My perspective is from someone who does several hundred "spot-cleanings" a year. I tend to the the routine, "Food and body fluids" and the obscure -- ink, paint, makeup, markers, rust, etc. Earlier this year, I did several hundred restaurant chairs in a tech school's chef training program. (The word I got was "we had them cleaned 9 years ago and it didn't do much good." I got them pretty clean.) Most of what I see in terms of stain needs to be water cleaned. So: Rayon and Viscose are similar. They, particularly in chenille, will not tolerate any water contact. Even a splash from a water bottle will leave a stain. This is due to the way water causes loss of resiliency in the fibers. While it's not "soiled" it will appear lighter or darker in color. 100% cotton stains easily and cleans with difficulty. Many cleaners are too strong for it and the dyes (particularly dark red, green and blue) are often fugitive with light and water. I have seen lots of 100% cotton that were faded, fuzzed, and loaded with spots and all I can say is, "Sorry, I can't clean it." Because it is a staple fiber (fiber length measured in inches, not yards), it is prone to appearing "frosted" as the fibers break with use and abrasion. Silk ; fuggedaboudit. I once had a client that said, "I don't know what I was thinking ordering silk for dining chairs when I have grandchildren." It lasted approximately one meal before becoming permanently stained with gravy. Microfibers: I find these clean wonderfully. If you care for the look and feel, I'd recommend them. Beyond that, some fibers work well in certain weaves or fabrics, and some don't. Below are some paraphrased notes on various fibers: Acrylic Wear resistance across length low. End wear resistance very high, making it suitable for velvets and plushes. Soft feel in end-fiber. Highest of UV resistance due to added screen chemicals. High in price. Cotton Low in wear resistance, especially if not treated with fluorochemicals such as Fabri-Coate. Stains easily and cleans with difficulty. Suited for thin, delicate fabrics such as chinzes. Cool feel due to breathability. Not able to retain "new look" for long. Often found blended, such as with polyester. Nylon High cross fiber wear, low end fiber wear, so normally found in woven and not velvets. Can be formulated for various softness of feel. Full elastic recovery -- does not sag. Very common on auto upholstery and carpets. UV can cause some yellowing and frosting. Polyester AKA Dacron. Retains "new look" for long time. Excellent color and strength retention, even when exposed to UV. Low side flex resistance. Polypropelene AKA Olefin, Herculon. Low UV resistance. Strong and wear resistant. Excellent color retention. Low cost. Flexing can cause "fibrillation" (breaking into smaller diameter fibers, increasing light refraction and giving the appearance of color loss.) Rayon Low flex life, low wear in end or side fiber, "fuzzes" easily. Brilliant colors, excellent color retention, soft feel. Wool Very low in wear resistance. Natural look due to fiber scales. Warm. High price and allergenic. Basic fiber properties Fiber Abrasion Resistance (wear) Flex Life Color Retention (fade) Strength Feel (1=smooth, 10=harsh) Look (1=shiny, 10=Dull) Acrylic 5-10 4-5 10 10 4 1-10 Cotton 3 .3-.5 7-8 6 6 8 Dacron 7-8 4-5 9 9 1-10 1-8 Olefin 9.5 17 2 2-3 1 1 Nylon 10 20 3 7 1-10 3-10 Flex life = number of 90 degree bends x 1000 cycles Source: W. Lloyd Gheen, "Upholstery Techniques Illustrated" Here is a link that might be useful: And some technical information on rayon

I agree that JoAnn could be a good source for you. You may need to decide what it is you like about the fabric most...the flowers? the color palette? Most likely you can get close to one or the other, but perhaps not both. Or you may find you are better off going in a completely different direction. Sometimes I find when I'm stymied in one direction for whatever reason, I veer off to another, better one. These are from Joann's gensey cloud/mist graceful garden/birch

Thanks for the article, and the link within the article to the original research. I wish I had known this before I made all the masks I have to this point, but I plan on making more anyway. I read this a few weeks ago and it speaks to this subject, but the research article linked above was only published yesterday, so was not available for reference yet.

Two things to note thst i don’t see mentioned here. First, the upholstery durability test only measures thread breakage, not piling. Once two threads break, it failes. Anything above 40,000 rubs is contract grade and will last well in a residential setting. Secondly, any material that has a fiber content of more than 25% acrylic will pill. So I would never use Sunbrella on an indoor sofa. Acrylic is also not great for the environment in and of itself. But added to that, Sunbrella is coated with PFAS, which is what gives it its stain resistance (ditto Crypton). (I do understand that the EPA considers these types of chemicals safe, but most consumers do not realize these ”performance“ materials are even coated. People should know and make up their own minds as to its safety). The only thing Sunbrella is truly good at is color fastness because acrylic is solution dyed, mean meaning the color is in the liquid that is turned into the yarn that is woven into the fabic—the color goes all the way through the fiber, rather than garment or yarn-dyed where the color sits on top of the fiber. if you’re going with a light color, there’s literally no good reason to choose Sunbrella. There are far better options asthetically and environmentally.