FYI Design Flashes & Tips from Chaffin Interiors Inc Newport News VA 757-595-1471

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June Hours

Thursday, June 20, 2019 Open – 10am to 4pm

Friday, June 21, 2019 Open – 10am to 4pm

Saturday, June 22, 2019 – CLOSED

Sunday, June 23, 2019 – CLOSED

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Thursday, July 4, 2019 – CLOSED

Friday, July 5, 2019 – CLOSED

Saturday, July 6, 2019 – CLOSED

Sunday, July 7, 2019 – CLOSED

FYI

Design Flashes

Design Tips

Odd numbers are more pleasing than even numbers; especially with accessories, floral arrangements, pillows, and so on. Call us today for an appointment at 757-595-1471.

Fabric Cleaning Codes

Cleaning codes are established by the Joint Industry Fabric Standards Committee

Note: Pretest a small, inconspicuous area before proceeding with any step below. Clean spots or stains from the outside to the middle of the affected area, to prevent circling. Cushion covers should not be removed for laundering or dry cleaning. Hot water extraction or steam cleaning is not a recommended method of cleaning. Pile fabrics may require brushing with a nonmetallic, stiff bristle brush to restore appearance. To prevent overall soiling, frequent vacuuming or light brushing with a non-metallic, stiff brush to remove dust and grime is recommended. Overall cleaning by a professional furniture cleaning service only is recommended.

Cleaning Code: DC

Dry Clean ONLY

Cleaning Code: S

Spot clean only with a water-free dry cleaning solvent.

Do not saturate or use water.

When cleaning a spill, blot immediately to remove spilled material.

Cleaning Code: SIB

See inside back cover of sample book for detailed cleaning instructions.

Cleaning Code: WS

Spot clean with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild detergent, or mild dry cleaning solvent.

Do not saturate.

Cleaning Code: W

Spot clean only with a water based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner.

Do not over-saturate or use water, or use solvents to spot clean.

Blot immediately to remove any spilled material.

Cleaning Code: X

Clean only by vacuuming or light brushing with a non-metallic, stiff bristle brush.

Do not use water or solvent based cleaner.

Flock Fabrics

Spot clean only with a water based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner.

Do not over wet, or use solvents to spot clean.

Use cautious agitation or rubbing while fabric is damp, as flock fabrics are sensitive to pile distortion and texture change with too much agitation.

Use extreme caution if using a professional cleaning service.

Allow to dry at least 24 hours before use after cleaning.

How Many Double Rubs Does an Upholstery Fabric Need?

From Greenhouse Fabrics

Written by Melissa Wolck

Have you ever heard of double rubs or abrasion rating? Have you seen something like "50,000 double rubs" included in a fabric's spec information? These terms refer to an important number you should consider when deciding on an upholstery fabric. Think about double rubs like this... Every time you sit down on your living room sofa or dining room chair, you "rub" your body against the fabric, and then when you stand up, you "rub" against the fabric again. That is the motion that "double rubs" or "abrasion rating" is referring to.

When a fabric is woven, the manufacturer will perform an abrasion test to determine how many "rubs" a fabric can withstand before showing signs of wear. There are a couple of different methods that can be performed to determine a fabric's number of double rubs, the Wyzenbeek and the Martindale Test. The Wyzenbeek Test is the standard method used by the United States to determine a fabric's abrasion rating. It looks like this.

A small piece of fabric is secured onto to the machine, and then a mechanical arm moves back and forth, rubbing against the fabric to simulate the motion of a person sitting down and standing up. There is a ticker located on the machine that counts the number of passes until the fabric begins to show signs of wear.

It seems that the standard number of double rubs for upholstery fabric has continued to increase over the past decade. Though there have been advancements in improving the performance of fabric, the importance of a fabric's durability has become more and more important to consumers. People want furniture that will last.

As a selling point, manufacturers have begun performing extreme abrasion testing, allowing the test to run up to 100,000, even 400,000 double rubs. But, these huge numbers aren't really meaningful, especially for residential applications. However, they have become the new standard, and consumers want to see a really big number to know that the fabric will be durable enough.

But what is really necessary? A fabric with an abrasion rating of 15,000 double rubs is more than sufficient for even your most favorite and frequently used chairs and sofas. For accent chairs, benches, formal dining chairs, or furniture that doesn't get a lot of action, you could even go as low as 9,000 rubs. Fabrics with a rating of 35,000+ can be used for residential applications, no doubt, but these numbers are really only significant when selecting fabric for commercial upholstery.

So when your shopping for fabric, consider the application and refer to the following guidelines:

Delicate Use: < 9,000
Light Use: 9,000 to 11,000
Medium Use: 12,000 to 15,000
Heavy Use: 15,000+

"Purchase fabrics that aesthetically appeal to you. It's more likely that the style of the fabric will wear on you, before the fibers do." -Melissa Wolck, Greenhouse Fabrics

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Chaffin Interiors, located at 9 Hidenwood Shopping Center, serving the greater Hampton Roads and Tidewater metropolitan areas, including Newport News, Hampton,
Poquoson, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Seaford, Grafton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Carrollton, and Isle of Wight in Virginia.