Myth busting | Breaking the viscose barrier

Viscose is popular across the fashion apparel and interior soft furnishing industries due to the inherent characteristics which emulate natural fibres, while being more cost effective to produce.

In interior textiles, viscose fibre is typically used in either a blended yarn or as a mixed composition to ensure the strength and stability of the final product. Fabrics that contain viscose can have the same fabric dye processes, finishes, and printing applications as other natural fibres.

That being said, it is important to understand the inherent characteristics of this yarn to truly understand how it will perform in your home. As with all natural fibres, viscose has a unique personality which must be considered when determining the appropriate applications and care.

Based on historic incidences of poor quality viscose yarns, there is a common misconception that viscose is not appropriate for upholstery application. Despite this reputation, viscose is an extremely popular upholstery fibre due to its unrivalled soft, luxurious handle and subtle sheen.

When high quality viscose yarns are blended with natural and synthetic yarns the fabric’s durability is improved, whilst maintaining vicose's desirable soft handle. When used in constructions which yield a generous pile it needs to be viewed much like a velvet; anticipating that it will likely shade and sway over time but this is an inherent characteristic of a viscose pile and therefore should not be viewed as a product failure.

The appropriate maintenance of soft furnishings depends on the fibre content, type of weave, and the way in which the fabric has been coloured and finished. Proper care and maintenance will significantly improve the lifespan of the fabric, please take note of the care instructions provided with your fabric.

• Pile shading/sway marks will more often than not lift on their own or can be gently brushed and moved to reinvigorate the pile.
• We recommend a professional dry clean for compositions with a high percentage of viscose. We do not recommend to wash or spot clean with water these qualities, as there is a chance they could watermark.
• When upholsteries are unable to be washed or spot cleaned, a stain repellent finish can be applied to the fabric for ease of care.
• A quality lining is always recommended for drapery applications. 
• Due to the absorbent nature of the yarn there this likely to be some movement in curtain length. This occurs due to seasonal temperature change and the absorption and release of atmosphere moisture from the yarn. We recommend puddling the drape for a more relaxed aesthetic when using fabrics with a high natural or regenerated fibre content. The puddling amount is at the discretion of the manufacturer and client, however, a good base allowance would be 100mm over a 2000mm drop.