Eco leather for sofas - the pros and cons of using
Leather furniture is always stylish and personable. Different types of leatherette have long become an alternative to natural leather - vinyl, modified leather, artificial leather, eco-leather.
Visually, all types of leather substitutes are similar to natural, but not all of them correspond in their qualities. And what eco-leather for furniture is, has long been understood and appreciated by experts - it is a synthetic material that has all the qualities of its natural counterpart, and surpasses it in some performance characteristics.
What is eco-leather for furniture
It should be noted that eco-leather material has been developed and produced by the industry recently, much later than other leatherette.
The developers were faced with the task of providing a new material that meets the requirement of environmental friendliness, as close as possible to natural, free from the disadvantages that were seen in its predecessors.
The preference was given to a cotton base (less often they use polyester, split leather), on which a special polyurethane coating is applied, which has a porous structure and does not contain harmful plasticizers and PVC.
In order to increase resistance to wear and environmental factors, a Teflon layer is applied to some samples.
Advantages and disadvantages of eco-leather for furniture
The very name of the ECO material indicates that this substitute for natural leather meets the requirement of environmental friendliness.
- According to a special manufacturing technology, the outer coating of eco-leather, being synthetic, still has pores, “breathes”, but does not emit hazardous substances and chemical odors into the environment. This allows it to be used in the production of office furniture, home sofas, and even baby cots and strollers.
- Although the material has micropores, it does not allow moisture, mites, and dust to pass through.
- Eco-leather is resistant to abrasion, it can withstand repeated stretching without cracking, which is very important for upholstered furniture.
- This material can withstand temperatures down to -35 and direct sunlight, without fading, without losing its elasticity.
- The cover is light and does not weigh down the furniture.
- Contamination from such a surface is easily removed, eco-leather care is simple and does not require expensive special products or dry cleaning.
- With excellent characteristics, the price of eco-leather is much lower than that of natural leather and its other analogues.
There are not so many disadvantages of eco-leather:
- Still, this is not genuine leather, and it does not correspond to ambitious requests to have 100% natural materials around it.
- The porous surface of the material easily absorbs paint, ink or dirt. If the dirt is easy to wash, then traces from a pen or felt-tip pen can not always be removed.
- For some, touching a sofa with a leather surface is unpleasant - especially at home, in the cold season. It is uncomfortable to sleep on some types of eco-leather, as the bed linen will simply slide off the surface of the furniture.
Note! If there are animals in the house, the coating may suffer from their sharp claws and teeth.
What sofas look like with eco-leather
Sofas with an outer cover made of eco-leather look stylish and very cozy. This elastic material creates the effect of "chubby furniture", which makes it visually attractive and comfortable to use - "soft as a cloud."
This leather counterpart can be of several types, from glossy and smooth to porous and matte. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, but experts recommend buying glossy sofas for the office so that it is easier to take care of them, and matte samples, which are tactilely warmer and not so slippery, are more suitable for home comfort.
Interior use
Having decided that eco leather with such properties is indispensable on upholstered furniture, it is important to correctly beat it in the interior for a harmonious atmosphere.
- In the living room, the eco-leather sofa will be the central object, it will fit into any style, perfectly complemented by decorative pillows. Traditionally, the sofa and armchairs have the same design.
- A small eco-leather sofa with a shoe box will comfortably fit into the hallway.
- Eco-leather sofas and chairs for the kitchen are the best solution, since ease of care of furniture is a priority for housewives.
- Eco-leather sofas in car interiors are an indicator of their belonging to the premium class.
Eco-leather care rules
- Removal of dust and small dirt from furniture surfaces is carried out with a slightly damp cloth.
- Remove noticeable dirt with soap foam (baby or laundry soap) by wiping with a damp cloth.
- In order to improve the moisture-proof qualities of the furniture coating, once a year, you can rub its surface with moisture-repellent agents for leather clothing.
- Stubborn stains and dirt can be removed by holding a napkin impregnated with ammonia on the surface, then wiping the furniture with a damp cloth.
- To remove stubborn stains and stubborn stains, you can purchase special stain removers for eco-leather in the household chemicals department.
Video: how to distinguish eco-leather from other materials
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