Shoreline fabrics tend to be durable cotton, polyester, linen and performance fabrics which work well in a slipcovered construction. Although it is recommended to have slipcovers dry-cleaned to ensure long life, many of the fabrics have been pre-washed which allow the slipcovers to be machine washed. Slipcovers also include fit allowances to support washable slipcovers. Dry-Clean Only fabrics and slipcovers with contrast welts are not suitable for machine washing.

Fabrics are offered in different grades. Lower grades tend to be solid colors in cotton or cotton blends. Printed patterns, advanced treatment fabrics, and linen blends have higher grades. Linens, solution dyed acrylic fabrics and advanced treatment linens are the highest grades. Fabric grade is not necessarily an indication of fabric life and durability.

Washable fabrics: Cottons, cotton blends, and linens are prewashed and machine washable. All polyester fabrics, Sunbrella and other solution dyed acrylic fabrics can not be prewashed and are not machine washable. All fabrics are coded as washable or dry clean only. A fabric care code is also included in each fabric with detailed care instructions for each fabric care code.

Performance fabrics: Performance fabrics can be divided into two broad groups: solution dyed acrylic fabrics (like Sunbrella) and advanced fabric treatment processes to improve the performance of traditional fabric materials.

Solution dyed acrylic fabrics: Stain, Liquid, UV, Fade Resistant. Bleach cleanable.

Acrylic fabrics are durable, high-performance synthetic fabrics made from acrylic fibers. They have some advantages including lower specific gravity, mildew-resistant properties and an ability to manage moisture. To add color and enhance fabric performance, acrylic fibers can be solution-dyed.

When something is solution-dyed it means that the color dye is added during the liquid stage prior to being cooled, and then it is spun into yarn. In essence, the color is actually part of the actual fibers produced. Solution-dyed material is dyed through the entire thread, whereas stock-dyed material is only dyed on the outside. Solution-dyed fabrics will hold their color longer due to the entire thread being dyed.

The benefits of solution dyed fibers aren’t immediately apparent. You might not notice any difference between them and their vat dyed peers unless you look under a microscope. However, in practical use, their value becomes clear. Because the color saturates each entire fiber and thread, it’s almost impossible to fade or bleach it away. Solution dyed acrylic fabrics are some of the most colorfast in the textile industry. They’re ideal for healthcare and foodservice applications because you can clean them with harsh, germ-killing substances like diluted chlorine bleach without losing their vibrancy. They’re also ideally suited for outdoor use in both residential and commercial settings. Piece dyed fabrics such as cotton, polyester and linen start to fade almost immediately after sun or water exposure, but solution dyed fabrics stay bright and cheery through every season. In the past, solution dyed fabrics were typically not as luminous as yarn-dyed fabrics, but they’ve come a long way. Today’s solution dyed fabrics are rich and vibrant enough to rival the brightest surface colored alternatives easily.

Popular brand names: Sunbrella, Outdura, Inside Out, Fortress

Advanced Fabric Treatments: Stain and Liquid Resistant

Yarn and fabric manufacturers have been developing better fabric production and treatment processes to enhance the stain and liquid resistance performance of traditional cotton, polyester and linen fabrics. This allows upholstery and slipcover companies to offer all the benefits of traditional fabrics – color, pattern, look, feel – but with better application performance. These treatments are built into the fabric and are superior to after the fact fabric protection processes.

Popular brand names: Crypton, Defend, Breathe