How to Choose Sofa Fabrics

Knowing the different materials used for living room sofa can help you decide which one is suitable for your home. Here are some data on the following living room sofa materials that will prove to be useful in your purchase. Leather sofas are natural products that are innately stronger than other fabrics. It can last you longer if properly maintained. It is breathable and stays warm during winter and cold during summer. It is easier to maintain by just using a dry soft cloth to wipe it. Sofas that make use of natural fibers have an untreated look and are very smooth to the touch. Falling under this category are cotton, silk, rayon, wool and linen. These sofas have adequate padding that makes them so comfortable and snug. They are, however, sensitive to extreme weathers that can lead to their damage. Artificial fibers used for sofas, on the other hand, are sturdier than the natural ones but are not that cozy. This material consists of nylon, polyester and olefin and is resistant to stain. Olefin and nylon are susceptible to wearing when exposed to sun. Coating your windows will protect these materials to lose their colors. Another downside of these fibers is pilling, commonly caused by heavy people sitting on them. Microfibers used for living room sofas combine the qualities of polyester and cotton or acrylics and wool. Manufacturers combined these materials because of the problems experienced from natural and artificial fibers. The result is great, as pilling is not a big issue and they are soft and smooth like the natural fibers. They also come in varied colors, which added to their popularity. Sofas made of pile fabrics hid dusts and resist wearing although regularly used. Velvet, chenille and boucle are the different pile fabrics used for sofas. There is also the twill and denim that exudes a more unperturbed sensation. Prone to wearing and noticeable blemishes is cotton velvet. Use this information on the various materials used for living room sofa next time you decide to buy furniture. Nevertheless, also consider the weather you have in your locality, as these two should go together. These factors will help you to buy the right sofa and will save you money. You also need to consider the people who will be using it as well as pets (if you have them inside your home). Delicately and firmly sewn materials are recommended for family sofa for they are tested to be sturdier. Choose materials like cotton, denim with 20% polyesters and ultra suede for family sofa. You also need to check the fabric’s thread count. If it has a high count, then you are sure of its being really strong. To evaluate this, get a few samples and hold them at the ends. Next, beat the ends harder; if they extend, this means that the material is excellent. Since staining is a common sofa issue, get fiber-sealed cushions. You also need to turn the cushions over to balance the weight that they carry. This will prevent the sagging of one side. Vacuum them to get small particles especially on the corners but use the fine small end of the vacuum. Regular dusting is needed by velvet fabrics; hence, do this regularly for your velvet sofa. To make sure the fabric will suit your other furniture and your home, request for some swatches to bring home.

Plants for your Living Room

Furniture is not the only thing that can make a living room look lively. Having plants in this room can do the same and help improve your health and well-being. Apart from that, fans, air-conditioning and even purifiers can sometimes get the moisture out of the living room. The arid and dry air lingers in the room and may cause your skin to itch and get dry, too.



If you want to have plants in the living room, then you will be glad to know that there are plants that are great for indoors and not to mention easy to care for.



For natural sources of fresh oxygen at home, have Boston Ferns to have the right amount of moisture in the living room as well as to keep you cool. The blade-like leaves of this plant sway gently with every breeze. Its apple green color is especially pleasing to the eyes to help relieve eyestrain. It needs sunlight but make sure you do not expose it directly under the sun and water it enough to keep the soil moist. Water it just enough to keep the soil moist.



The Peace Lily is a combination of white-colored flowers and dark green leaves. Its white blooms eliminate up to 60% of the germs in the air. This plant helps extinguish harmful chemicals in the air that can be very helpful especially for people who are allergic to pollens and various irritants carried by the air. Give it the right amount of natural light and water the soil when dry. Spray it every now and then to keep the leaves moist and alive. This will encourage the flowers to grow more beautifully.



The Spider Plant is one of the most impressive when it comes to eliminating toxins and allergens in the air. Its record says that it can get rid of 90% of the irritants present in the air in a span of 48 hours. This plant extinguishes such toxins like carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and germs. It looks like the Boston Fern with its healthy, blade-like, green leaves except that the Spider Plant is also available in other colors. This is perfect for you if you do not have much time watering plants. Water it every 14 days and get it expose to indirect sunlight.



Hang the English Ivy in a pot as it is like an orchid that needs a fence for support. For those with allergic rhinitis and asthma, this plant will be your best friend extinguishing up to 60% of the allergens and irritants in the air in only 6 hours. Give it sufficient sunlight and keep its soil moist for it to live well.



NASA accredits the Heart Leaf Philodendron as an effective solution to combat the presence of formaldehyde in the air. With leaves shaped like a heart, it is also known as the Sweetheart Plant. The Heart Leaf Philodendron can stand any kind of lighting and keeping the soil moist is the key to make it grow beautifully. Do not water it too much though as the plant may die.



The Mother-in-Law's Tongue or Snake Plant is for those who are not good in taking care of plants. You can leave it as is for days and yet it remains alive and growing. Like all the aforementioned plants, it gives you a cleaner air for breathing. It also has strong sword-like leaves that need a regular watering each week and is fine with any amount of sunlight.



You have many choices when it comes to the plants that you can place inside the home. Pick one that will look good in the living room and serve your needs. It is still best to have a touch of nature and freshness inside the home. A good choice of living room furniture and blending it with other fixtures, the wall color and adding plants will definitely make staying in this room a pleasant experience.

Keeping Your Sofa in Good Shape from the Claws of Your Pet

Most people love to take care of pets. Most of us take care of dogs or cats and we often let them inside our house. We always want them close to us. Some even sleep with their pets! We want to look after them and just play with them for hours. They give us joy and provide us with something to do during boring times. Pets also teach children to be more responsible by taking care of them. They have become a part of the family that we even mourn for them when they die.

However, there are still disadvantages of bringing in your pets in the house. They bring in unwanted smell and dirt. They also destroy your furniture, one of which is your sofa. A sofa destroyed by your pet may bring about a small war between the two of you. Who would want his sofa to be torn by his favorite pet? With this, you have to learn how to keep them away from your favorite sofa.



The most effective way is to train them. Have them know that the sofa is a restricted property to them. It is preferable that they be trained while they are still a few months old so the act becomes a habit and they will imbibe it till they get older. Let them have their own personal corner in the house where they could stay most of the time. If you bring them on the couch though, they should know that they are not allowed to scratch or tear it.

You may also want to buy a pet throw which you can use to coat or wrap the couch whenever your pet sits with you. It is easy to clean and can be bought in different colors and patterns. It is also available in quilt materials.



It is also very helpful if you buy your pet rubber toys on which they can gnaw their teeth and scratch their claws. This will distract them enough to turn their attention away from your couch.

You may also want to purchase a pet spray not to extinguish your pet but to keep them away from the sofa. Mix it with ample amount of water or prepare as the instruction on the container says and spray it on your sofa. It is available in a variety of fragrances including mint citrus smell.



Be the boss in the house

No matter how much you love your pets you have to know how to control them. You still have to establish that you are the master and that they have to obey your orders. Make them understand what you mean and give a signature look or tone of voice or action whenever you want them to stay away from your furniture. It is better if you have means of instilling the right attitude in them such as consequences for wrong deeds.



Keep your pet clean and neat

Have them take a bath at least once a week. Use special soap and shampoo to keep the fleas and fur problems away. Clean their teeth, paws, and claws as well. It would be better if you cut their claws too to prevent them from damaging the couch.

Fragrant sprays are also available for pets that have strong smells. Tidy up their fur and comb them every now and then. It is also hygienic for them to have a regular haircut like men do.

Tips on How to Maintain your Micro-Suede Couch

The micro-suede materials used for sofas are silky, soft fabric which is similar to natural suede. It is a mixture of numerous minute polyester yarns that were jointly woven so that any washing preference can be used.

Following is the how to’s of cleaning your micro-suede sofa:

1. Check your sofa’s manual or its label. The label will tell you the right cleaning aid to use. If a “W” is written, it means water can be used to clean the couch. If it is “S”, then you need to use solvent. If you see these two letters sprinted on the label, then it means that both cleaning stuff can be used on the sofa.



2. When you have checked that, remove the cushions from the sofa and vacuum the sofa by using the brush attachment.
3. Next, get a bottle with a spray and fill it with water or solvent or whatever cleaning aid was written on the label or manual. If the sofa is too filthy, add 3 – 4 drops of dishwashing soap.



4. Carefully spray the water or solvent onto your micro-suede sofa putting more concentration on the stains or blemishes. Get rid of the stains or blemishes by using a cloth in wiping the micro-suede sofa. Let it dry completely before letting anyone to sit on it. You can have a tag with the words “wetpaint”.
5. To eliminate stench from other factors like urine, mix distilled water and vinegar then apply it on the area. Follow it up by putting a little baking soda then vacuum it. A real couch that is made of micro-suede is easy to clean unlike those that are from fake fabrics.
6. Use an ordinary and sticky lint roller to remove hairs or lint. Although this can also be removed using your vacuum cleaner.



Part of maintaining your micro-suede modern furniture is to steam it every so often but let an expert do it. Choose a washing service company that has a good standing on cleaning micro-suede couches.

Having sofas made of micro-suede need not give you much worry as maintaining them is trouble free. Just bear in mind that the best way to have your furniture last longer is proper maintenance.

Should Eating be Forbidden in the Living Room?

Modern living rooms are now designed to have a bigger space. This is because it is where the family gets together to have some fun, entertainment and enjoy each other’s company.

With this set up, it has also become an area where food and drinks are served. This also happens when we have guests in the home. Drinks such as juice, water, colas, tea, coffee, and food like chips, popcorn, fries, pizza, biscuits and sandwich – name it and you get to eat or serve them in the living room.

It is, therefore, expected to have little accidents. Drinks can spill while hot cup of tea or coffee can leave stains on the coffee table. Crumbs can fall on the sofas and in between the cushions. After the activity, the wife is left with all the mess and at times drives her crazy especially if the furniture got damage. Any housewife would admit to feeling helpless seeing all of these.



Here are some pointers on how eating can still be enjoyed in your living room cutting the mess into a minimum.

The coffee table is a great help. Glasses and cups can be placed on top of them but make sure you serve these drinks with coasters or saucers to avoid the staining. Spills normally occur if the cup or glass is held by the hand.

Since you have a coffee table, make it a point to have an area rug as well. Make this the eating area in the living room. This will prevent crumbs from falling off on the couch.

Use a fabric or a slip cover for your couch. You can cover the whole set or just one of it. The slipcover will safeguard your couch from any trickles or spills particularly if you have kids. This is also a good thing to have if you allow your pets inside the home. These slipcovers come in different colors and are easy to maintain.

Gathering together in the living room will be so much fun if you also have a bit of something to eat. It may be that you invested a lot for your modern furniture but do not be such a killjoy by disallowing eating in this room. Even if you wanted your living room to be tidy, you cannot avoid having a mess. So, the only thing you can do is to be creative so your living room remains to be comfortable and inviting.

The Right Fabric for Your Living Room Sofa

Living room sofas are made from two major kinds of fabrics. The knowledge and understanding of the distinctions between these fabrics will help you decide which is more suitable in your home.

Natural materials used for living room sofa are cotton, linen, rayon, wool and silk. These materials are so comfortable because of the additional and adequate padding although maintaining them takes a bit extra time. Changes in temperature can mess them up so take care not to expose them too much under the sun. They gather mold on damp weathers, too.

Synthetic materials used for living room sofa are nylon, polyester and olefin. They are durable and defy stains but are not comfy. The olefin and nylon materials, though, are prone to sun damage so it is advised to glaze your windows. Pilling can occur if weighty people sit on them.

Since both have their own downsides, manufacturers have elected to mix the good characteristics of these two materials that gave birth to microfibers. Microfibers are a mixture of cotton and wool or polyesters and acrylics. Being soft and cheap, microfibers became popular apart from it does not pill quickly.



Another material used for living room sofa are velvet, chenille and boucle classified as pile fabrics. These materials can conceal dirt and withstand wear and tear. The mixture of twill and denim is recommended for daily use and is more convenient while noticeable marks can be seen from cotton velvet as well as it depreciates easily.

The best thing to do if you are on the verge of looking for the right material for your furniture sofa is to consider these other factors:

1. Durability especially from external elements
2. The manner it was woven such as cotton, denim with 20% polyester or ultra suede
3. Test the thread count by taking an ample amount of swatches at the edges and tap it hard. It is excellent if it lengthens.
4. Check on the cost of the furniture. Make a survey through catalogs, magazine and the internet.



Request for some swatches to bring home so you can see which is suitable. Always remember that living room sofas need to be resilient and durable.