Whether new or old, we all love our cotton fabrics. From the softness, comfortability, and affordability it can bring, it seems like a no brainer to grab up the nearest item made from cotton material at your store. Nonetheless, this might not be the case when it comes to your everyday upholstered furniture. Knowing what we know, it might be hard to not only have a good quality cotton piece of furniture that lasts, but care for it in the meantime as well.

Because cotton is sort of a staple for the average consumer, you might be wondering why we are steering toward caution when it comes to the popular material. Well firstly, over time cotton is prone to discoloration and easy staining. Not only that, but a lower quality cotton has a lesser shelf life than that of a more durable fabric or leather. This comes from many different factors that we will talk about next. When you think about your white cotton shirts in combination with staining, most likely you will think of the dreaded yellow rings that form underneath the axilla region, more commonly known as the armpit. This is because of a chemical reaction between your sweat and aluminums etc.. found in anti-perspirants. This is somewhat commonly known, and can be extremely difficult to perform a successful stain removal on one of these bad boys. However, what is less known is that this can happen on your furniture and other everyday items made from a cloth structure. Aluminum is found in many things you might use every day. Things like aluminum foil, packages, paints, electronics, its used as a common metal in construction, and even our water. This lucky number thirteen is found pretty much everywhere. Naturally, we come into contact with these things in life, and whether we like it or not, all living mammals sweat daily. This said, it isn’t far off to assume that this reaction can happen to your furniture just as it does to your t-shirts as shared in the previous sentiment above. Including this, cotton is a material that has a high water retention. Leaving it to absorb stains easier.

Another topic that we could mention is transferability of fabric dyes. While it is something that is not exciting to deal with, certain clothing can potentially leave their mark, quite literally, on your cotton pieces. This is hard to contend with because, as the name suggests, it is a dye that can be difficult to clean and remove. Also, spaces with a good amount of natural lighting can eventually cause issues with your hard-earned furniture. A consistent exposure to sunlight can discolor and/or break down material over time. Leaving cotton fibers vulnerable to breakage and an overall dull look to your furniture/other cotton décor items. This can be described as sun bleaching, where in the end it is not repairable and is cause for their replacement. Foregoing, if you are able, and decide to wash your cotton pieces, things such as fabric softeners can cause a delta degradation in material. I know, say it isn’t so! That snuggle softness with the beautiful lavender scent could actually be the cause of dark dingy stains in your cloth. Furthermore, in terms of durability, a quality leather is usually the best option. Cotton can be strong and last if it is manufactured correctly and woven tight enough. Though, unless you know the material well, or have seen it manufacturing, it’s hard to know whether you have a good quality of fabric. If not done correctly, it is prone to snagging, and stain penetration, making it much harder to service.

Overall, that soft cotton that we know, and love is great for your clothing – that you can care for often and discard if necessary – but it might not be the easiest choice for things like couches and other furniture that might not get as much attention in our busy lives.