PET FRIENDLY UPHOLSTERY FABRIC

Choosing the most sensible pet friendly upholstery fabric for a home shared with cats and dogs can be daunting. Obviously, pet hair can be a major nuisance. But hair is not the only type of havoc our pets can wreak on our furniture. Scratching, chewing, and drooling are always a possibility. Add urine, feces, and vomit and it becomes clear the type of upholstery fabric a responsible pet owner chooses will help to determine how comfortably the owner and the pets are able to share the same space. 

Pets require a long-term commitment from us. If we carefully choose the type of pet friendly upholstery fabric that will stand up well to their natural instincts, we will go a long way towards providing them a home we all can share comfortably and one we can be proud to entertain family and friends in as well.

CHOOSING PET FRIENDLY UPHOLSTERY FABRIC

One of the most important points to consider when looking for pet friendly upholstery fabric is the tightness of the weave. The tighter the weave, the easier it will be to remove pet hair and the hair does not get embedded. Scratch marks are also fairly easy to brush off or buff out. Spills usually bead up before being absorbed by the fabric, making them easier to clean. Tighter weaves are also much more durable than more open or larger weaves and they don't tend to fray and wear as easily.

Additionally, if new upholstery has a fabric tag or label (on the decking which holds the cushions), check the cleaning codes. S is for solvent or dry cleaning, W is for water-based cleaning, and S-W can be cleaned with either dry or wet cleaning. An X means the fabric can only be vacuumed. Your choice for a pet friendly fabric should be the W code.

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN SEEKING PET FRIENDLY UPHOLSTERY FABRIC

PET HAIR

• How will pet hair show up on the upholstery?
• Will the color of the hair be an unsightly contrast to the color of the fabric?
• Will the hair just land on the item or get embedded in the weave? 
• How hard will it be to remove the hair that lands on the upholstery?

CLEANABILITY

• How will dog oils affect the fabric's appearance and durability?
• How easy will it be to keep the fabric clean?
• Will it show spots and stains?

DURABILITY

• How durable is the fabric?
• Will it fray or wear easily?
• Will the fabric show scratch marks?

COMMON UPHOLSTERY FABRIC TYPES

MICROFIBER

Microfiber is recommended as an excellent choice for a pet friendly upholstery fabric because of its extremely tight weave. Denier is the unit that measures the tightness of a knit, and microfibers are smaller than 1 denier. Microfiber (sometimes known as Ultrasuede, Microsuede, or Faux Suede) is manufactured from a combination of synthetic fibers, but it is the tightness of the weave that makes it extremely easy to clean and maintain with animals in the home.

NOTE: Microfiber made from Polyester fibers is not as long-lasting as regular Polyester fabrics. Microfiber fabric made from nylon is much more durable but not as easy to find.

Hair can be removed with a lint brush and spots can be cleaned up with a water-based cleaner. Pet claws are less likely to cause damage. Microfiber comes in a wide variety of colors and is also soft to the touch, making it a very desirable upholstery fabric in general.

For those who are allergic or sensitive to cat dander, Microfiber is so dense these allergens can be vacuumed away before guests arrive at your home.

LEATHER

Leather is also a very good choice for a pet friendly upholstery fabric. It does not attract pet hair and if some does get on it, it will wipe off easily with a dust cloth. It resists stains, wear, and tear and is always elegant looking. If scratching is a problem with your pet, you may want to look into purchasing

distressed leather, which will help to hide scratches. Be aware that Leather is not immune to puncture holes (such as from cats' claws) which may cause larger tears or rips over time.

Leather is expensive and sometimes requires special cleaning procedures to prevent discoloration and fading. There are many different types of leather. For pet households, look for Finished or Semi-Aniline leather. Because of the topical applications it receives during the finishing process, it is the type of leather with the highest range of uses, especially suited to the automotive, aviation, and marine markets. General maintenance of this type of Leather would be to occasionally wipe it down with a damp cloth. Read here for more information about Leather.

WOOL

Although Wool is an expensive choice, it is definitely a pet friendly upholstery fabric. Although natural fibers such as wool are durable and resilient, they do absorb stains more quickly than man-made fabrics. On the other hand, they will clean up more easily and with better results. An advantage Wool has is that it is naturally flame retardant. CAUTION: Never use bleach on a wool fabric!

NYLON

Nylon is a pet friendly upholstery fabric option. Even though it may tend to wrinkle, it will resist most stains, wear, and fading (unless it is in direct sunlight). Since it is synthesized from petroleum, oil-based stains may be more difficult to remove. It is a less expensive option and comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Nylon is often blended with other fibers.

ACRYLIC

Please continue reading here for more information on how to choose a pet friendly upholstery fabric for your needs, including how to remove pet hair, scratches, urine, drooling, and feces from upholstery fabric as well as tips for general upholstery maintenance in homes with pets.

STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER

Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864) is considered one of our country’s most famous 19^th century composers, 'the father of American music,' and the first professional American composer. He wrote over 200 folk songs and instrumental compositions about the America of his era, some of which remain popular today. It is possible that he may be the most recognizable American composer in other countries as well.

Up until the 1960s, school children learned the songs written by Foster. These included 'Old Folks at Home' (Swanee River),'Oh! Susanna,' 'My Old Kentucky Home,' 'Beautiful Dreamer,' 'Camptown Races,' and 'Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair.'

Unfortunately, some of Stephen Collins Foster's lyrics, though generally accepted in his time, are considered racist in today’s America, which has had the effect of limiting the playing of some of his music.

STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER SONGS

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The compositions of Stephen Collins Foster were the first genuinely American-themed songs, depicting the love of home, the American temperament, river life and work, politics, battlefields, slavery, and plantation life.

Composers in Foster’s era did not own copyrights on their music. They either produced songs while under contract to a music producer or sold individual songs to them outright, usually for a pittance.

Most of Foster’s handwritten music manuscripts have been lost because he usually sent his handwritten scores directly to his publishers. These publishers kept the sheet music manuscripts. They did not give them to libraries or return them to his heirs. However, editions of his songs issued by the publishers of his day can be found in many collections.

His poems and melodies were written in a simple manner with very little musical embellishment or complexity. Many of his songs had Southern themes, yet he had never lived in the South and only visited it once.

'Oh! Susanna' was written by Foster when he was 21 and it launched his career. That song became the anthem for the California Gold Rush. 'My Old Kentucky Home' was adopted as the state song of Kentucky in 1928. 'Old Folks at Home,' also known as 'Swanee River' became the state song of Florida in 1935.

Many early filmmakers used Foster’s songs for their work since there were no copyrights and they could use them at no cost. Just one very famous example of this was the 1949 film, Mighty Joe Young, when the main character is able to calm her pet 12-foot-tall gorilla by playing Foster’s 'Beautiful Dreamer.'

STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER BIOGRAPHY

CHILDHOOD

Although there are many biographies written on Stephen Collins Foster, the details tend to differ widely. The reason for this is that his brother destroyed much of the information that he felt would reflect negatively upon the family after the death of his brother, Stephen.

We do know he was born on July 4, 1826, in a small village east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a family that was politically and socially prominent. He had 3 older sisters and six older brothers.

The Foster family generated significant wealth and status from the exploitation of enslaved laborers. Thus, although his family lived in the North, they did not support the abolition of slavery. The family profited greatly from cotton picked by enslaved blacks in the South. One brother, Dunning, was a partner in a steamship company in Cincinnati, Ohio, and shipped goods along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Another brother, Morrison, in Pittsburgh, supplied Dunning with many contracts to ship cotton to Pittsburgh’s cotton factories.

Since the family was for a time members of the elite in Pittsburgh, they employed servants that were lower in social standing to do the chores normally left for the children. This left free time for the children to spend attending school and making music. Stephen attended several private academies in Pennsylvania and even spent a brief time at what is now Washington & Jefferson College.

From his earliest childhood, Stephen Collins Foster showed extraordinary talent. He taught himself how to play the clarinet, guitar, flute, and piano. At 10 he performed popular comic songs with a group of local boys. Foster’s neighborhood included many European immigrants, and he was used to hearing the music of the German, Italian, Scots-Irish, and English. He studied the songs circulating in America during the 1820s, 30s, and 40s which included American minstrel songs, German lieder, Irish melodies, Scottish ballads, English pleasure garden sings, Italian opera, and African American religious music.

Although he had no formal instruction in composition, a music dealer in Pittsburgh helped him with this and encouraged him. He composed his first song at age 14, entitled the 'Tioga Waltz.' His first published song was 'Open thy Lattice Love.' At 18, he began composing blackface minstrel songs. These were the melodies that made him famous and ultimately caused him to be criticized as racist.

Please continue reading here for information on the rest of the life of Stephen Collins Foster as well as the answer to the question of whether he was a racist and more information about his songs and his accolades.

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