The Best Fabrics for Outdoor Sofa Cushions
Your outdoor sofa would be more comfortable if you give some cushions. You don’t need to buy such luxurious accessories like pricey furry blankets or flassy cushions in order to make your outdoor looks more presentable. Since your sofa as well as the cushions and blankets will be exposed entirely under the sunlight, the materials, especially fabric, tends to fade rapidly. That is the reason why you should pay more attention while choosing the right fabric for your sofa. There are plenty types of fabric and each of them has unique characteristics that will match on some specific usage. Some types are suitable for indoor usage and definitely stunning if you put them in your living room. However some fabrics are UV resistant and suitable for outdoor usage.
Aside from the fabric, you need to know the best treatment to maintain your sofa and pillows. The right treatment will make your furniture, especially the outdoor ones, last much longer. If they last for a long time, you don’t need to buy a new one. It will surely help you to save some money.
If you’re looking for some fabrics for your outdoor sofa and cushions, here are some fabrics that are suitable for outdoor sofas and pillows as well as how to care for them.
Best fabrics for outdoor sofa cushions
Design is one of the necessary thing if you want to buy furniture. Besides the design, fabric for your outdoor sofa and cushions is important. The better you choose, the longer it will stay in good shape. Some fabrics come with such a high price, but if you know better about the fabrics you may find them with an affordable deal.
Before picking up your favorite fabrics, make sure that the outdoor sofa and the pillow have a polypropylene cover. You need to pay attention to the filling as well. Make sure the sofa filling is fully waterproof so you can rest assured if the rainy season comes.
For outdoor usage, you need to ask the store whether the fabrics are UV resistant or not. Fabrics tend to fade if they are placed or treated wrongly. The UV resistance makes sure the color will not fade even when the sofa or pillows are put under the sun for a whole day.
After checking on those two major things, let’s move to the fabrics. Choose the best one that suits your style as well as your house design. To help choose the best out of the best, hHere are some fabrics that are commonly used for outdoor pillows and sofas.
Canvas: This kind of fabrics are usually made with hemp, but nowadays cotton is used to make canvas. For outdoor usage, it is better to purchase the polyester canvas instead of cotton canvas. This type of canvas is water resistant so it will be safe even if you put it outdoor. The fabric is quite heavy yet cheap, moreover canvas is easy to paint.
Textilene: The fabric is wooden polyester and coated by PVC coating. Textilene is the best material for outdoor purposes since its resistance to fading and waterproofing.
Polypropylene (PP fabric): Commonly used as cushion inserts but it can be used as well as the covers. This fabric is quite durable since it’s resistant to sun, wet weather, and mold.
How to care outdoor sofa
Taking care of the outdoor furniture, in this case the sofa, is quite tricky. Since it is always placed under extreme temperature, the outdoor sofa needs some special treatments.
If you use the wrong technique, your furniture quality might be decreased and it will affect its durability. For fabric-made furniture like sofas, the color of the fabric is the main point.
The heat and rain are the major factors that cause color fading in fabric such as outdoor sofas, pillows, or blankets. In order to make them stay in their best shape, you need to know the best treatment methods.
Using a water-resistant cover is a must if you have outdoor furniture on your deck or backyard. Make sure your furniture is dry when you store them to avoid molds. The best place to store your furniture is in the basement or any room that has good air circulation.
Don’t forget to frequently clean your outdoor sofa and cushions. The outdoor sofa covers’ usually can’t be separated as well as some of the pillows, so it’s pretty difficult to wash it using a machine.
Vacuum cleaner is commonly used if you want to clean up your outdoor sofa. This thing is quite helpful especially to clean up the dust and animal fur. However, stains like coffee or juice, sometimes can’t be cleaned just by using a vacuum cleaner.
To clean your sofa thoroughly you may mix a quarter cup liquid detergent and lukewarm water. Soak a sponge in the mixture then squeeze it until the bubbles are made.
Then rub the sponge gently on the sofa or pillow. To remove the remaining detergent and residue, use a high-pressure garden hose. Then place your sofa or pillow in the sunny and dry place.
If you have an issue with thick stains or any stain that can’t be cleaned using detergent, rest assured. You can mix 1 cup of chlorine bleach, a gallon of water, and a quarter cup of liquid detergent.
For pillows, you may soak them in the mixture for around 20 minutes. After that please rinse them thoroughly until all the residual detergent is completely removed.
Since the outdoor sofa is quite heavy and big, rub the mixture on the stains until they are cleaned. Place the sofa and pillows under the sun and in a dry place.
Besides those tips, you need to read the manufacturing instructions, especially the washing rules. Some of the furniture can’t handle power washing, so you need to clean them by hand.
If your outdoor sofa can’t handle power washing, then those treatment tips above will surely help you. The frame is usually quite sturdy so it can be power washed. Once again, read the manufacturing instructions so you can get the best treatment for your outdoor sofa and cushions.