One of the best things about performance fabrics is how easy it is to care for them. Life’s not just messy, it’s busy. It seems like there’s always one more thing to do, and the last way I want to spend my limited free time is scrubbing sofa cushions that became collateral damage in the dog’s house- training routine. With a performance fabric, cleaning is quick, simple and effective.
Specific care instructions vary according to fabric types and manufacturers, but in general the process for cleaning a performance fabric is three steps or less. Spilled your wine, coffee, fruit juice or something worse on your sofa? Here’s what you do next:
1. Use a paper towel or clean dry absorbent cloth to gently blot dry. The water-resistant and stain-resistant fabric prevents liquid from absorbing into the sofa. Instead, it beads up on the surface, making it easy to remove. In many instances, you’re done. The mess is gone, and you can get back to doing something else.
2. If blotting doesn’t completely take care of the liquid spill, then make a water-based soap mixture and gently blot the area to remove the liquid. Rinse the area thoroughly with a clean damp cloth. Pour another glass of wine and enjoy a book or conversation with a friend while the area air dries.
Okay, so let’s say it wasn’t a liquid spill, but instead your wonderfully independent daughter made her own lunch – a delicious jelly sandwich with 300 percent more jelly than you would make it with. Upon first bite, that grape jelly oozes out of the sandwich, past the plate and onto the sofa. What now?
No worries. Jelly, even grape, is no match for your performance fabric. Remove the jelly clumps first with a paper towel. If you don’t discover it until later and it’s dried, then it may require the help of a butter knife. After you’ve removed the gooey, icky stuff, just follow the process in #2 above, and maybe offer some feedback on the proportion of jelly to bread for optimal jelly sandwiches.
As I’ve mentioned before, performance fabrics can vary and may have different best practices for care that involve more or less work on your part. If convenience is a priority, then before choosing your furniture, take time to learn about the care instructions and factor ease of cleaning into your purchase decision.
