Office furniture can take quite a beating. So how do you give those upholstered desk chairs and lobby sofas a fighting chance? The best way to protect your investment is to choose high-quality, durable furniture products and make sure they are treated with fabric stain protection.
Here are four ways to keep your furniture stain free and looking great.
#1 Invest in Stain-Resistant Fabrics
With specialized upholstery like Crypton and Revolution fabrics, stain protection is part of the material, so there’s no need for any subsequent treatments. In the case of Crypton® fabrics, stain protection is built into the fabric when it’s milled.
Each thread of the fabric is individually treated using an immersion process, resulting in a strong protective layer that won’t weaken over time. This also protects the fabric against moisture, mildew and odours.
Revolution Performance Fabrics® are made from a material known as Olefin (polypropylene) that’s naturally stain resistant and easy to clean. During the manufacturing process, plastic pellets are melted down and put through a spinneret to form long fibres that are spun into yarn and woven into the fabric. The process doesn’t use chemicals, and the synthetic material is highly durable.
The primary drawback with both of these high-performance fabrics is their limited design choices.
#2 Use a Fabric Stain Protection Treatment
If you’re looking for high-performance stain protection but don’t want to compromise on style, secondary treatments like Alta™ and Nanotex® offer a wide range of fabric colours and styles to choose from. Both treatments can be added to virtually any fabric to make it permanently stain and spill resistant.
Alta is a permanent fabric treatment technology that our primary furniture manufacturer, Haworth, uses for its stain-resistant furniture options. Alta is an environmentally friendly water-based treatment that bonds to the fibres, making the fabric stain resistant without changing the feel of the fabric itself.
Nanotex is another leading stain treatment option that protects the natural look and feel of fabrics. It uses nanotechnology to transform the molecular structure of fabric, adding a permanent moisture barrier to it without changing its physical characteristics.
There is also a wide range of non-permanent spray-on fabric protectors like Scotchgard™ and Vectra® on the market. Just remember, these spray-on treatments eventually wear off and need to be reapplied periodically.
#3 Clean early and often with green products
If you want your office furniture to last, one thing to remember about stain resistant fabric of any type is that it still needs cleaning. For instance, Haworth recommends all materials, even those treated with Alta, be routinely cleaned and maintained using Green Seal® certified cleaning products, which are easier on furniture and the environment.
When it comes to spills, it’s essential to clean them up right away. The longer they sit there, the greater the chance they’ll leave permanent stains on the upholstery. And always check the furniture tags before using any cleaner.
Furniture tags usually have detailed cleaning instructions that recommend what to use and what do avoid. For example, some products might need water-based cleaning products, while others require water-free solvents.
By only using the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning products and avoiding harsh cleaning products and chemicals with dyes and fragrances, you’ll be protecting your furniture investment and the environment at the same time.
#4 Choose Your Materials Wisely
If you’re in the market for office furniture, especially chairs and sofas, you know the wide range of materials there are to choose from. Each one has its unique characteristics: the timeless elegance of leather, the durability of woven fabrics and the modern comfort of mesh. While no material is immune from stains, some are more difficult than others to keep clean.
Materials like leather, offer quality and style but are more likely to get dirty with daily use and may require specialized cleaning products.
If you’re looking for something easier to clean, you might want to consider mesh chairs, which are a popular choice because they’re breathable, allowing the air to circulate throughout the back and seat. This makes mesh chairs less prone to stains and odours. They’re also easy to clean with soap and water if spills do occur.
Fabric chairs are still the most common desk chair in most offices because they’re comfortable and easy to maintain. If that’s what you end up choosing, you’ll be doing your furniture favour by protecting it with a high-quality fabric stain treatment.
Protect Your Furniture Investment
By choosing the right materials, treating fabrics with stain protection and following a regular cleaning schedule, you can extend the life of your upholstered furniture and keep it looking good for years to come.
Now that you know how to protect your investment, are you ready to learn about the warranties behind your furniture?
Cory Porteous
Director of Marketing & Inbound Business Development
Office Interiors
