Upholstery is chosen on appearance and lived with through spills, claws and daily use, and the materials behave very differently.

Performance Fabrics

Woven from solution-dyed synthetic fibres, where the colour is part of the fibre rather than applied to the surface.

That is why they resist fading and why most spills lift with water rather than staining. They are the practical default for households with children or pets.

The trade is that they can feel less characterful than a natural fibre, though the better ones are hard to distinguish.

The Others, Honestly

• Faux leather: wipes clean, very good with children, can crack in strong sun
• Chenille: plush and soft, snags on claws, pile flattens in the seats people use
• Corduroy: tactile and shows marks, wears at the arms first
• Genuine leather: expensive, scratches show, improves with age, needs conditioning
• Cotton and linen: breathable, comfortable, stain readily

Comparison tables setting out feel, cleaning and how each ages, of the kind at signaturedesign-by-ashley.com, are more useful than adjectives because the trade-offs are real rather than a quality ladder.

The Cleaning Code

The single most useful thing to check and the least known.

W means clean with water-based products. S means solvent only, and water will leave a ring. WS means either. X means vacuum only, with no liquid at all.

Using water on an S-coded fabric causes a permanent watermark, and it is a common and avoidable mistake. The code is on the label under the cushion.

Rub Counts

Abrasion resistance is measured in double rubs or Martindale cycles, and higher means more durable.

It is stated more often on commercial fabric than domestic, and where it appears it is worth noting.

Pets Change the Answer

Claws catch loops, so any looped or textured weave is a poor choice with cats.

Tight flat weaves and leather resist snagging. Leather scratches visibly, which some people accept as patina and others do not.

Sunlight Fades Everything

Position matters more than fabric. A sofa in direct sun fades unevenly, and the part behind a cushion stays original.

Rotating cushions distributes it.

Order Swatches

Colour on a screen is unreliable, and fabric in your own light at different times of day is the only real test.

Vacuum It

Grit in a weave is abrasive and does more damage than use.