But buy a big-ticket item like a sofa and visions of large, dark, irremovable spots hit hard when the sofa gets delivered. It was probably such sobering moments that fueled the plastic slip covering business in the 1950s. After all, home is a refuge from our overly scheduled lives, where we can take pleasure in habits such as sinking into the sofa eating a pint of ice cream right from the carton. Eating while comfortably settled onto the sofa and watching TV ranks right up there. When it comes to shopping, whether for a sofa at IKEA or a Flexsteel Gallery store or for sofa fabric at an upholstery shop or Lee Jofa showroom, fabric is selected for its eye-catching appeal and touch.
Most people have no intention of tiptoeing around it.
Then again, people doesn't exactly expect to trip over a shoe and splash cranberry juice all over their fabrics, like Terrell Allen, vice president of design for Pearson, an upscale furniture company, did in his redecorated bedroom. I was lucky that the juice didn't hit the draperies that weren't treated. All fabrics used on Pearson upholstery must have Scotchgard protection applied at the fabric mill. Considering that Scotchgard protection can be used on almost everything from apparel-weight silks to chenille tapestries, as well as carpet, shoes and clothing, it is easy to understand why there are more than 75 formulations. Each is carefully designed for particular fibers, fabrics and application methods to ensure the best possible protection.