Solvent treatment
The branch that starts before water rather than after it — and it carries a warning the aqueous branch does not.
What not to do
Solvent treatment is prohibited by the manufacturer for Mattress
Best avoided
The available guidance advises against this.
A mattress maker excludes dry-cleaning fluid of any type on any mattress. The bed trade body names an aerosol grease solvent for oily marks, used cautiously on foam. The maker's rule covers its own mattresses and keeps the warranty valid.
Evidence
Supported
Where sources disagree
The bed trade body permits an aerosol grease solvent on oily mattress marks, preferring it to a liquid solvent and advising caution on foam.
Sources
Tempur Sealy International · Manufacturer documentation
Relied on for: That dry-cleaning fluid of any type must not be used on any mattress, and that following the care guidelines is what keeps the warranty valid. (states this directly)
Bed Advice UK — The National Bed Federation · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That for oily marks the bed trade body directs an aerosol grease solvent rather than a liquid one, used cautiously on foam. (background and mechanism only)
Precautions
- Ventilate the area
- Test on an inconspicuous area first
- Wear gloves
- Keep away from children and pets
In detail
A solvent treatment dissolves a deposit that water cannot wet: oils, waxes, resins, tars, oil-based paint, adhesive, ink. Across the carpet institute's database it is a distinct branch rather than a stronger version of the usual one, and the branch opens FIRST — for butter, gravy, cooking oil, nail varnish, oil-based paint, varnish, felt-tip marker, wax and candle, the solvent comes before any detergent or water. The order is not arbitrary: water applied first wets the fibre around a greasy deposit and makes the solvent's job harder rather than easier. Two cautions attach to the branch specifically. The first is stated by the institute and applies to soft surfaces: never pour solvent directly onto the carpet or allow it to reach the backing, because it can damage the latex holding the primary and secondary backings together. The second comes from the regulator's own sheets and applies everywhere: white spirit attacks plastic, rubber and coatings, and acetone attacks plastics. A solvent that reaches trim, a finish or a seam does exactly what it is designed to do, to the wrong thing. Solvents are also flammable, and ventilation is part of the method.
What works
Solvent treatment is effective against Candle wax Supported
Solvent treatment is effective against Tree sap Supported
Why
- Solvent treatment is explained by Solubility and polarity
- Solvent treatment is explained by Solvents and polymers
Aftercare and prevention
- Solvent treatment requires the aftercare Suede
Sources for this page
Sources
Spot Solver: spot and spill removal procedures
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That a non-flammable spot removal solution or dry-cleaning type solvent is preferred, that it must never be poured directly onto the carpet or allowed to reach the backing because it can damage the latex holding the backings together, and that greasy and resinous entries open with the solvent before any water. (states this directly)
Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Stoddard Solvent (RTK 1736)
New Jersey Department of Health, 2008 · Government or regulator
Relied on for: That Stoddard solvent attacks plastic, rubber and coatings and is combustible. (states this directly)