What is flock?

When choosing a sofa, buyers pay attention not only to its design features, but also to the upholstery fabric. Many examples of upholstered furniture are covered with soft luxurious fabric - flock. Read on to learn about all the secrets of this fabric, its advantages and disadvantages, and care rules.

What kind of material is flock?

That's what they call it canvas that has a one-sided velvety surface with thick fibers glued to a fabric base. The term flock comes from the English word meaning fluff. It is widely used primarily as furniture upholstery with excellent characteristics and an affordable price.

Important! The fabric has a soft, fleecy outer layer that is very pleasant to the tactile sensation. Furniture upholstered in flock looks stylish and respectable.

How did he appear?

Even in ancient China, cut textile fibers were placed on a material coated with resin, decorating the fabric with designs.The method that is used now was invented in the USA in the middle of the 20th century in order to find a use for the accumulated waste from the production of textile fabrics.

How is it made?

Modern flock production is called electroflocking, it consists of several stages:

• a thin layer of adhesive is applied to the woven base;
• fluff is ejected from the top of the hopper. Due to electrification, they fall on the material in a strictly vertical position and are located very close to each other, evenly covering the resulting fabric;
• This is followed by the process of painting (sometimes it precedes the entire technological chain) and processing of the material with special compounds that improve performance characteristics and add shine to the pile.

Types of flock depending on composition

There is a classification of fabric according to the raw materials from which the material is made. The flock could be as follows:

1. mixed. This type has universal properties and is the most popular in the consumer market. It consists of nylon pile and a cotton-synthetic base made of cotton, polyester, polyamide or viscose. Natural and artificial fibers are in a 1:2 ratio;
2. cotton It is inexpensive, but has low performance properties: poor wear resistance, prone to pile abrasion and getting wet. Used only for decorative purposes or short-term use;
3. polyamide. It has good performance characteristics, softness, and excellent appearance. The fibers do not wrinkle or wear out. An easily dyed material, but resistant to ultraviolet radiation, which causes fading of the fabric.Finds popularity in furniture upholstery, and when placed away from sunlight it can last a very long time;
4. polyester. It has all the positive qualities of polyamide flock, is not afraid of UF rays, but does not stain well, so it has a limited selection of dark colors;
5. polypropylene. An inexpensive type of flock with low performance indicators: tendency to wrinkle, instability to wear;
6. viscose. Produced from artificial raw materials, it has the characteristics of polypropylene flock;
7. acetate. This is a type of fleecy fabric that has the disadvantages of viscose flock, but has found its application for producing faux fur.

Important! A special type of material – flock on flock – has a chic look. Instead of the usual layer of fibers, two are glued, and the second layer is applied selectively in a certain order, which forms a pattern on the surface. The fabric turns out even softer, more embossed, and forms highlights and halftones on the surface.

Advantages and disadvantages

Flock has its strengths and weaknesses. Let us note the positive aspects in the operation of products made from this fabric:

• increased density and strength, resistance to mechanical stress;
• Flock furniture upholstery is a vandal-proof fabric. The sharp claws of the domestic purr will not damage your sofa;
• the mixed type has high breathability, the rest - moderate;
• excellent water-repellent properties, which are inherent in all types except cotton flock;
• most types have good wear resistance,
• flock is not subject to stretching or shrinking, and pellets do not form on the surface;
• it does not respond to temperature changes;
• has softness and attractive appearance;
• is easy to maintain.

Consumers should also be aware of the disadvantages of fabric:

• ability to electrify and attract dust;
• high creaseability of acetate and viscose varieties of flock;
• using the cotton variety only for short-term decoration.

Where is flock used?

Fleecy fabric has found application in the light, automotive and furniture industries. It is used in the following capacity:

• as furniture upholstery for living room sets;
• as textile decoration of windows, curtains, drapes;
• upholstery of passenger cars and car seats;
• material for sewing toys and small decorative items in the interior of the room;
• for gift wrapping;
• tailoring - dresses, sundresses, skirts, decoration details and shoe patches.

How is it different from other similar fabrics?

Flock is used as an upholstery material for upholstered furniture. Comparing it with other fabrics that perform the same function - chenille and matting - we note their differences from each other:

1. chenille is more durable than flock, since it does not have fibers that wrinkle and wipe off;
2. the matting lasts even longer, as it has a rough textured surface with loose weaving;
3. Most varieties of flock have good water-repellent properties, and chenille and matting are capable of instantly absorbing moisture.

How to care for it?

Flock is highly electrified, so it attracts and holds dust. The first and most important step in care is to get rid of it with a brush or vacuum cleaner. If upholstered furniture is upholstered with flock, pay special attention to the internal corners and joints of the fabric. Dust accumulates there and, remaining invisible for a long time, forms entire deposits.

Flock clothing is cleaned from dust using a soft brush, airing or washing.

Remember some more nuances of caring for this fabric:

• washing and cleaning is carried out only with household or household products, dry cleaning cannot be used;
• When washing in a machine, select a mode for delicate fabrics at a temperature of 30–40 degrees. For detergent, choose liquid soap rather than powder and pour it directly into the drum to avoid strong foaming;
• You need to iron the fabric taking into account the manufacturers’ recommendations located on the product label. If there are none, then Ironing is possible only from the wrong side at a minimum temperature for synthetic fabrics;
• Try to remove the stain that appears immediately, do not let it stick together with the villi when it dries. But if this does happen, then wet the area with water, apply liquid soap or dishwashing detergent and carefully, without mechanical force, using movements from the edge to the center, remove the softened dirt. You cannot scrape off dry dirt; along with it, you can unwittingly remove some of the fibers, and a bald spot will form in this place;
• Do not use alcohol-containing, gasoline or other solvents to clean flock. They can damage the adhesive base, the fibers will spill out without being secured, and a hole will remain in the problem area down to the base fabric.