About Fabric

Like clothing, upholstery can be made from many different kinds of fibres. There are three basic types of fibres: synthetic fibres; plant fibres, for example cotton, linen and rayon; and animal fibres, for example wool and silk.

Synthetic Fibres

Synthetic fibres are man made. Like plastics, synthetic fibres are usually made from materials derived from petrochemicals. They are generally stronger than plant and animal fibres. Synthetic fibres include: nylon, polyester, acrylic, olefin, microfibre. Each fibre has unique features, but most synthetic fibres are:

• Stretch proof
• Crease proof
• Durable
• Mould resistant
• More colour fast than natural fibres
• More resistance to wear and soil abrasion than natural fibres
• Hydrophobic – greater resistance to water based stains
• Oleophilic – susceptible to greasy stains and build up of body oils
• Easy to clean

Note on microfibre: microfibre upholstery is long lasting and easy to clean, but it is made from materials nearly identical to those used to in microfibre cleaning cloths, so it will grab onto oil, dust and dirt just like the cleaning cloths do. We recommend regularly cleaning microfibre upholstery with a microfibre cleaning cloth to prevent soiling from building up.

Plant Fibres

These fabrics are made from plant fibres, also called cellulosic fibres, and include: cotton, linen, jute and rayon. These fibres may be naturally occurring, for example cotton, or man made, for example rayon. Cotton and rayon are commonly used in upholstery fabrics, both alone and in blends.

Cotton

• Good resistance to wear, but durability depends on the weave and finish
• Good resistance to fading
• Strong and absorbent
• Comfortable
• Loses strength when exposed to sunlight
• Has a tendency to yellow
• Can be affected by mould/mildew
• Wrinkles
• Hydrophilic – easily absorbs water and water based stains
• Soils easily if not treated with fabric protection
• Easy to clean

Linen

• Recommended for low use areas
• Will not withstand heavy wear
• Comfortable
• Resists piling
• Resists fading
• Wrinkles very easily
• Hydrophilic – easily absorbs water and water based stains
• Soils easily if not treated with fabric protection
• Susceptible to water rings
• Difficult to clean/professional cleaning is recommended

Rayon

• An artificial fibre made from wood pulp
• Most widely used man-made fibre in upholstery
• High-quality rayon is a practical, durable upholstery material
• Often blended with cotton
• Can resemble cotton, wool or silk
• Tends to wrinkle
• Soft and comfortable
• Highly absorbent
• Fairly resistant to wear
• Fair resistance to sunlight (but not prolonged exposure)
• Can be susceptible to mould/mildew
• Hydrophilic – easily absorbs water and water based stains
• Soils easily if not treated with fabric protection
• Easy to clean

Animal Fibres

These are protein fibres produced by animals. Wool and silk are the most common examples of protein fibres.

Silk

• Recommended for low use areas
• Luxurious look and feel
• Resilient
• Strongest natural fibre
• Expensive
• Only has fair resistance to abrasions
• Tends to water spot
• Hydrophilic – easily absorbs water and water based stains
• Soils easily if not treated with fabric protection
• Difficult to clean/must be professionally cleaned

Wool

• Luxurious
• Soft, warm feel
• Durable
• Resilient
• Expensive
• Can attract moths/moth damage
• Tends to attract dust, bacteria & dirt particles
• Soils easily if not treated with fabric protection
• Difficult to clean/blends can be spot cleaned, but in general professional cleaning is recommended

Blended Fibres

Manufactures frequently blend several different fibres together in a single fabric to combine the best qualities of each. When caring for blended fabrics you must always provide care according to the needs of the most delicate fibre. If in doubt, consult the fabric care label.