One way to minimize the work of home maintenance is to be well informed on home furnishing and finishes. It will be then more economical to maintain them in terms of time and money spent, unlike the hit-and-miss system.
Following is a guideline to manmade fabrics and other materials found in today’s homes.
ACRYLIC—used for rugs, curtains, drapery, and upholstery fabrics. It looks and feels like wool, can be easily washed and dries up quickly. Apart from being wrinkle resistant, stains are easily removed. It is also resistant to moths and mildew.
ACETATE— This washable and quick drying material is commonly used for shower curtains. Blended with other fabrics, it is used for curtains, drapery, and upholstery.
GLASS FIBER—This material is good for curtains, drapery, and bedspreads. It is washable and dries up quickly. Do not wring the cloth.
NODACRYLIC – Furry rugs, carpets, curtains and drapery contains this material. It is washable, highly resistant to chemical stains and does not support combustion.
NYLON—It is commonly used in upholstery fabrics and carpets but generally not in curtaining as it’s not recommended for prolonged exposure to sun. This material is washable, quick drying, requires little ironing, and resists wrinkling and mildew.
OLEFIN – used in carpets and outdoor furniture upholsteries. It is highly resistant to chemicals, moisture, mildew and sunlight.
POLYESTER—This is frequently blended with other fabrics for use in curtains and drapery. It is washable, drip-dry, quick-drying, and wrinkle resistant.
RAYON – Two major types are Bemberg – silky and sheer, and Viscose – stronger and more versatile. The ranges are from silkiness to wooliness. The many purposes of this material include use in upholstery, curtain, drapery fabrics and rugs.
SARAN – is good outdoor furniture upholstery. It can also be used for screenings, and, combined with other materials for curtain, drapery and wall coverings. It is easily washed and quick-drying but shrinks in intense heat. It is also resistant to sun, salt, staining and weather.
VINYL – This waterproof material resists staining and can be washed or wiped clean. It is often used for upholstery and wall coverings.
When you are aware of the positive and negative features of these manmade fabrics, you can better decide which fabric suits best your needs in the home and your particular lifestyle.
Copyright © 2010 Athena Goodlight
