I'm just heartsick! I've had this custom Flexsteel sofa for only 3 weeks, and there's a HUGE faded spot/stain on the seatback cushion! I have no idea what it is or how it got there. I noticed it today. I emailed the store with photos and I'm waiting for a response. We NEVER eat in this room, and it's only used by my 7yr old daughter for TV watching in the afternoon. She doesn't use any hairproducts. I did notice her sitting there the other day after her shower with wet hair...but that's only water!

Here's what it looks like: I'm heartbroken!

Oh no!!! This looks like some sort of bleaching, there are several product that may do it. For example, chlorine from a swimming pool, many soaps and facewashes (proactive in particular), and even some deodorants. I've ruined sheets, hand towels, and the armpits of some shirts! Hope this helps narrow down the culprit. good luck.

maureezn2

I bought a new sofa about 3 years ago. There was a small spot on the back of it and while I was away, my dh tried to clean it with a damp cloth. That was one big mistake. I called my dealer. She called the company, no longer in business. She called the new owners. They said it could only be cleaned with pure solvents-petro distillation based. I will have to take to an upholstery shop or live with it for awhile. If someone sits on it with a sweaty back it will show. I will check fabric content next time.

Hope you have better luck.

By the way my fabric content is 45& viscose-35% polyester-20% cotton


Betty

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Raymansmom,

Can you flip the cushion to the other side? Until you can clean it off or find another solution.

No, the cushions are attached and cannot be flipped.

I'm so upset I could cry. I agonized over this sofa choice for weeks!!!

Oh my how sad !! I,too, suspect that it came from a haircare product. My DD's ruined many towels and washcloths before we caught on to what was happening. Even when a damp washcloth was tossed into the hamper it would bleach whatever it came into contact with!! I wish that I could offer a solution. Could an upholsterer remove the attached cushion and turn it around ?

quote:

Originally posted by maureenz:
No, the cushions are attached and cannot be flipped.

I'm so upset I could cry. I agonized over this sofa choice for weeks!!!

Ohhh, I am so sorry to read this! I hope there will be some solution for you.

I don't blame you, I would be sick too...I hope you can get some input from the company on how to solve this.

That sofa looks so comfy!!

You know, my DH once tried to clean up a spot on our carpet with what turned out to be a bleach/water solution that I had mixed to clean tile. I was sick about it, but there was a carpet (we can fix any spot!) repair company in our city, and they re-dyed the bleached areas. You can't even tell where they were. If all else fails, that might be a solution.

Good luck!

Oh gee whiz - that's a shame. I was going to rant and rave about the same type of bleached out spots on some towels and sheets I've had happen lately. I have to think tho that it may not be haircare stuff - in our house we just use regular shampoo - no bleaching stuff etc - and the towels and sheets discolored were all green - my white/black/purple towels didn't discolor - same with sheets - just the green ones. I wonder if there is dye stabilitzation problems - especially with fabrics being made in China nowadays.

I'm really sorry! I feel bad for you. I think we can all emphathize with you on this. I hope the furniture store can offer a solution. You might also try emailing the actual manufacturer, if the furniture store can't help.

I'm so sorry for you. I had a mishaps myself with my new never really used living room set. I've started furnishing my house a little at a time but I've not even moved in yet. So none of my furniture has been sat on for more than a total of 30 minutes.

Well, i had a hole in my bathroom wall. No one forewarned me that a cat might climb my freaking wall and get into my house. Well it did!

I saw gunk all over the floor, on my hardwood i just got done. I didn't know if it was dung, throw up, or something drug in. Someone told me the cat must have been sick. Fortunately althought he threw up all over my floor, it came up well and HE GOT NONE on my sofa. I paid over $1,000 bucks for this furniture. I would have been EXTREMELY upset. I'm not rich, but since i'm single, i choose my products carefully.

No scratch marks on anything, but TONS OF CAT HAIR EVERYWHERE and there is a dark stain on my pretty chair. That chair by itself was $400.00.

I haven't done much to it because i'm new to this. But I did many weeks earlier spray it twice with ScotchGuard. I don't know if that will do any difference or not. but i will see when i start trying to clean it i really hope it comes up.

I also found a long thread loose on the chair. This also makes me concerned about the material. I thought the material seemed a bit fragile but the store people, very nice, told me it would be ok.

My situation so far doesn't seem as bad as your situation. Hopefully i won't have a big surprise somewhere unexpected, but i can relate to what it feels like to buy something and it is destroyed when you haven't even used it. When i saw TONS of this mysterious hair all over my sofas and throughout the house, i was frantic and also scared. I didn't know what had been in my house or IF IT WAS STILL THERE.

Its a nightmare!

Guys, since this incident, i was wondering if there was anything other that scotchguarde and plastic that could be placed on furniture to protect it.

I don't like plastic, i remember when i was growing up, going ot my aunt's house and all her furniture was covered in this plastic. It was so uncomfortable. But I feel sure, i preserved the funiture and it lasted a lot longer.

Any ideas?

Folks, I soooo appreciate your empathy!!!

I got a voicemail back from the furniture store saying they want to send someone out to help, so I need to call them back and schedule it. I remain quite hopeful, although somewhat disheartened.

My husband is out of town, returning tonight. I both anticipate and dread his return. I anticipate it because I desparately need a hug (there's a few other things going on to make me sad right now besides just a sofa!). But I dread it because we spent $1900 on this sofa, and he HATES to spend money!!!! He hasn't seen the damage yet, and I think he may be more than a little upset! (And yes, it's a remarkably comfy sofa!!!)

In any case, I will try to distract myself and nurse my little wound by taking the kids to the pool today. That's relaxing for me.

BTW: I'm mystified at the background color in my photo. We're repainting next week, and I've got a half dozen sample paint patches on the wall behind that sofa. That large "green" one you see is my choice, but it's not green in real life! It's not even close to green! It's SW Anjou Pear, which is a golden brown. It looks HORRIBLE in my digital pictures! Sigh.

I just felt the need to mention that. I really DO have an eye for color, even if I'm clueless about sofa fabric!

Maureenz, I am so sorry about your couch, but I'm glad that you are going to get some help soon. I will keep you in my thoughts.

This also happened to me. Right after we bought our new den furniture, my DD woke up one morning not feeling the best. I decided to keep her out of school and work my "Mommy magic" to get her well and ready to go. Later that morning I had given her some of that red Gatorade to sip on....the "magic" didn't work. I bet you know what happened. All over the new sofa. Bless her heart! There is hope though!! We called the company, they sent someone over, and it came right out!!

I'll cross my fingers and my toes that the same will happen to you!!

Fin

Maureen, Just a thought after reading what you just posted. Had your daughter been to the pool (chlorine) the day you noted the light spot on the sofa?

If yes, perhaps she had chlorine in her hair and it didn't all wash out in the shower?

I bet that the company will be able to have that cushion re-covered, and it'll be good as new after.

quote:

Originally posted by Brittany dog mom:
Maureen, Just a thought after reading what you just posted. Had your daughter been to the pool (chlorine) the day you noted the light spot on the sofa?

If yes, perhaps she had chlorine in her hair and it didn't all wash out in the shower?

I bet that the company will be able to have that cushion re-covered, and it'll be good as new after.

I thought the EXACT same thing when I read that!! I really does look like a bleach stain. I sure hope not.

is the sofa scotch guarded maybe there was a reaction with the scotch guard and water from the hair.

quote:

Originally posted by Melissa M:
Oh gee whiz - that's a shame. I was going to rant and rave about the same type of bleached out spots on some towels and sheets I've had happen lately. I have to think tho that it may not be haircare stuff - in our house we just use regular shampoo - no bleaching stuff etc - and the towels and sheets discolored were all green - my white/black/purple towels didn't discolor - same with sheets - just the green ones. I wonder if there is dye stabilitzation problems - especially with fabrics being made in China nowadays.

I noticed several years ago that on occasion a fabric that doesn't fade with regular washing, can decide to fade if washed with other clothes on which you have used a stain remover product, ie Shout or the green one So you end up with one item messed up and everything else is fine. You can get fabric markers and try to fix your towels. If you are lucky you might even find the exact right color. But even a close color will make them look nicer than the bleached out spots.

Generally the clothes I buy don't seem to do any fading. But once in a while I pick up an off brand. By using the Color Catchers on new clothes when "washing separately" I know if I need to KEEP washing separately.

quote:

Originally posted by Melissa M:
Oh gee whiz - that's a shame. I was going to rant and rave about the same type of bleached out spots on some towels and sheets I've had happen lately. s.

Hmmmmm. I had gotten my son new sheets/towels etc. when he got his apartment. He came home & these brand new things had bleach marks all over them...he SWEARS he did not put bleach in the wash or spill anything on them...I believe him b/c why would BOTH the towels & sheets have big bleach marks? (Plus, he doesn't even own bleach, prolly doesn't even know what it is for, lol.)

It really makes me wonder; the towels & sheets were in the same "group" from Penney's.

It seems to me that it would take a TON of cholorine in my daughter's hair to cause THAT much of a faded spot on the sofa!!!! I have had NO other fading issues related to pool chlorine on anything: Clothing, towels, pillows, other upholstery...and we've been a swimming family for years!

I really think it's a defect in the fabric. In any case, I'll find out more in a week when the store rep gets here. The store has an excellent customer service rep, as does Flexsteel, so I'm quite hopeful.

Now, if only the painter would give me a start date!!!

i don't think anyone's mentioned whitening toothpaste. i doubt it would cause such a defect on your sofa, but you'all with the bleached towels & sheets might think about it. i've noticed this happening for years.

PeriParker, it's funny you mentioned your son's towels and sheets having the bleached marks. I, too, purchased sheets (flannel) last fall at Penny's and would never consider bleaching them because they are navy blue and I wanted them to stay navy blue. They now have huge bleach marks on both pillow cases and one sheet and it made me crazy to put them on the bed looking so awful.

I can't imagine that's from your daughters hair either! She's have to have been dripping wet with a lot of chlorine to cause something like that. That's a huge spot!

The store should either reupholster that section or order you a new sofa.

Good luck, let us know what happens with the store.

The mysterious bleach spots in laundry can often be narrowed down to detergents that contain oxygenating bleach. Oxygenating bleaches are bleaches, just not as strong as chlorine bleach. I stick with original Tide with no bleaches, softeners, or other fancy additives being marketed today.

Upholstery usually has a cleaning label somewhere underneath cushions that identifies the recommended cleaning method, solvent only, water-based cleaners, either or method, vacuum only.

The fabric appeared to be a water-based cleaning method fabric, but eyeballing is no guarantee. Fabrics with unstable dyes usually have solvent clean only method. If exposed to water or water-based cleaners, the unstable dyes will leach, bleed or fade.

There are beauty products that contain bleaches as in Proactive, acne products, and perfumes, lotions, and other products.

We look forward to what the manufacturer/store representative has to say. Fading due to wet hair is understandibly quite devastating.

Maureen.... I'm so sorry... I can just imagine how upset you are. You purchased a "high-end" piece of furniture and would not expect something like this to happen.

I truly feel confident that the service tech is going to be able to come up with an idea on how to repair it.... I just hope they can come up with a possible reason for why it happened. You certainly don't want to go through this again....and you want to be able to enjoy/use your sofa not treat it as a valuable "hands-off" piece.

Was she wearing sunblock? So sorry this happen to you.