Fabric
type information
Environmental
Impact
Ecologically
speaking, both cotton and polyester have their drawbacks, although
polyester, which is made from petroleum, may have a slight edge.
Cotton is the most pesticide-dependent crop in the world, using as
many as one-fourth of all pesticides made. It is also a very water
intensive crop. Both fabrics involve copious amounts of water,
energy, and toxic chemicals during the manufacturing process.
Unlike
polyester, cotton is biodegradable so old, discarded clothing will
eventually break down into natural compounds. Cotton is also a
renewable and sustainable resource, although there are environmental
issues associated with the way it is commonly grown.
Fire
Hazard
Cotton
is more combustible than polyester. It ignites easily and burns
rapidly, leaving behind a light ash residue. Polyester resists
ignition but once ignited, it melts and causes severe localized
burns. The fire hazard is also high with cotton/polyester blends due
to the high rate of burning and fabric melting. The safest route is
to purchase clothes that are treated with fire retardant materials.
FASCINATING
?IS
THIS TRUE????
What
I found interesting?
FINDING
THE RIGHT FABRIC
Leather
furniture The Smith Brothers style #376 sectional Fabric furniture
The Smith Brothers style #8143 sectional, from the "Build Your
Own" 8000 series
Smith
Brothers offers more than 900 different fabrics, which sounds
exciting at first... but when you start to dig into all those
choices, it can start to get pretty overwhelming! While it's great to
have options, you may want a little extra help in finding that
perfect fabric for your new furniture—especially considering that
there's a lot to fabric beyond what color works best.
Here
is a brief guide to choosing fabric for your furniture.
Fabric
Content
NATURAL
FIBERS
Natural
fibers generally feature flat weaves that are ideal for prints. They
are softer, and tailor well for upholstered furniture. However, being
a natural product they can fade in direct sunlight, and may be
susceptible to pilling.
Cotton.
Made from the cotton plant, this is soft, absorbent, and fades
easily.
Linen.
Made from the flax plant, linens tend to have a lot of hard plant
fibers and slubs.
Wool.
Made from animal hair, wool is warm, and not often used in
upholstery.
Silk.
Made from the cocoons of silk worms, silk has strong fibers and a
natural shine, but can be damaged by sunlight.
Rayon.
Also known as viscose, rayon is made from wood pulp and designed to
be shiny like silk.
SYNTHETIC
FIBERS
Synthetic
fibers are made by extruding chemicals into fiber strands. They are
more durable and (in general) more resistant to staining and fading
than natural fibers. Synthetic fibers are just as likely to be
susceptible to pilling, however.
Acrylic.
Very durable and often has a texture similar to wool.
Polyester.
Very durable and cleanable.
Nylon.
Stain resistant and durable.
Olefin.
Durable, but can be susceptible to pilling if used in high amounts.
Polypropylene.
Related to polyester.
Fabric
Types
SINCE
I got a staph infection while recuperating from surgery in 2007, this
was interesting to me. Since cotton-poly uniforms seemed to be the
choice of staff, I was very surprised at the results. The absolute
opposite of what I had thought.
