Some of us can still recall the primitive furniture featured on “The Flintstones”. The massive and monolithic, massive chairs composed of heavy boulders and soft volcanic rock could easily withstand a spill or two and despite that primitive style of mankind’s cave-dwelling days, it appeared to be rather lightweight. Of course, that was a cartoon.
Most of us would not be willing to trade in our plush upholstery for a granite sofa but there are many engineered textiles that will definitely withstand wear and tear much better. Engineered fabrics like solution-dyed acrylics are your best bet for indoor-outdoor fabrics. For indoor-outdoor fabrics, solution-dyed acrylics are your best choice. The textiles come in variety of colors and patterns that resemble everything from toil to twee, and they are quite resistant to fading.
Ultrasuede is known to be quite resistant to spills and the vast selection of this non-woven microfiber has been used on furniture, luxury automobile upholstery, and even footwear.
Contract fabrics are durable textiles that are often used in commercial buildings and smaller Hotel chains, but when it comes to natural upholstery, leather still stand head and shoulders above other materials. The investment in leather is always a number-one recommendation. You can even spray Windex on it. If you’re reluctant to splurge on leather if you have a busy household with kids or pets, consider distressed leather.
Durable natural fabrics like wool, velvet, and linen (particularly machine-washable Belgian linens made in England or Italy) are excellent choices, and for something that will last a very long time, Mohair.
It is generally a good idea to avoid such fabrics as silk, rayon, and rayon-polyester blends. These fabric are the most difficult to maintain. A sofa intended for everyday use should be covered in more durable fabric than sofas intended for formal settings.
To help maintain your furniture, it is beneficial to vacuum your furniture once a month or have it steamed cleaned. Dirt that is left on the surface combined with friction caused by people moving back and forth will, over time, wear out the material faster than anything else.
A patterned fabric is always an ideal choice when you are looking for fabrics that will withstand abrasion. A material with at least 15,000 double rubs is good, but a fabric with 30,000 double rubs is even better and it will withstand abrasion. A more textured fabric with also help to obscure stains and wear.
When choosing the right type of fabric for your furniture, it is always best to go with a washable fabric that is durable and more resistant to staining and fading than natural fibers.