Description of Microfiber Furniture Fabric
When you go shopping for furniture in today's home furnishing stores you will find a variety of materials and fabrics. Among the options are leather and synthetic versions of leather, as well as various forms of fabric and cloth. Over the past generation there has been a rise in popularity of furniture made with microfiber. This material often has a suedelike appearance and is considered user friendly and durable. Does this Spark an idea?
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The Material
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Microfiber, by definition, is any kind of fiber that has strands less than 1 denier wide. A denier is a unit of measurement used to measure the density of fibers. Silk is often used as a base of reference, as silk fibers are 1 denier. But in general terms, microfiber is a synthetic fiber with strands smaller than silk. Microfibers are typically less than 10 microns in diameter and are commonly blends of polyester or nylon, although there are other potential parent materials.
History
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A scientist named Miyoshi Okamoto developed microfiber in Japan in the early 1970s. It took several more years to find potential uses for the very small fibers, but eventually Toyohiko Hikota discovered how to make the first nonwoven fabric, which was dubbed "ultrasuede." The American scientific company DuPont eventually began producing the microfiber material Hikota produced in 1989.
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Advantages of Microfiber
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Microfiber can be used to create many aesthetic effects that are popular with consumers. It is used to make couches, pillows and chairs that are extremely soft to the touch. Microfiber doesn't have any woven loops, so pet hair doesn't stick to it as easily, and it vacuums clean quite easily. Microfiber furniture lasts a long time as well, mostly because of the dense fabric that the tiny strands are able to form. It simply doesn't break down as quickly as other materials. Most liquids will run straight off the microfiber, and dirt and dust do not settle deep into the fabric like they do on other cloth materials. One of the most popular reasons for choosing microfiber is the ease of cleaning. Specially designed products for cleaning microfiber furniture tend to work very well, even on greasy stains.
Other Uses
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Microfiber is commonly used in furniture upholstery, but that is nowhere near the limit of this fabric's usefulness. Depending on how the microfiber is designed, it can be used for various purposes. Microfiber is often used in cleaning supplies. When the fibers are designed with a cross-section of nylon and polyester in "pie wedge" shapes to expose more fibers, they can be incredible moisture absorbers instead of the moisture repellents used in furniture coverings. A microfiber mop, for example, can hold eight times its own weight in water. Similar designs also increase filtration abilities and allow the microfiber to trap dust easily. Microfiber is also used in clothing. It wicks away moisture from the body and it very cool and lightweight.
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References
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