Reading Fabric Labels-The Beginning

Here on Fresh Nest Design we love giving you the tools to be your own designer because that's what we're all about!  Part of that is making sure you know what goes into choosing durable fabrics so that you can make your own informed decisions!  I won't talk much about choosing color schemes this time.  (Probably in the near future though!)  If you look at a fabric label you'll see much more information than just the name of the pattern and the color.  But how do you decode everything else that's on there?

This label has lots of important information on there and we'll try to sort through it all in the next few weeks so you can ALL be experts!  What do they mean when they reference double rubs?  Well hopefully I can help a little!  And if you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the comments and I'll answer then for you!  If there's enough questions about different things I'll do a separate post.

The double rubs refer to a test where a special machine is utilized and a pad is rubbed back and forth over the surface of the fabric multiple times.  This is done until a hole is worn through the fabric.

If it takes 25,000 rubs to make a hole than the fabric is labeled that it is durable to 25,000 double rubs.  Some fabrics are rated for 100,000 to 200,000 double rubs!  When compared to that amount, it seems like a 25,000 double rub fabric is not so durable, but in fact, 25,000 is perfectly fine for most residential applications.

Most of the ones rated higher than say, about 50,000, are for commercial use.  When I design emergency rooms and I'm looking at the fabric labels to see what is safe to use on the chairs there, 50,000 is plenty for that application.  (And emergency room fabrics get TONS of abuse and are used 24/7!)

If you're ordering a sofa and getting custom fabric from a furniture store this information might not be in plain sight.  You may have to ask the sales associate to do a little more work and find out the information for you!  But it will help that you can make a more informed decision about the fabric you're choosing!  I hope this has been helpful and remember, if there's any questions be sure to ask them in the comments!