There are many that don’t know what to look for when they go to purchase upholstery. Cost is not the only thing to take into consideration. Fiber content is a major consideration, which will sometimes also dictate cost. Despite what many have been told the tags on the furniture do not indicate what the piece is actually upholstered in. Rather the tag will tell what the filling/foam/cushioning is made of, and the decking material underneath the cushions.
Microfiber upholstery is a great choice for young families with kids who are prone to make messes(aren’t they all 
). While microfiber is not truly a fiber type but rather a texture, and is normally made of polypropylene also known as olefin. Olefin is a series of fibers mainly composed of polypropylene, which is recycled plastic material – mainly plastic bottles. It repels liquids well, and color loss is slower than other fiber combinations. The disadvantage to polypropylene microfiber is that as all olefin like fibers it loves oily substances. It will attract body oils, and well as oily residues from any spills and soiling. Microfiber also comes in many fiber combinations that include, nylon, cotton, acrylic, and rayon. Microfibers clean up well with professional cleaning, and should be maintained regularly.
Higher end upholstery typically has more cotton in the fabric. Cotton is used in many blends of fibers, because it is soft, and easily dyed. I do not recommend that you buy furniture that has a high amounts of cotton if you have younger children. Many use these pieces of upholstery for sitting rooms or decorative rooms that do not get used.
As many natural fibers do, cotton absorbs liquids very easily. Problems occur when there are high amounts of cotton, known as raw cottons. Haitian cotton is a raw cotton that is used in furniture, and bedding material. There are some issues with cotton based fabrics that you need first before purchasing.
Raw cottons tend to yellow they are left wet or damp for too long, and they become very brittle when exposed constant large amounts of sunlight. As many natural fibers do cotton is stubborn to release dye stains upon cleaning. For maintenance, vacuuming is VERY important, and we do not recommend using store bought products to clean them. The store bought products can and will cause irreversible damage. Products with a high pH will yellow them almost immediately. This yellowing is known as cellulosic yellowing, and occurs when cotton is met with a high pH or left wet for too long.
Cellulosic yellowing can sometimes be corrected, but it takes a highly trained professional to do so. Understand that it is not a cheap easy fix, it takes a lot of time, skill and patience. Cotton tends to yellow naturally over time, but if it is cleaned properly, and on a regular schedule it should not happen. Cotton is also commonly blended with linen, these pieces of upholstery can have quite the price tag on them. Even with all of the disadvantages of cotton based fabrics the comfort and elegance they provide is second to none!
Avoid purchasing rayon whenever possible. It is commonly referred to as designer fabric, and its hard to work with. Rayon is also known as viscose, or as we call it in the cleaning and restoration industry – poor mans silk. It looks, and feels like silk, but is no where close. Many manufacturers of various rugs and upholstery play it off as real silk. Real silk is very expensive, especially a whole upholstered piece.
Rayon stretches when wet, its not very durable at all, and its so very hard to clean in many circumstances. Like cotton it takes a skilled hand to deal with rayon, and many cleaners do avoid working with it whenever possible.
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