I know that this tread is a bit old, but thought I would toss in some input. Simplyjeff is right on. Sinuous is NOT a quality compromise. My family has been in the furniture business for over 40 years and we have had major accounts with all types of suppliers especially those in foam and coils. I have actually toured a coil factory in NC that makes a "fake" 8 way hand tie coil simply because people ask for it, but the truth is that coils are good enough now that they don't need to be tied. Here is the long and short of it. Some people only carry lines with 8 way hand ties, that is fine, but they will only promote that as "The" way to make furniture. It is like using a rotary telephone when you have a cell phone in your pocket. It will work, won't drop a call, but when it comes down to it, it basically does the same thing. The major issue with sinuous is how it is installed. If it is installed correctly, i.e. the number of coils per sq in, the gauge and secured then it will not fail. There is a reason that some call it "No Sag." Because it will not sag. When it comes down to comfort a lot of that has to do with the density and IFD of the foam that you are selecting for your core/wrap of your cushions. One person stated above that quality=weight, but then mentioned MDF wood. Quality and MDF should never be in the same sentence when it comes to furniture. Whether it be kiln dried or air dried woods, hardwood is the best way to go when constructing a frame. Some companies use pressed wood to cut cost and still charge you 3k for a chair because they have a brand name and sell through retailers who all need to make a markup on each piece to make it worth their time. We use sinuous in almost all of our seating applications, so I may be the other side of the bias, however the in 40 years we have been in business, the number of issues we have with seat failures is basically less than 1%. Tankertoad, I saw that you were talking about foam density, 2.0 is a great density, but also check the IFD which is the amount of weight it takes to compress typically 25% of the capacity of the foam, sometimes they give you the 75% number as well. The quality of foam is just as more important as deciding whether 8 way or sinuous is the way to go. General rule of thumb 1.8 and above on density in sufficient and over 30 IFD is typical for residential use. 10/90 down is great if down is your thing, 5/95 down is also fine if that is what you are looking for. Down cushions and back pillows are what they are. They are going to be soft and have a great feel, but they will need fluffing from time to time. You will lose fill capacity much quicker with down than you will with a softer density foam wrap over time but this is really a preference thing. We can achieve the same crowing and appearance with foam as with down, and it will last longer. Typically high end foam only will shrink less than 5% over 10 years. Overview, you asked the right questions. There is no sense covering a "bad" frame in expensive fabric. It is like putting lipstick on a pig. Still a pig. But as far as Sinuous vs 8 Way, both work, it is more of a feel thing and honestly if you are feeling those coils then the foam selection is incorrect. Either way you should never "bottom out" in either. You should never feel the bottom of your seat. Coils will wear out faster than sinuous. It is a spring and springs wear. That is a fact! When it comes to selecting down, again a preference thing, just make sure that you realize that it will need some routine upkeep, but that in a standard 3 cushion maybe 86" length sofa with typical seat depths you are looking at a 1k to 1500 upgrade at retail costs. But if you like chardonnay then drink chardonnay. This is your choice. The main reason that we choose to use sinuous is because of consistency. You get a much more consistent seat surface over the span of your sofa, especially if you are looking at a matching loveseat or chair. If you use the same gauge and same number over same area you get the same seat. This may be harder to achieve with 8 way as the number of coils may need to be reduce or a smaller gauge may need to be used in order to "fit" the drop in unit in the seat deck. I hope that this information helps, maybe for future furniture selection. Remember the questions you asked are the right ones and need to be answered when you are looking at selecting your furniture. When it comes to warranties, I always remember "Tommy Boy" the movie. "Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your customer's sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product from me." My Best

Here's what I was told yesterday by a furniture salesperson (older man who had been told it by a rep). Dont know how right or wrong he is. Rayon is super strong and good in a blend. He says the bad rep Rayon has especially with women is from cheaply made 100% rayon dresses, especially in the early 90s. He said that rayon was made with acetate or something which breaks down the fiber so people got really unhappy with with it. The Rayon in furniture is not made with acetate. He also said viscose is the generic name for Rayon which is a brand name. He also said Olefin was almost like nylon, hard to stain, very durable but felt awful especially after some wear because of its nylon almost metal like properties. Hard to stain because the stuff is so impervious they have to use special techniques just to get it to take a dye which is why you only see olefin in a limited number of colors. I think that a blend of poly and rayon with maybe a touch of cotton for a nice feel would be good. With the kids maybe no cotton. I don't understand the negativity about cotton. Jeans are cotton, they last forever. You don't want all cotton, it stretches. But I don't think cotton is bad. Thats just my take.

Hi Jockewing, I found the information following on the eHow.com site. An option not mentioned below is spot remover from a carpet cleaning company. I have some from Chem-Dry, which says it can be used on upholstery also, after testing it in a hidden area. (BTW, I still have a half-bottle of Aero Spot Remover, which is trichloroethylene, but I'm keeping it. LOL) How to Purchase Dry Cleaning Solvent for Upholstery Cleaning 1. Upholstery, such as the fabric used on couches, loveseats, chairs and recliners, can be tricky when it comes to removing stains, residue or marks on the fabric surface. Always blot up any stains or liquids as soon as possible with a clean, soft cloth. Further cleaning can be done with dry cleaning solvent, especially if the fabric tag has a cleaning code of "S", indicating that dry cleaning solvent is the best way to remove stains. There are a number of places to purchase the solvent. Stop by your local furniture retailer, particularly the retailer where the upholstery was purchased, if possible. Ask if they sell dry cleaning solvent that will remove stains from upholstery. 2. Look at hardware or home repair stores for dry cleaning solvent in the cleaning supply section of the store. 3. Visit local dry cleaning shops and ask if they sell the solvent. Explain the type of upholstery you are attempting to clean and ask if they have any additional stain-removal tips. 4. Purchase dry cleaning solvent online. In the search engine field, type "upholstery safe dry cleaning solvent" to view online retailers that sell dry cleaning solvent appropriate for use on upholstery. Water-free solvents are typically the best type of dry cleaning solvent for cleaning upholstery. Dab a small amount of the dry cleaning solvent onto the stain and blot gently until the stain is gone. Perform a test on an inconspicuous area of the upholstery with the dry cleaning solvent to check for staining or other discoloration before removing stains. Here is a link that might be useful: How to Purchase Dry Cleaning Solvent

I have two of the Lane outdoor wicker rockers on our screened porch. The cushions for them were very expensive when we purchased them in 2000. The fabric is supposedly not drycleanable or washable. We've kept them relatively clean, however, by keeping them under roof (porch or lanai) and by using a mixture of Dawn and water, with a bit of Lysol thrown in, too. First we vacuum the cushions with the upholstery brush. Then, spray the cushions all over with a light spray of 409 or Fantastic (extra on the spots). Then we dip a white terry washcloth into the cleaning bucket, wring it about half, and clean each side of the cushion. You may have to go over them two or three times if they are really dirty. We rinse the cloth in a separate bucket of clear water. If you do this about twice a year, your cushions will be clean without fading. You have to pay close attention to piping and the sides of box cushions, and we usually dry them in the sun. While they are drying we vacuum and clean the actual chair, so that the clean cushion goes back into a clean chair. If they are really dirty you can take them out in the yard and beat them until a lot of the dust is either out or brought to the surface, and then vaccum and clean. You can use a brush to get into the area around the piping, if that has been neglected for a long time.