Upholstery fabric: fibers, rub counts, cleaning codes and labels

Choose or understand a fabric by its fiber, weave and finish, read rub counts as a minimum rather than a lifespan, find and follow the cleaning code, and read the flammability, flame-retardant and stain-treatment labels for what they say.

1. Fiber, weave and finish Understand

An upholstery fabric is three decisions stacked together. The fiber is the material the yarn is spun from: cotton, wool, polyester and so on. The weave (or knit) is how the yarns are put together: tight and flat, loose, looped or piled. The finish is anything applied to the cloth after it is made, such as a water repellent or a stain treatment. Each shapes how a sofa wears, and a label usually tells you only part of the story.

This chapter reads a fabric the way How to compare finishes reads any surface: by the room's questions. Does the piece face a sunny window? Does a cat sleep on it? Does it take spills from children or coffee? Write those questions down first, then read the fabric's fiber, weave, rub count, cleaning code and labels against them. The room's questions as the frame are this manual's convention. This manual's convention

Fibers and how each behaves

The most complete free fiber table we found comes from New Mexico State University's extension service, revised in 2003 and not reissued since (NMSU Guide G-401, Selecting Fabrics for Home Furnishings). It is old and we found no newer edition; we use it for each fiber's basic behavior. The table below follows it, with one line from a rug maker on viscose. Physical principle

Pilling is the small balls of fiber that form where cloth rubs. The Association for Contract Textiles (ACT), the trade group for commercial fabric suppliers, calls pilling an appearance problem that does not affect durability or function (ACT Performance Guidelines, Woven Indoor, February 2025). It can still matter to you on a cream sofa.

Blends. Many upholstery fabrics mix two or more fibers. No source we found says how a blend behaves as a whole. Read each fiber's line in the table, and treat the weakest one as the one to watch: a blend with rayon in it may still be weak when wet.

Solution-dyed acrylic. Solution-dyed means the color is added to the fiber material before it is formed into fiber, rather than dyed into the yarn or cloth afterward. Sunbrella, which makes solution-dyed acrylic, publishes stain recipes that use household bleach diluted in water with dish soap (Sunbrella Cleaning Guide). Its page does not say other acrylics tolerate bleach, and NMSU's table says acrylic is weak when wet. So the bleach recipe is Sunbrella's for Sunbrella. Product-specific

Weave, cats and claws

Fiber is half the story with pets. Revolution, an olefin fabric maker, says on its own page that no upholstery fabric is truly scratch-proof and to be skeptical of the claim. It says weave matters most: tight, flat weaves resist snagging, and loops, such as some chenilles and boucles, catch claws (Revolution, Best Upholstery Fabric for Cats). We found no standard test for claw or snag resistance, so a "pet-friendly" label rests on the seller's word. Product-specific

A cat that scratches one arm wears the fabric at an edge. ACT notes that the standard abrasion tests measure flat rubbing and do not consider edges such as seat fronts and arms (ACT, Abrasion Disclaimer). So a high rub count says nothing about claws on an arm.

"Performance fabric" and finishes

Performance fabric is a term the furniture trade uses, not a standard. Revolution describes it as fabric whose performance comes either from the fiber itself or from a chemical treatment or coating, and names olefin, acrylic, nylon and polyester as common performance fibers, adding that not all of them resist stains on their own (Revolution, What is Performance Fabric?). Its page cites no test that a fabric must pass to be called "performance". Convention

So when a tag says "performance", ask two questions: which fiber, and which finish? NMSU's table of finishes is blunt about what finishes do not do. A water-repellent finish does not waterproof fabric. A soil-release finish does not prevent stains. Shrinkage control limits shrinkage to a stated percent and does not promise none (NMSU G-401).

Rub counts: a minimum, not a lifespan

A rub count is the result of a lab abrasion test: how much rubbing a fabric took before it showed wear. In the United States it is usually given as double rubs from the Wyzenbeek test (ASTM D4157), where the fabric is held taut and rubbed back and forth with a standard cotton duck cloth; each back-and-forth pass is one double rub. Elsewhere it is often given as cycles from the Martindale test (ASTM D4966), where the fabric is rubbed against worsted wool in a pattern that traces a widening ellipse. The rubbing material in either test is the abradant. Both tests stop at a set end point, such as two broken yarns or visible wear (ACT white paper, Abrasion Resistance: The Full Story, 2010).

ACT's minimums

The only published thresholds we found from a trade body are ACT's, and they are written for commercial (contract) fabric, not for home furniture. Convention

Source: ACT Performance Guidelines, Woven Indoor. Read these as minimums for a fabric to meet ACT's mark. They are not a forecast of how long a sofa lasts.

What the number does not tell you

• It is not a lifespan. ACT requires licensees who publish results above its high-traffic level to say that those results are not an indicator of product lifespan, and it says a fabric with twice the cycles does not have double the service life. The Wyzenbeek standard itself says lab abrasion results should not be relied on to predict actual wear life (ASTM D4157-13(2022)). Convention
• Repeat tests vary widely. ACT says repeat tests on some fabrics may vary by 60 percent or more, and it does not recommend comparing fabrics by absolute numbers (ACT, Abrasion Disclaimer). A fabric listed at 50,000 and one listed at 40,000 may not differ in any meaningful way. ASTM says lab tests are reliable for relative performance only where the difference is large.
• The two tests do not convert. ACT says there is no correlation between Wyzenbeek and Martindale results, and its white paper says it is not possible to estimate one from the other. A Martindale figure in cycles and a Wyzenbeek figure in double rubs are two different measures; compare like with like.
• The abradant matters. ACT's white paper says olefin is best tested with a wire screen instead of cotton duck. A figure without its abradant is hard to compare.
• Very high numbers add little. The same white paper says results above 100,000 are not meaningful in adding value in use.
• Most failures are not abrasion. ACT's member survey found that fabric failures in the field are far more likely to come from inappropriate cleaning, poor maintenance, physical abuse or using a fabric where it does not belong.

The practical reading: a rub count tells you whether a fabric met a minimum on one flat-rubbing test. Past that, the cleaning code, the weave and how you care for the piece matter more. Retailers also sort fabrics into residential "duty" bands; those bands differ between sellers and are not a standard (see Go deeper). Samples, ratings, labels and warranties covers reading any rating for what it does not predict (ratings).

Cleaning codes: W, S, W/S and X

A cleaning code is a letter or two on a tag that says what kind of cleaner a fabric tolerates. Look on the tag under a seat cushion, on the deck (the platform under the cushions), on the frame underneath, or on the maker's page for the piece. American Leather, a furniture maker, describes the code as the manufacturer's recommendation, found on a label under the cushions or the base (American Leather, Explaining Fabric Cleaning Codes).

The codes are a trade convention. No federal rule or standards body defines them, and the federal care label rule does not reach them: it covers textile clothing and fabric sold by the piece for sewing clothing at home (16 CFR Part 423, Care Labeling). Upholstered furniture is outside it. So each maker sets its own codes, and a few go beyond the four common letters. Convention

Sources: Sailrite, Understanding Upholstery Fabric Cleaning Codes; American Leather. The labels decoder keeps the same table.

Your maker's code wins over the common reading. Ashley, a furniture maker, lists its own codes beside the common ones: DC (dry clean only), HW (hand wash), MW (machine washable), and E and N for leather, meaning use Ashley's leather care kit (Ashley, Cleaning Codes). If a tag shows a letter that is not W, S, W/S or X, look it up on that maker's page before you clean anything. Product-specific

Whatever the code, test any cleaner on a hidden spot first, such as the back of a skirt or the underside of a cushion, and let it dry before you judge it. Sailrite says to pre-test, and the hidden-spot test is this manual's rule for every surface. This manual's convention

The routine the codes sit inside

NMSU's care guide recommends vacuuming or brushing upholstery once a week and turning reversible cushions weekly so they wear evenly. It says to use as little moisture as possible on a stain, to pretest, to use solvents for oily stains and water solutions for water-based ones, both within what the code allows, and that direct sunlight fades and damages fabric (NMSU Guide G-402, Care for Fabric Home Furnishings). The care schedule carries the weekly vacuuming. Preference

A cushion zipper is not an invitation to wash the cover. NMSU says not to remove zippered cushion covers from upholstered furniture, because washing them apart can shrink them, damage the backing or change the color. Leather, faux leather and slipcovers covers covers made to come off. What to do in the minutes after a spill, code by code, is in Stains, damage and older homes, and the one-page version is Something just spilled.

Flammability, flame-retardant and stain-treatment labels

Three kinds of label can appear on an upholstered piece sold in the United States: a federal flammability label, California's flame-retardant statement, and whatever the seller says about a stain treatment. Each states one narrow thing.

The federal flammability label

Since June 25, 2021, upholstered furniture made, imported or reupholstered in the United States has had to meet a federal flammability standard, 16 CFR Part 1640. The standard adopts California's Technical Bulletin 117-2013 (TB 117-2013) as federal law. From June 25, 2022, it requires a permanent label reading "Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability." It covers indoor seating with an upholstered seat, back or arm, including children's furniture, and excludes mattresses and bedding (16 CFR Part 1640). A piece made before those dates may carry a different label, or none.

TB 117-2013 is a smolder test: a lit cigarette is placed on small mock-ups of the cover fabric, barrier and filling, and a material fails if it keeps smoldering after the 45-minute test, bursts into flame, or chars past a set length. The bulletin itself says its methods are not intended to measure how materials respond to an open flame (California TB 117-2013). So the federal label says the materials passed a cigarette test. It does not say how the sofa behaves if a candle or a space heater sets it alight. Convention

The standard tests performance, not chemistry. CPSC's plain-language page describes it as a set of smolder tests on the cover fabric, filling, barrier and decking, with no rule about which chemicals they contain, and says a piece can comply either with a passing barrier that wraps the filling or with a passing cover fabric and passing filling (CPSC, Upholstered Furniture FAQ). To learn whether flame retardants were added, read the next label.

California's flame-retardant statement

Since January 1, 2015, upholstered furniture sold in California that must meet TB 117-2013 carries a statement about flame retardant chemicals. It reads "The upholstery materials in this product:" followed by two lines, "contain added flame retardant chemicals" and "contain NO added flame retardant chemicals", with an X beside the one that applies; both lines appear. It covers the cover fabric, barrier, filling and decking, and sits on the same label as the TB 117-2013 wording (California Bureau of Household Goods and Services, SB 1019 FAQ). The federal standard keeps state laws like this one that are not about fire.

The same FAQ says the Bureau has no authority outside California and knew of no other state that had adopted the statement. If a piece has no statement, ask the seller or maker in writing whether flame retardants were added, and to which parts. Ask the maker

Stain treatments and PFAS

A stain repellent is a finish that slows how fast a spill soaks in, so liquid beads up and can be blotted. ACT says a repellent does not bulletproof a fabric and does not change which cleaners the fabric tolerates (ACT, Stain Repellent Finishes). The cleaning code still rules.

Many repellents were made with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a large family of chemicals. EPA says there are thousands of them, that many break down very slowly, and it names stain and water repellents on upholstery among household sources (EPA, Our Current Understanding of PFAS). ACT describes the textile trade's move away from older PFAS around 2015, and calls "C0" marketing shorthand for finishes made without intentionally added PFAS. It also says finishes without PFAS may be less effective against oil-based stains, and that fabric with no finish may clean better with water.

Some states now restrict PFAS in textiles, and each state defines what it covers. California's is one example, and state rules vary. Under California Health and Safety Code sections 108970 and 108971, from January 1, 2025, no one may make, distribute or sell in California a new, not previously used textile article, upholstery included, containing regulated PFAS. "Regulated" means PFAS added on purpose, or total organic fluorine at or above 100 parts per million, falling to 50 parts per million on January 1, 2027 (HSC 108970, definitions; HSC 108971, prohibition). The law covers new articles, so it says nothing about a used sofa, and it excludes the PFAS treatments sold for use on finished textiles, such as aftermarket protector sprays. For other states, ACT keeps a list dated February 2026 on its stain-repellent page; ACT calls it general reference, so check your own state's agency. Ask your state

What to ask a seller: was a stain treatment applied, by whom (the mill, the furniture maker or the store), what it is, and whether it contains intentionally added PFAS. Write the answer, or "unknown", on the questions sheet. A treatment sold as an add-on at the register is a separate product; ask for its name and its care instructions.

2. See it: Maya's sofa See it

• Sailrite, Understanding Upholstery Fabric Cleaning Codes: the common reading of W, S, W/S and X, with the pre-test step.
• ACT, Abrasion Disclaimer: why a rub count is not a lifespan, and what causes most fabric failures.
• California SB 1019 FAQ: the flame-retardant statement, with its exact wording and where it sits on the label.
• Revolution, Best Upholstery Fabric for Cats: a maker's own page on weave, claws and scratch-proof claims.

3. Practice: read one piece's tags Practice

Minimum: one sofa or chair: its cleaning code, fiber and any labels written on the installed register, and the stain-treatment question sent. Time: about 30 minutes. Materials: a flashlight, your phone's camera, and the installed register (or paper); for a piece you are choosing, the seller's spec sheet and the comparison sheet.

1. Find every tag. Lift each seat cushion, look on the deck and the frame underneath, and check the back of the piece. Photograph each tag before you read it.
2. Write the cleaning code. If it is a letter other than W, S, W/S or X, look up the maker's own meaning.
3. Write the fiber content. Use the percentages if they are given. If there is no fiber tag, write "unknown" and who might know.
4. Write each label as it reads. The flammability label's wording, the California statement and which line has the X, and any rub count with its test name (Wyzenbeek or Martindale).
5. Ask about a stain treatment. Send the seller or maker the questions from the stain treatments section, and add them to the questions sheet with today's date.

4. Your home Your home

5. Check your work Check your work

Criteria

• Does the sheet give the cleaning code exactly as the tag shows it, with the maker's meaning if it is not one of the four common codes?
• Does it give the fiber content, or "unknown" and who might know?
• Is any rub count written with its test name, and read as a minimum?
• Are the flammability and flame-retardant labels written as they read, or marked "none found"?
• Is the stain-treatment question sent, with the answer or "unknown"?

Worked example

Maya's installed register row reads: living room; sofa, used; cream woven; fiber unknown (ask previous owner); code S, solvent only, no water; flammability labels not yet checked; stain treatment unknown; Biscuit's scratching noted with a photo on the damage log. It passes the first-pass test: the code, the fiber line and the labels line are all filled in, two of them with "unknown" and a name. It does not say the fabric is durable or stain resistant, because nothing on the tag says so.

Common mistakes

• Treating S as "spot clean". S means solvent. Water on an S-coded fabric can leave rings, per American Leather.
• Reading a zipper as washable. NMSU says not to remove zippered cushion covers on upholstered furniture.
• Comparing a Martindale figure with a Wyzenbeek figure. They do not convert.
• Buying the higher rub count for longer life. ACT says twice the cycles is not twice the life, and repeat tests can vary by 60 percent.
• Reading the flammability label as fire-safe. It describes a cigarette test, not an open flame.
• Taking "performance" or "pet-friendly" as a rating. Neither has a standard behind it; ask which fiber and which finish.

What is still unresolved

What to do in the first minutes after a spill, code by code, is in Stains, damage and older homes, which also covers judging damage and when to call an upholsterer. Routine cleaning across every surface is in Cleaning by surface. Leather, faux leather and removable slipcovers are in Leather, faux leather and slipcovers. Whether a state's PFAS law covers a piece is for that state's agency, and health questions about flame retardants or PFAS are for EPA's pages and your clinician.

6. Knowledge check and scenario

Checklist

• The installed register or comparison sheet lists the piece's fiber, cleaning code and labels.
• I know what my cleaning code allows, and I checked the maker's meaning if it is not W, S, W/S or X.
• I asked whether a stain treatment was applied, and wrote the answer or "unknown".
• I tested swatches for a fabric I am choosing and added the routine to the care schedule. (Go deeper; optional)