What’s the Rub on the Double Rub?

The difference between durability and cleanability. All fabrics are not created equal.  Different fibers, dye methods, patterns and construction all factor into the quality, durability and cleanability of a textile. Additionally, furniture type and traffic area of the home must be considered. For help, designers turn to the common specifications for a fabric – colorfastness to light, cleaning codes, flammability and abrasion resistance for guidance.

In our work, we find that abrasion resistance is one of the most misunderstood specifications on a fabric and can lead to some costly mistakes and unhappy clients down the road.

Abrasion resistance measures ‘rubs’ or ‘double rubs’ which measures in a laboratory setting how many rubs it takes for the yarns of a fabric to literally break. What it doesn’t tell you is how a fabric appears as it ages, how it reacts to stains and soils (even water!), or how cleanable it is.

Let’s take rayon chenille, for example.  You may be tempted to select this fabric for a high trafficked area in the home because of its high double rub rating. Yes, it is durable because it is made from a strong yarn.  Yet, those yarns have a tendency to lay flat and develop spots that are accentuated by the lusters in the yarns.  So, while the fabric may not wear out quickly, it will look worn from average use.  And, the abrasion resistance does not take into account clean-ability. Spots and spills are difficult to remove from this type of fabric, and can further damage the fabric, detracting from the overall look of the room. 

We are here to help you choose fabrics that will represent your designs for years to come. Feel free to send us samples that you are considering or pictures of the textile labels and we will help advise you appropriately. 

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