Q: I have been cleaning more and more furniture these days and I notice that the cleaning tags are sometimes way off base. The other day, a polyester piece had a tag that said "dry cleaning only" while a cotton piece had one that said it could be wet cleaned. Seems a bit backwards. Just how far do we trust these tags?

— Tim, Fort Wayne, IN

A: It's human nature to look for directions when in doubt of how to do something, but putting your trust in a furniture "care" tag can be dangerous.

It's happened to most veteran cleaners: Identical or matching pieces having different cleaning codes on their care tags. It makes no sense, which means that these tags and the codes used (W for wet clean, S for solvent/dry clean, X for vacuum only) may be worthless and could get you into trouble if you trust them.

It's been said that the information on the tag, beyond the care code which we are discussing here, only indicates the filling material, but this isn't necessarily true. From the photograph, you can see that you may come across a tag that accurately describes the face fiber you will be cleaning. This could be valuable information, much more valuable than any cleaning code the manufacturer slaps onto the furniture. But again, do your own testing, as that tag could be inaccurate.

But, just imagine a cleaner seeing a care tag that has the W code and, without testing, begins to clean, and then wonders why the red floral print seems to be disappearing before his eyes. Or the cleaner who does the job and everyone is happy, but then gets a telephone call a few hours later because the colors seem "to have moved a little bit."

It's always best to do your own fiber and colorfastness testing before beginning any upholstery cleaning job. But remember that a test is only that: A test. It's not real world conditions, and the only way to know for sure if your cleaning method, chemistry and techniques are absolutely safe is when the piece has dried.

So consider these care tags as "cleaning guidance" that you can review and consider, but take them with a grain of salt. These care tags are not really for professionals, but your customers are going to see them and believe them. So you can't ignore them, but have to discuss the issue with the customer, providing all the information they need to decide how much risk they are willing to take to have the piece cleaned.

And be sure to always have the customer sign off on the job before proceeding. You just never know what may happen, and you don't want to assume the liability.

Q: When I offer additional services, what some call "upsells," I get an attitude from some customers like I'm forcing this on them when really it is just their choice. Is there an approach I should consider to avoid this negative reaction?

— Greg, Brownsville, TX

A: You are probably speaking of fabric protectors, deodorizers, things that aren't really a part of what some call the normal cleaning process but that have added benefits.

You have to remember that in the consumer world we live in today, your customers expect to be "burned" when it comes to purchasing products or services. If you think about your own purchasing experiences, you would agree. When was the last time you went to an express (10 minute type) oil change shop and you weren't told you need to, in addition to the basic service, change the air filter, transmission fluid and have perhaps a host of other services performed? This can happen, even though you might have had those services performed recently.

Here's the real deal. Someone calls you because you clean carpet. They expect clean carpet, no strings attached. So when you walk in the front door and start asking about other "things" they need to have done, at an extra charge to the cleaning bill, they begin to shut down and get defensive. It's not their fault; they are reacting to the conditioning of society.

So, one method you can implement to overcome this is to educate your customers. Have your additional services written down, or have a colorful brochure, do some demonstrations on how fabric protectors work, whatever it is you are offering, give them the information and then give them space to decide.

Become their consultant, not their salesman, and you will see more add-on sales coming your way.

Have a question for us? Ask at Cleanfax.com/experts or jcross@ntpmedia.com.