To Slipcover or to Re-upholster

What’s the Difference?

Does it Really Matter?

Why Re-upholster?

good shape on the insideand all it needs is a fresh new fabric on the outside

Good Frame

good frames don't wear out

made of hardwood - oak, maple, ash, alder or mahogany

these woods are strong and enduring and the upholsterer can tell them by their weight

Lumpy or frayed

lumpy old sofa

frayed chair that's beginning to shed its stuffing

take another look before dismissing it as a "has been”

Needs work on the inside:

new webbingre-tied springsnew fillingsre-cushioning

Antique with wood or tufted

Curved furniture such as barrels or tub chairs

Recliners

Reclining sofas

To re-upholster is to

replace the attached fabric covering on furniture

Why Slipcover?

Update a worn looking sofa

Seasonal change

Easy to remove to clean

Change the style from one to another

Tufted, frayed or lumpy can be wrapped with an undergarment

Chaise with partial Undergarmet

Antique wood furniture

Chair in her underwearprior to slipcovering

Dining room chairs with an Undergarmet

Slipcovers Susan Day

Recliners depending on the chair and the fabric

Recliner after

Done by a student

Barrel or tub furniture

Sleeper sofas

Pull out bed withoutremoving the slipcover

Protect from high traffic or wear to the furniture

teenagers animals

young children

Lets Compare

Re-upholstery Needs a fresh new fabric

on the outside Can fix on the inside Good frame consider re-

upholstery Frayed or lumpy Antique wood furniture Tufted furniture Some curved furniture

such as barrel or tub some recliners Permanent change

attached to the furniture

Slipcovers Needs a fresh new fabric on the

outside Cannot fix the inside Good or bad frame can still be

slipcovered. Some frayed of lumpy can be

slipcovered wrapped in an under garment

Antique wood furniture some of the wood will be covered

Tufted will be covered, but slipcover can be mock tufted

Some curved or barrel furniture depends of the fabric chosen

Some recliners Removable for cleaning or

change of season or style

Yardage

Slipcovers usually use 2 – 2 ½ yds more than a re-upholstered item

Want to sell more fabric?

What are the best fabrics for a Slipcover?

The Best Fabric is……

?Whatever meets

your customers needs…

That Need IS

?

What is the Manufactures usual recommendation for

cleaning fabric?

Dry Clean Only

Why?

Can all Fabrics be Washed?

How would you know?

How would you find out?

Test…Test…Test…

½ yd of fabric

Cut into 3 equal sections

How will you test?

What are you looking for?

Who will Wash the Fabric?

Workroom

Client

Laundry

Can 18 yds of Fabric be Washed as 1 piece in a Washer?

YES

NO

Instructions for Washing Fabric

Cut into 3yd (108”) or4yd (144”)Pieces.

Serge the edges only if the fabric will unravel while washing.

Wash in the same manner from the results of the testing that was done.

Fabric must be totally saturated. Front loading home washers may not meet this need. Big Boy at the laund-ermat work well.

Dry according to result of the tests. Refrain from using dryer sheet they are toxic to the environment.

Some fabrics such as cotton may need to be washed more than once to shrink complet-ly.

Alternative to Dryer Sheets Dryer Balls  

Designed to reduce drying time and soften fabrics without the use of chemical fabric softeners, Dryer Balls are an eco-friendly solution to landfill-clogging dryer sheets and chemical-laden liquid softeners.

As your wet laundry tumbles in the dryer, these bumpy balls lift and separate fabric to make it soft and fluffy, and allow air to flow more efficiently — proven to make ironing easier, decrease lint and reduce drying time up to 25% in independent testing.

Go to:www.recyclewithkbkathome.com/recycled-products.html

Then click on Eco-Living at Gaiam

Dry Cleaners

If we do not want to wash a fabric then our alternative is to vacuum the furniture or to Dry Clean.

What do we know about Dry Cleaning?

There are over 30,000 dry cleaning facilities for you to choose from in the United States, but 95 percent of them use the toxic chemical perchloroethylene (perc) as the primary cleaning solvent.

Exposure to perc is a significant risk to the workers who dry clean the clothes, and it's also a health risk to you and the loved ones who share your home. Once you get the dry-cleaned clothes home, they continue to off-gas perc into the air in your abode.

30,000 dry cleaning facilities

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences states that: "Short-term exposure to PERC can cause adverse health effects on the nervous system that include dizziness, fatigue, headaches, sweating, in coordination, and unconsciousness.

Long-term exposure can cause liver and kidney damage." The International Association for Research on Cancer classifies perc as a probable carcinogen.

Fortunately, there are healthier (and greener) dry-cleaning alternatives.

Industry Trends

The demand for environmentally safe products has increased in recent years as a result of government regulations and greater consumer awareness of environmental issues.

Wet Cleaning

This is a system that uses biodegradable soap and water. Computer-controlled dryers and stretching machines ensure that the fabric retains its natural size and shape. Wet cleaning can purportedly clean 99.9% of "dry clean only" garments safely, including leather; suede; most tailored woolens, silks and rayon's. (Neckties seem to be the one exception.)

Silicone and Liquid CO2 Solvents

Relatively new approaches to dry cleaning have been developed based on both liquid carbon dioxide (usually obtained as a recycled byproduct of other industrial processes) and silicone. Dry cleaners using these solvents are currently few in number.

Alternative Petroleum Solvents

This is more like standard dry cleaning, but the processes use alternative hydrocarbon solvents such as Exxon D-2000 or Chevron-Phillips' EcoSolv.

Check with cleaners in your area—at least one is likely to offer perc-free cleaning services.

www.GreenEarthCleaning.com is a good place to start.

For more information about Dry Cleaninghttp://recyclewithkbkathome.blogspot.com/search?q=dry+cleaning

What do you think we should do

with the following pieces of furniture?

Help…….

More Slipcovers

Waterfall Mock Box Pleated

Scalloped Skirt

Overlap Skirt

Poodle Skirt

Dressmaker Waterfall Skirt

Knife edge cushion on seat

Banded Self Faced Skirt

Mock Boxed Pleated Skirt

Triangle Skirt

Resources http://science.howstuffworks.com/dry-cleaning.htm

http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/environmental/200603percholorethylene-pt2.html

http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/02-10/dry-cleaning-alternatives-eco.htm

http://www.rogards.com/ugly

http://www.norwoodmall.com/ugly

Karen Erickson www.slipcovernetwork.com slipcovernetwork@gmail.com 800-267-4958

Directory of Slipcover Professionals

Slipcover Press Quarterly Publication

Slipcover Summit 2007 Boston (Waltham)Annual educational opportunity for Slipcover Professionals.