sold under the name “fake silk.” In- about their products and product concerning all regenerated cellulose stead regenerated cellulose fibers are performance. That misinformation is fibers. It is the top topic from rug shop- sold under many names: viscose, ray- then passed on to the consumers. pers, rug owners having problems, and on, manmade silk, art silk, Unfortunately, most rug, furniture, professional cleaners. silk, banana silk, cactus silk, Silkette, and carpet retailers do not seek out a Let’s look at some of the lies and Luxcelle, Lyocel, and Tencel. This is deep technical understanding of their half-truths being told to consumers why many consumers believe they products in terms of clean-ability, about these fibers for their furniture have actually invested in real silk rath- durability, and longevity. Neither do and floorcoverings: er than in what is essentially a “paper,” many interior designers. It is the tru- • “It is a luxury fiber.” disposable fiber. ly exceptional interior designer who It is true that there is no fiber If you have not seen many of these takes fabric samples and rug choic- that quite has the look, feel, and fibers yet, you will. This fiber, which es to a textile cleaning specialist to texture of a regenerated cellulose has been the most problematic in the ask which ones will be best for their fiber rug… when it is brand new. rug cleaning world for the past few client’s dining room, family room, or The challenge is these rugs are years, is heavily moving into both fur- kids’ rooms. like a fresh snowfall. They will niture fabrics and installed wall-to- show each and every step you wall carpeting. take for as long as you choose to walk on it. They require constant grooming, which is problematic because the fibers tend to pull, sprout, and lose their sheen with even a little soiling or foot traffic friction.

Viscose blend sofa looks dirty after only one month of use in the home. Installed and viscose blend carpeting This lack of consumer education is an opportunity for professional cleaners There are many problems with the to become the one resource that con- care and durability of these fibers, sumers can trust for guidance on their Viscose fibers shed and break. but the biggest problem is that they rugs, furniture, and carpet choices.

APR 2020 cleanfax.com | 11 Within a short period of time spills. At-home attempts to clean cleaning to get better results and these fibers lose color, shine, and up spills and repeated vacuuming remove the contaminants. texture. With spills or clean-up in traffic areas tend to make these With the introduction of vis- attempts in the home, the results areas look even worse. cose into fabrics on furniture, this are often disastrous. problem becomes even worse be- cause all the areas that accumu- late body oils and hand oils dark- en, and the friction points along the arms fray and break. This makes cleaning viscose fabric perhaps one of the most difficult areas in our industry. If a client, despite all of the in- formation, chooses a viscose rug for her home, then I strongly rec- ommend a fiber protector be ap- plied on day one just to give the In-home spill clean-up Viscose loses color, rug a fighting chance to last a bit sheen, and texture. on viscose can be longer under normal use. Even disastrous. folding these rugs up to ship them This means that professional can cause permanent crease, “Luxury” implies quality. High cleaning is needed much more crush, and texture damage. prices imply longevity. often for these rugs and furni- Hand-knotted wool rugs can ture, which can be an unexpect- • “It is eco-friendly.” last a century or longer with ed additional expense added to When rug shoppers share that proper care. Viscose rugs will an already costly purchase. It the salesperson has told them give owners a year or two before may even be challenging to find a that viscose is an eco-friendly they start thinking about finding good professional cleaner for the choice and they want to know if the replacement. Consumers are job since a number of companies it’s true, I tell them this depends purchasing a high-priced dispos- refuse to clean viscose. on how they define “eco-friendly.” able rug, yet many are not being It is not uncommon to see vis- If they are concerned about told that the life of their new rug cose rugs in for cleaning several items breaking down and being is going to be so short. times a year—not because the biodegradable in landfills, then, yes. Considering these products begin to break down immediate- ly upon use and do not last, they No one ever buys viscose for their floor are not long for this world. Re- member that these are essential- or furniture a second time. ly paper-based, so they burn eas- ily, and they also mildew when • “It is easy to maintain.” household is dirty but because exposed to moisture. I recently had a rug shopper share the rug looks dirty faster than any with me her experience of hav- other fiber. ing a retailer explain how “easy” One of the challenges for pro- a bamboo silk rug would be to fessional cleaners with this fi- maintain in the dining room. I ber is that ideally it should be explained that this would be the dry cleaned with low-moisture worst choice for her dining room or solvent cleaning methods to or any room with regular use. minimize texture change. How- Viscose and all regenerated ever, “wet” problems need to be cellulose fibers have no ability to cleaned with “wet” methods. hide soil. They gray with even light Large spills, water damage, pet dust in traffic areas, and they yel- accidents, and heavy, ground-in Viscose areas left damp too long easily mildew. low with even mild moisture from soil all require more than surface

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STOP is a high-support, low-restriction franchise. We aim to be the perfect combination of large territory, branding, tailored guidance and freedom. We partner with ethical, forward-thinking entrepreneurs that seek the power of Franchise offering by prospectus only systems and teamwork. We’ll enjoy meeting you and hearing about your goals. DISCOUNTS AND FINANCING AVAILABLE FREE INFO: Reader Service 226 at Cleanfax.com/freeinfo If the eco-friendly focus is on the production side, then the answer is “no.” In his book, Fake Silk, Dr. Paul David Blanc Within a short period of time these demonstrates with heartbreak- ing, scientific detail that viscose fibers lose color, shine, and texture. rayon production is one of the most toxic production process- Another question for those es in our history. Both land and seeking out a choice that is workers have been destroyed by “eco-friendly” is whether a rug the consumer desire for fake silk. that requires much more fre- It is difficult to read the book quent cleaning is considered and ever look at the viscose ray- good for the planet. on industry the same. For professional cleaners, vis- The making of viscose rayon fab- cose rugs are some of our most ric is banned in the U.S., so the dis- frequent visitors. If customers are ease and death caused by the main concerned about making an eco- Even a water spill can chemical used in its production logically conscious choice, it is create a problem on a viscose rug. (carbon disulfide) occurs in India, worth considering which is truly China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. more sustainable: a biodegrad- The making of disposable fibers is able viscose rug that might need What professional cleaners can do often dependent on a workforce to be cleaned two or three times People expect their “luxury” prod- that these countries also view, each year and replaced every few uct to clean up luxuriously. However, unfortunately, as disposable. In years or a wool, hand-knotted even the most skilled professional this regard, viscose is far from an rug that might need a full wash cleaners are only able to do so much “eco-friendly” fiber. every two or three years and will with what is the worst-performing fi- Two of the regenerated cellu- last decades. ber in homes today. lose fibers that are considered You cannot expertly polish IKEA “green” are Tencel® and ®. • “It is what the consumers want.” particle board furniture and make it These fibers are made in a closed What I hear from retailers and into beautiful mahogany wood. Like- loop system that captures and re- designers is that viscose is what wise, no professional cleaner is going cycles the chemical solvents and consumers want, so that is why to be able to make fake silk into a rug water used in production so there they are selling it. or sofa that was worth the price paid is no release in the processing. I have also heard more than for it. These fibers have a higher pur- once from designers that their However, professional cleaners do chase price and perform better client has plenty of money, so have two opportunities when deal- in clothing longevity, but they do they don’t care if a rug is dispos- ing with viscose: First, of course, is to still have a tendency to lose color able. become technically skilled at viscose and texture just as their toxic fi- Yet, when I have had discus- care to help owners of these items ber relatives do. sions with consumers who have keep their purchases looking as good put down tens of thousands of as they can for as long as they can. Sec- dollars in deposits for furniture ond, and more important, is to become and rugs, who then discovered your customers’ trusted resource for the realities of these fibers in their next purchases, because no one regular household use, I find ever buys viscose for their floor or fur- that they always make another niture a second time. choice. When a plain water spill on Lisa Wagner is a second viscose can lead to permanent generation rug care ex- fiber damage, that is a problem pert, NIRC Certified Rug in most homes, regardless of Specialist, and an owner of Lyocell rugs are cleaner pro- economic status. That problem Blatchford’s Rug Cleaning duction, but also are subject to in San Diego, California. For rug course and is rarely shared with homeown- color and sheen loss in use. training details, visit www.rugchick.com. ers before the sale.

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