New furniture fabrics are virtually indestructible
Upholstery used to have it so easy. All it was asked to do was look spiffy, feel good to the touch and be durable. It was not expected to deflect human errors like spilled wine. That's why plastic sofa covers and Scotchgard were invented.
Lately, however, so-called “performance fabrics,” designed for more rigorous commercial or institutional settings, have moved in on the residential market.
Now, much more is expected of home textiles as people wise up to the fact there are fabrics that can withstand accidents, abuse and a 6-year-old's birthday party. There's even an erasable faux leather fabric called Sta-Kleen Erasable Urethane Upholstery from which you can “dry erase” permanent marker.
“It seems like the latest high-performance fabrics coming out are being marketed with residential use in mind,” says Upholstery Journal Editor Kelly Frush. “People want their furniture to last a long time, so that's why they request a high-performance fabric — to protect against kids, pets, stains and life in general.”
Performance fabrics are born multi-taskers, going beyond the call of duty with a skill set that includes repelling stains, guarding against UV rays and fading, neutralizing odors, resisting static, and keeping dust mites and bacteria at bay. They are the overachievers — perhaps even the superheroes — of the textile world. But until recently, nonperformance home textiles had nothing to fear from performance fabrics because the competition was, well, stiff.
“It's very difficult to do what we do and keep the fabric soft,” says Randy Rubin, who along with husband Craig created Crypton Super Fabric, which is manufactured, not sprayed or treated, to have a built-in moisture barrier for stain resistance.
“When you spill milk on a sofa, you might be able to clean the fabric but the milk is going to go down into the cushion and grow bacteria” unless performance upholstery is used, she says.
The possibility of diaper leakage and pet accidents furthers the appeal of germ-fighting properties.
However, Crypton and other manufacturers are now able to make performance fabrics that actually feel nice, and some have figured out how to engineer functional qualities like stain and bacteria resistance into plush or highly textured fabrics like chenille. “I think that's why we're seeing more of them pop up in the home, whereas before they tended to be less attractive, thick and rough,” Frush says.
“A lot of these fabrics are being produced in snazzy textures, such as faux animal hides. Bold colors are also becoming a trend, whereas blah, utilitarian colors used to be the norm.”
Though not quite a household name, Sunbrella is a well-known brand of fade-resistant, bleach-cleanable fabric initially used for outdoor applications such as patio furniture. Over time, the fabric became so refined that Sunbrella crossed the threshold into the great indoors, where it is used for window treatments and upholstery.
Residential interior designers have long been using Sunbrella, Crypton and other performance fabrics for indoor applications, and now people are increasingly aware they exist and are stylish and sophisticated enough for their living rooms. HGTV producer and host Joe Ruggiero helped usher performance fabrics into the mainstream by espousing their use in home interiors and partnering with Sunbrella to create a signature line.
Depending on the end-use application, other desirable performance features are static resistance, moisture control and odor elimination. Nano-Tex makes sheets that wick moisture away from the body, so night sweats are more tolerable. The company also makes bedding that neutralizes odors. These and other properties are developed using nanotechnology, which manipulates individual fibers at the molecular level.
Using a spill-resistant performance fabric for table linens like place mats and napkins seems like a no-brainer, but though Nano-Tex makes such products, the price point compared with regular linens can make consumers balk. However, performance fabrics are becoming more affordable as the technology decreases in cost, while at the same time the quality and capabilities keep improving.
Who knows what miracles the fabrics of the future will perform? Perhaps upholstery will have gotten so gifted it can alert us when the TV remote gets wedged between the cushions.