Getting The Best Commercial Upholstery
There are certain characteristics you need to have with your commercial upholstery choices because they must be easy to maintain and resistant to the different types of stains and marks that can occur. Realistically, all commercial upholstery is going to get dirty eventually, but the choice of fabric will greatly contribute to their maintenance and overall appearance.
Commercial upholstery can be used by hundreds of visitors everyday so it will be highly exposed to many different elements. The best material to get for commercial upholstery will be a synthetic fabric. These types of fabrics have much more durability than natural fibre fabrics and will make maintenance a lot easier.
Yes, natural fibres such as wool, cotton, and linen look great, but they are not practical and won’t last long at all in a commercial environment. The most common types of fabrics you will find in commercial settings are polyester, polypropylene, nylon, and vinyl. Sometimes, different fabrics can be blended together to achieve different looks and levels of durability and texture.
Getting The Best Commercial Grade Fabric Upholstery
Most of the time, you will find that commercial grade fabrics are more expensive than fabric for domestic use. However, it is better to invest in fabric that is going to stand the test of time. As well as needing to look good, it is important that commercial upholstery can maintain its colour over time. As your workplace will be exposed to many different elements, you want the colours to stay true and not become faded and dull.
Commercial grade fabrics will also have a high level of durability needed for commercial use. You can expect commercial grade fabric to last around 5 years with regular wear and tear before any noticeable damage occurs.
Still, no matter how much money you spend on your upholstery fabric, it will still get dirty over time especially if lots of visitors come into your workplace everyday. Even if they make an effort not to spill anything on their seats; accidents do happen so these types of fabrics need to be easy to clean as well as being hard wearing and easy handling.
You may require professional commercial upholstery cleaning services to maintain them and help you get the most out of your furniture, but it's totally worth it.
What Are The Best Fabrics To Use?
Vinyl
Vinyl is very useful for commercial upholstery because its water and stain resistant properties. Vinyl can be dyed in a range of different colours and it takes a lot longer to wear down than fabrics.
Faux leather can also be made from this material so it provides a more luxurious look without the downsides of authentic leather. It's also often coated in scratch-resistant materials so even if these scratches do occur they won't show as easily as on other upholstered furniture.
Nylon
Nylon is another popular choice for commercial upholstery as it's washable and easy to clean. Durable fabrics such as nylon can handle heavy use in outdoor settings and hold up well to the weather.
Polyester
Polyester is a great option for commercial upholstery as it's easy to clean and hard wearing. It does tend to show stains and marks more than other fabrics, but it still cleans up very well.
Polypropylene
Commercial upholstery made from polypropylene isn't as common but that doesn't mean you shouldn't look at this material when choosing new furniture for your business. Polypropylene is highly durable and can hold its own against heavy wear and tear due to constant use by customers or employees. Polypropylene will also have a high resistance to stains and scratches so will keep looking great despite sustained use.
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Different Commercial Upholstery Settings
Restaurants
Restaurants and hotels will need a great deal of upholstery fabric on their premises because this type of business often have high turnover rates. This means that the furniture is going to get dirty on a regular basis, especially due to food spills. It is very important that commercial grade upholstery can easily be wiped down as it does not require deep cleaning every time something spills onto it.
Most restaurants and hotels will use synthetic fabrics like polyester blends for commercial upholstery because they are more resistant to staining.
Cafes
Cafes will have also have outdoor furniture that is highly visible from the outside so it needs to look good as well as being user friendly for diners. Because of this, the material used outside could be different to the one used inside.
Outdoor fabrics are commonly nylon, polypropylene, and sometimes polyester. These fabrics are more durable when exposed to the elements so it's important to keep this in mind.
Bars, Pubs, & Clubs
The alcohol content of most types of drinks means that they contain a lot of sugar or will leave a sticky residue when it dries. This will soak into the material but are not easy to completely wipe away which can cause damage over time. Having some level of stain resistance in the material will help stop food and drinks from infiltrating into the upholstery for longer periods of time making them easier to remove later on when using a professional cleaning service.
Hotels & Motels
Thee fabrics used here will need style in order to keep up with an image but also need to be long lasting so they don't need replacing over short periods of time. Most commercial grade upholsteries designed for hotels and motels will last around 10 years with regular wear and tear before you will need to replace them.
For this type of upholstery fabric, stain resistance is also very important as most hotels and motels are busy places with lots of traffic going through. Rooms can change guests every day and this will change the environment constantly.
Aged Care and Nursing Home Facilities
The upholstery in aged care and nursing home facilities needs to be very durable as some accidents and spillages can frequently occur. Darker coloured fabrics will hide stains better but professional cleaning is recommended every 3 to 6 months due to the high levels of bacteria that the upholstery can harbour.
Retail Settings
It's important that the furniture here is easy to clean and maintain for customers so they don't feel put off when trying to sit down. Retail settings will commonly have upholstered furniture in waiting areas, changing rooms, common areas, behind desks, and sometimes scattered throughout the premises.
You will see some shopping centres often have an area with some booths or even bean bag style seating for the patrons to rest and relax. These seats get used every day by a lot of people so a practical choice is very important.
Education Facilities
A school could look unprofessional and dirty for student use if stains such as marker pens are left for too long on the upholstery. Therefore, it is important that stain resistance is a high priority in order for the students to feel comfortable and not embarrassed about their school furniture.
A lot of school furniture is actually plastic now, and upholstery is becoming increasingly uncommon. You do however, still see upholstery in areas such as libraries, staff rooms, and training rooms so good choices and maintenance will be crucial. An educational facility would typically need to get their upholstery professionally cleaned every 6 to 12 months depending on usage and soilage.
Medical Centres
Medical centres will have upholstery fabric in waiting rooms and consultation areas. People are often sick or unwell in medical facilities, so it's imperative that these fabrics are high quality and easy to look after. Hospitals and GP's may have to frequently deep clean commercial grade upholstery due to diseases and illnesses that can contaminate the surfaces of the upholstery.
Gyms And Health Clubs
Gyms and health clubs will often have a vinyl material for their upholstery needs. This material can hold up against sweat and is very durable. Frequent cleaning is very important due to the contamination that can happen from multiple people using the same piece of furniture over and over again.
Childcare Facilities
This type of upholstery is going to see a lot of wear and tear as it's used by so many children. Expect a lot of grubby hands and food and drinks to be spilled constantly. Polyester fabrics and blends are common choices here and while they will look dirty eventually, they can be professionally cleaned and look like-new again, so you can get many years out of them.
Entertainment Centres and Auditoriums
Entertainment centres and auditoriums will commonly have dining chair-style furniture with an upholstered base and sometimes a backrest. There could be hundreds or even thousands of identical pieces of furniture and a good deep clean every 6 to 12 months should keep them looking good for a very long time.
Best Features Of Commercial Grade Upholstery Fabric
Easy To Clean
Commercial grade fabrics should be resistant against stains and marks. They are going to get a lot of use with varying levels of exposure to food, drinks, dirt, grime, and other contaminants, so a practical choice of fabric is very important.
Stylish
Commercial grade upholstery fabric requires an eye-catching design that would appeal to customers of all ages and genders so you need to make sure you choose something that looks good and is easy to work with. There are a lot of factors that will go into choosing the best design for your upholstery project so make sure you take the time to get it right because once the fabric is installed, it isn't easy or cheap to replace.
Dark colours will hide stains and marks much better than light colours. Yes, they don’t look as good and a lot of interior designers will go for light colours, so it’s important to consider the environment that the upholstery will live in.
They Are Designed To Last
Commercial grade upholstery fabric is made with higher quality materials and more durable construction than what would be used at home. The right level of durability is crucial so it can stand up against regular wear and tear. You need strong materials that won’t scratch or tear easily and materials that can be cleaned regularly without causing damage. Maintaining a clean workplace is a requirement under state legislation, so it's important that you engage a professional service to help you maintain your upholstery.
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