What is viscose? Viscose goes by many names. Essentially it is a man made material derived from natural plants. Viscose can be made from cotton, bambo, banana tree, or other pulpwood.
There are two primary concerns with spot cleaning viscose.
problem 1: Pile Distortion
Caring for viscose can be difficult because the fibers tend to “stick” together when wet. This can lead to shading variations if there is a large liquid spill or spot cleaning has occurred. As the fibers dry, they stay in this matted and stuck together position. Imagine going to be with wet hair. When you wake up your hair is usually in an unflattering position. Viscose is much the same way and wants to stay in the same position that it was in when it was wet.
solution: Avoid applying moisture directly to the rug. Do not stream spray or pour cleaning product on viscose. When spot cleaning a fine mist could be applied to viscose or preferably applied to a towel and gently wipe in the direction of the fiber.
If overfitting occurs it may be necessary to reset the fibers as it dries. Use a butter knife or spatula to gently change the direction of the fibers every 10-30 minutes as it dries.
Problem 2: Browning
Because viscose is made from pant fibers, it has a natural “glue” called lignin. When viscose gets wet this lignin can dissolve and turn brown as it dries. Browning is accelerated by high pH cleaning products and prolonged drying.
solution: Never use high pH cleaning products which are usually designed to cut grease (rubbing alcohol can be used to remove grease or oily spots). Blot and dry liquid quickly and use fans if necessary.
