So what is Upholstery Fabric and which should I Choose for my Furniture?
Upholstery is a term used for covering or/and padding of a furniture, which is initially just a frame of the actual furniture. Upholstery of late has become a matter of fashion, decoration and comfort. In the beginning upholstery was used as an additional method to repair the furniture or hide the flaws of a piece of furniture, but later on it became a necessity until the modern home decoration methods were invented.
On its peak upholstery invaded all places where furniture was used be it in sofas, chairs, dining chairs, cars, planes and even for boat furniture. Also upholstery started covering entire frame of furniture from top to bottom, whereas in the earlier times it was only the seat and the back which used to get all the padding. However now-a-days the whole mattress are taken as a work of upholstery.
Work and importance of fabrics cannot be looked away in the modern upholstery, but initially several things were used for upholstery like animal hair which was commonly taken from horse, hog and cow, in other things it was coir, straw & hay, hessians, linen scrims, wadding and many other. But now fillings have some pre-defined requisites & preferences in Dacron & vinyl, serpentine springs, synthetic cotton etc. fabrics have also become fixed for certain kind of furniture like for sofas it is velvet, for dining chairs it is silk, leather for cars & boat furniture and nylon for mattresses. But there is a range of fabrics which are used in various designs and patterns for the upholstery purpose. People prefer fabrics on basis of their choices for feel and design of the fabric, which has forced a lot of fabrics to be invented. Some of these fabrics are -
Chenille
Chenille is the French word for caterpillar. Chenille is not only a fabric but also a yarn. It has been used for throws, mats, bedspreads, carpets even as apparel. One of the biggest reason people started using it as apparel-which was in 70’s-is that it looks different when it is looked at from different angle. It was used in sofa, cushions, seat and back of chairs for upholstery purpose. But these fabrics need a lot of care.
Jacquard
Jacquard is the fabric which is made from a jacquard loom. The original Jacquard loom used a series of punch cards to weave a pattern or design in the fabric. The loom was welcomed by mill owners because of it's speed and the fact it didn't require a master weaver to operate it. Unsurprisingly, the loom wasn't popular with skilled weavers. Since the 80's these looms now use a computer to weave the pattern and design, rather than a series of punch cards. Jacquard woven upholstery fabrics are often combined with chenille to create intricate designs with the soft tufted finish of chenille.
Velvet
velvet is globally loved and chosen for decoration. It is mostly used in sofas and big chairs where they can be enjoyed for the comfort they give and shine which makes them elegantly royal. These are preferred more against Chenille when design and maintenance can be compromised but not when it is about the quality. Different types of velvets are used to solve different purposes.
Useful guidelines to keep your Upholstery Fabric looking perfect
Furniture is a great addition to every home. It enhances the look and appearance of your residence in high range. In the modern days, new kinds of sofas, armchairs and even more are come into existence. First, you want to fix your budget and needs before purchasing the furniture. Most of the home owners prefer to buy high-quality sofas to offer good space for guests. Furnishing your home is considered to be the most important investment. You want to obtain the furniture from a reputable and trustworthy company to make sure about its quality and excellence. Once you furnish your house with great furniture, you want to take enough care for your furniture to retain its beautiful appearance. Direct sunlight is the bitter opponent of your new Upholstery Fabric so that you want to take proper preventive measures to protect your furniture. You want to rest the furniture in the places where there is absence of sunlight. In that case, you want to decide the place with more care and concern.
Follow a standard cleaning schedule
If you want to make upholstery last for more years, you want to clean it once in a year. Make use of vacuum cleaner to dirt-free the upholstery monthly. Stains and spills may happen sometimes and so you want to work more on that. Make sure that the furniture is stay out of direct sunlight. Heavy curtains block the sunlight to enter into your house. If things like stains and dust go beyond the levels, you can look for a professional cleaning service. You just need to pay little amounts for obtaining better results in matter of minutes. It is important that you want to follow a standard schedule to clean your Upholstery Material effectively. You should not make use of chemicals as it worse the conditions badly. You want to ready with appropriate cleaning tools and solutions at all time. Follow the instructions available in manufacturer’s label so that you can make use of recommended products for it. Cushions may lose the volume naturally and you have to turn and plump it on a daily basis. It helps the cushion to maintain its shape efficiently.
Regular care of fabric upholstery
Make use of drape attachment or vacuum’s upholstery to remove dust particles either weekly or monthly. It is important that you have to clean under cushions to take away dirt and dust. You should not brush the fabric covers as it harm the pile inadequately. Make sure that you have cleaned the covers on loose cover suites to secure color differentiations. Check the label of loose covers to know about proper washing instructions. If you suddenly spill anything on your upholstery, you want to remove the excess blot up immediately. Avoid the actions of rubbing or detergents as it may harm the fabric. If you have any doubts or you cannot find the appropriate cleaning instructions for your furniture, you want to contact local store for support and help. Even, you can find some useful information about cleaning the upholstery in the online sites.
