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When shopping around for upholstered furniture the sheer variety on offer can make decisions difficult.

When shopping around for upholstered furniture the sheer variety on offer can make decisions difficult. A huge variety of sofa styles, construction methods and quality characteristics exist. One way to hone in on what is most suitable is to have a firm idea about the fibres that make up furniture.

Upholstered sofas and the like have different levels of durability based on the fibres they are constructed with. Properties such as lustre, colour retention, sturdiness, ability to be cleaned, and a pleasing feel when being touched are uniquely different depending upon the particular fabric in question. When in a shop looking around at the various sofas that present themselves you should always ask a salesperson for a sample of the fabric that interests you. This is a simple and very effective way of quickly assessing material. Typical fabrics that make up furniture are cotton, acetate, flax, olefin, nylon, rayon and polyester. On taking a closer look at the characteristics and cleaning tips for each fibre type similarities emerge:

Acetate – although having a lower level of fibre strength than most other fibres, acetate is low in price and able to resist pests such as moths. Acetate does unfortunately discolour more easily than other fibres, mildew and bacteria dulling the material’s colours. Also, when placed in sunlight for large periods of time this material loses fibre strength.

Cleaning acetate furniture can be done with petroleum-based products involved with dry cleaning, which does not damage the fibres. Other chemicals can be used, although they have the ability to damage acetate e.g. chloroform, alcohol, phenol, nail polish remover and acetone.

Cotton – this material readily takes on colours, but does have a habit of catching fire easily and burning fast. Long exposure to sunlight has a habit of turning cotton fibres yellow in colouration. Similar to acetate, this material has a low level of resilience and is damaged by bacteria and mildew.

When cleaning cotton it is important to take into consideration the fact that cotton is largely resistant to alkalis found in most detergents. Strong acids on the other hand will destroy these fibres. Dry cleaning solvents are also typically ineffective.

Nylon – characteristics include being good at resisting abrasion whilst recovering well from any creases or wrinkles that form. This type of fibre absorbs less moisture than other types but does have the capacity to generate static electricity and get damaged by sunlight.

When attempting to clean nylon fabrics it is best to avoid alkalis. Nitric, hydrochloric and formic acids disintegrate nylon. In common with many other fibres nylon is not affected much by dry cleaning solvents.

Whatever your preferred furniture material, make sure the quality of the fabric and tailoring is high. There is no point in having the best materials on a couch that soon falls apart.

If you want high quality sofas and chairs for very amenable prices, constructed from only the finest, most durable fabrics be sure to take a look at www.sofasofa.co.uk. With a huge selection to choose from and a showroom to visit in Crumlin, South Wales, you couldn’t start your search for a new piece of furniture in a better place.