The Best Cotton Fabrics for Upholstery – Plus, Free Fabric Samples
Buying a new sofa, armchair or chaise longue for your home is no small decision. What colour? What fabric? What size? You can spend hours scrolling through websites for the perfect sofa, and even when you’ve found the dream one, you haven’t even sat in it.
That’s where we come in. We have a selection of more than 100 fabrics and you can order up to eight free fabrics samples to see them in situ. If you’re upholstering family heirlooms in a new fabric, this is a great way to start making a decision.
In our fabric series, we’ve already looked at leather, print fabrics and woven fabrics. So what about different types of cotton fabrics? Let’s see if we can find your perfect match.
What Is Cotton Fabric And How Is It Made?
Natural cotton comes from the fibres around the seeds of a cotton plant. Once the seeds mature, cotton emerges in a round, fluffy form. These are then picked, any dirt or debris are removed, and the fibres are then spun into threads to be used in weaving for fabrics.
Where Do We Source Our Cotton Fabrics From?
All our house fabrics are sourced directly from third- and fourth-generation European mills. And we work hard to ensure that these materials are easy to care for so that they can be enjoyed by busy households for many years.
4 Best Ways To Care For Cotton Upholstery
You might be crying over spilt milk on your loveseat or perhaps you dropped a TV dinner on your corner sofa. Don’t lose hope. There are plenty of ways to look after and clean up cotton fabrics.
- Vacuum regularly: Use a soft brush attachment to hoover your cotton sofa regularly, including the cushions and crevices. This helps remove dust, dirt, and debris that can accumulate and cause premature wear.
- Dab at spillages: Act quickly when it comes to a stain. Blot the area with a clean cloth or paper towel to absorb as much of the liquid as possible. Don’t rub or scrub the stain as this can damage the fabric and make the mark worse.
- Follow the cleaning label: If in doubt, read the care label instructions on your sofa. The guidelines on there will tell you whether you can wash your cotton upholstery in the washing machine, iron it or dry clean.
Order Free Fabric Swatches
You can see all our fabric samples online. However, some colours on screen may differ to the colours in real life, so we always recommend ordering our samples. You can request up to eight free fabric swatches to any UK address. Simply enter your details in the form online and wait for the delivery.
Why Are Cotton Fabrics So Good For Upholstery?
Organic cotton and cotton blends are a great choice for furniture, from corner sofas to footstools. Don’t know why? Let us tell you:
- Durability and strength: Cotton can withstand everyday use, so whether you want to use it on a cushion in the guest bedroom or for your family sofa that seats the dogs and the kids, you won’t need to worry. We measure durability with the Martindale rub test, which calculates how hardwearing the material is. The perimeters for this test range from around 10,000 for light and occasional use to 50,000 or more for heavy duty use.
- Breathable and comfortable: Cotton is a lovely light-weight fabric and is soft to the touch, making it ideal for a long Sunday relaxation session.
- Easy to clean and maintain: Worried about chocolate stains or occasional spillages? More often than not, cotton can be chucked into the washing machine, which makes it very useful if you have a lively household.
- Blended cotton can last longer: 100% cotton fabric can be made more robust if it’s blended with different materials, such as polyester or nylon.
Choose From These Love Your Home Cotton Fabrics
Which one, which one? That’s a good question. We offer cotton fabrics in different styles, colours and textures. Take a look at some of the plain cottons we stock below and then order some free samples to help you decide.
LYH Recycled Cotton
For our recycled cotton, we’ve mixed our cotton with acrylic to make sure it lasts longer and is easier to look after. Our recycled cotton is made from 80% offcuts from the fashion industry, saving hugely on wasted material, water usage and carbon emissions. The cotton is also double brushed, which means it is softer to the touch. The combination of cotton and acrylic ensures that this fabric is particularly hard wearing with a Martindale rub test of 50,000. It comes in four gentle, muted colours for a relaxed but sophisticated look. Do not bleach, iron or tumble dry. Instead you can put the fabric on a gentle machine wash or dry clean.
- Martindale rub test: 50,000
- Gentle machine wash at 30 degrees
- Composition: 80% recycled cotton, 20% acrylic
Studio Soft Linen Cotton
Fancy a bright pop of colour? Then our Studio Soft Linen Cotton blend might be the one for you. There are more than 15 colours to choose from. There’s a bright Citron yellow, a refreshing green, a cool mint or an eye-popping pinky-red Cerise. Once again, this is one of our more durable fabrics with a mix of materials, so it’s perfect for busy households filled with kids or pets. What’s more, you can chuck the covers on a delicate machine wash and give them a warm iron afterwards. Dreamy!
- Martindale rub test: 50,000
- Gentle machine wash at 30 degrees
- Composition: 49% viscose, 24% cotton, 17% linen, 10% modal
