Fabric safety at a glance

linen: Linen creases and can water-mark — treat the whole panel, not a spot.

wool: No enzyme detergents on wool — they digest the fibre. No hot water and no agitation: wool felts irreversibly.

silk: No enzyme detergents, no oxygen bleach and no alcohol on silk without a professional opinion. Silk water-marks easily — treat the full panel with a barely damp cloth.

synthetic: Polyester holds oil: expect to repeat the degreasing step rather than increase strength.

denim: Indigo dye bleeds — patch test and keep treatment away from unaffected areas.

viscose: Viscose loses strength when wet — support the fabric and never wring it.

leather: Leather should not be soaked. Surface treatment only.

suede: Suede must stay dry — use a suede brush and dry methods only.

carpet: Work from the outside in and never over-wet the backing.

upholstery: Check the manufacturer's cleaning code before wetting; foam backing can water-mark.

unknown: Identify the fibre before using anything stronger than water and mild detergent.

Silk, wool, leather and suede are easily damaged by home treatment. When the item is valuable or the fibre is delicate, a specialist cleaner is the lower-risk route — not a stronger product.