Which Product Is Suitable for Hotel Fabrics?

Hotel soft furnishings are rarely made from one fabric type. Curtains may be cotton or linen, while drapes, decorative textiles and upholstery coverings are often synthetic or blended.

Flametect Nitro is a ready-to-use, water-based flame retardant treatment suitable for a wide range of natural, synthetic and blended textiles. This versatility is particularly useful in hotels with different fabrics across bedrooms, reception areas, restaurants, bars and function rooms.

Flametect Nitro is neutral pH, odourless when dry and non-corrosive to metals, making it suitable for many fabrics incorporating metallic threads or used alongside curtain fittings and other fixed hardware.

A compatibility and absorption test should always be completed on an inconspicuous area before full application. Fabrics with waterproofing, stain-resistant finishes, protective coatings or low absorbency may not accept a water-based treatment adequately.

Important Guidance for Upholstery

Contract upholstery standards apply to the complete upholstered item, including its cover fabric, interliner, fillings and construction, not simply the visible surface fabric.

Applying Flametect Nitro to existing upholstery may improve the flame resistance of a suitable absorbent cover fabric. However, it cannot:

• Certify the complete upholstered item
• Reinstate the furniture manufacturer's original fire classification
• Demonstrate compliance with contract upholstery standards such as BS 7176
• Compensate for unsuitable, damaged or deteriorated fillings and internal components

Flametect Nitro is therefore best considered a supplementary fire safety treatment for older, serviceable upholstery, or for suitable cover fabrics following wet cleaning, where a previous topical flame retardant treatment may have been reduced or removed.

In these circumstances, treatment can contribute to maintaining a safer level of flame resistance while replacement, reupholstery or formal testing is considered. It should not be presented as making non-compliant furniture compliant with a contract upholstery standard.

The continued suitability of existing hotel furniture should be determined through the property's fire risk assessment and, where necessary, discussed with the responsible person or a competent fire safety professional.

Working Out How Much You Need

Flametect Nitro provides indicative coverage of approximately 7 to 10 square metres per litre. Lighter fabrics may achieve coverage toward the upper end of this range, while heavier, denser or more absorbent fabrics may require more product.

For a hotel-scale project, calculate the total fabric area room by room, or multiply the area of a standard curtain set by the number of rooms being treated. Remember to include reception areas, restaurants, corridors, function rooms and other public spaces where the fabric dimensions may differ.

Coverage will vary according to the fabric's weight, construction, condition and absorbency. The treatment must be applied evenly and at a sufficient rate; simply misting the fabric surface may not deposit enough product to provide the intended benefit.

Our technical team can help estimate the likely requirement for an individual room, a group of standard bedrooms or an entire property.

Applying the Treatment With Minimal Disruption

Flametect Nitro can be applied by spray, roller or immersion. Spray application is often the most practical option for curtains and drapes already installed within a hotel.

When treating fabrics in place, protect surrounding walls, flooring, furniture, electrical equipment and other surfaces from overspray. The fabric must be accessible so the treatment can be distributed evenly across the required area.

Under suitable conditions, treated fabrics will typically dry within 2 to 3 hours. Actual drying time will depend on the amount of product applied, fabric weight and absorbency, room temperature, humidity, and air movement and ventilation.

Because Flametect Nitro is water-based, dries clear and is odourless when dry, rooms can usually be returned to service without the prolonged airing associated with many solvent-based products. The treated fabric must nevertheless be allowed to dry fully before normal use resumes.

For a full-property refurbishment or a phased programme across several floors, treating suitable curtains while they are hanging may be quicker than removing them for off-site treatment. Appropriate access, surface protection, ventilation and drying time must still be allowed for.

Water-Based Cleaning and Laundering

Flametect Nitro is a non-durable, water-based treatment. Fabrics must be reassessed and re-treated after laundering, extraction cleaning or any other water-based cleaning process.

Water-based, spray-applied flame retardant treatments are not durable to water-based cleaning or laundering. Wet washing, extraction cleaning, shampooing, steam cleaning or substantial contact with water can reduce or remove the treatment.

This limitation applies generally to topically applied, water-based flame retardant treatments unless a particular product has been independently tested and documented as durable to a clearly defined cleaning or laundering process.

After wet cleaning or laundering, the fabric should be considered no longer reliably treated. It must be allowed to dry fully, assessed for continued suitability and re-treated where flame retardant performance is still required.

Routine dry vacuuming and careful surface dusting should not normally remove the treatment. However, localised wet spot-cleaning may affect the treated area and should be followed by reassessment and, where appropriate, local re-treatment.

This requirement is particularly important for hotel upholstery. Applying Flametect Nitro after wet cleaning may contribute to restoring a safer level of flame resistance to a suitable absorbent cover fabric, but it does not reinstate the original certification of the furniture or demonstrate that the complete upholstered item complies with a contract standard.

What to Confirm Before Ordering

Before ordering a flame retardant treatment, establish:

• The fire performance standard identified by the hotel's fire risk assessment or specification
• Whether the material is a curtain, drape, decorative textile or upholstery cover
• The fabric composition, weight and absorbency
• Whether the fabric has a waterproof, stain-resistant or other protective finish
• Whether the material has recently been wet-cleaned or laundered
• The total area of fabric requiring treatment
• Whether a compatibility test produces an acceptable appearance and finish
• What application records are required for the property's fire safety file

Flametect Nitro has been independently tested to BS 5867 Part 2 Type B, together with other recognised textile fire performance standards.

Applying a tested flame retardant product does not automatically certify every treated curtain, fabric or item of furniture. The treatment must be applied correctly to a suitable material, and the result should be managed as part of the hotel's wider fire safety arrangements.

Where a particular classification is contractually or legally required, confirm the specification with the responsible person or fire risk assessor before treatment.

Recording Treatment and Re-Treatment

Clear records help hotel housekeeping and facilities teams identify which items have been treated and when further action is required.

Iron-on fabric labels can be used to record the treatment date directly on individual items. Staff should be instructed that a labelled item which is subsequently wet-cleaned or laundered must be reported for reassessment and re-treatment.

Treatment records should include:

• The product used
• The date of application
• The rooms, curtains or other items treated
• The approximate quantity applied
• The method of application
• The name of the person or contractor completing the work
• Any subsequent wet cleaning, laundering or re-treatment

These records can then be retained with the hotel's fire risk assessment and other fire safety documentation.

Ordering for Your Hotel

Flametect Nitro is available in sizes from 750ml to 20 litres, making it suitable for projects ranging from an individual function room to a phased, full-property treatment programme.

Free UK delivery is available on qualifying orders over £50. If you are unsure about fabric suitability, required coverage or the most economical pack size for your project, our team provides free technical advice before you order. You can also explore the complete Synthetic & Blended Materials & Textiles range.