We carry a great selection of premium poly-print fabrics for our outdoor cushions.  These fabrics have excellent color and are outdoor UV rated.  They are specially treated for mold and mildew resistant, and can be easily cleaned using a mild soap and water, and have a soft hand texture; they feel like garment clothe.

Some quick facts about poly-print fabrics.

• Print shows on only one side.  That’s why we only offer poly-prints in our outdoor cushion line.
• Easy to clean with soap and water, but DO NOT use bleach or hard detergents.
• Great for seasonal use.  Put them away during winter and wet season.

People get the wrong idea about Polyester all of the time.  Polyester fabric is soft and rich in color, and is awesome for outdoor umbrellas.    They are treated for soil and mildew resistance, and are naturally sun resistant.  Polyester fabrics are great seasonal fabrics that are easy to take care of and clean.  We feature polyester fabric in our Patio Umbrella Sale.

Some facts about polyester fabrics:

• Offers a soft fabric feel
• Deep, rich colors
• Easily clean with mild soap and water.  Can be hosed off.

Olefin is an economical alternative to solution dyed acrylics.  They are durable and long lasting, and specifically designed for outdoor use.  Sometimes called polyolefin, they are light in weight, and offer good sun shade and UV protection. Olefin fabrics are featured in our Patio Umbrella Sale items.

Taking care of olefin fabrics is relatively easy:

• Periodically use a mild soap and water solution, rinse with clean water to keep fabric looking fresh, new and to prevent mildew.
• Wipe stains with warm water as soon as possible. If necessary, apply a laundry pre-wash and leave for 10-minutes. Then re-apply warm water and detergent solution and rinse thoroughly with clean water.
• A chlorine bleach and water solution of one cup bleach per gallon of water may be used on stubborn stains and mildew without affecting fabric color.
• Avoid direct contact with suntan lotions and oils. If contact does occur, clean promptly. Fabric can be sprayed off with hose.

Outdura solution dyed acrylic fabrics are a great alternative to Sunbrella.  Produced by Shuford Mills in North Carolina, they feature all of the great performance features that 100% solution dyed acrylics are famous for. CushionsAndUmbrellas.com is proud to feature Outdura fabrics on our special Quick-Ship 9′ Patio Umbrella

• Soft hand (soft to the touch)
• Mold and Mildew resistant
• Stain resistant
• Warranted for 3 yrs from sun fading.

Sunbrella fabrics are pretty much the industry standard outdoor fabric.  Made by Glen Raven Mills, it consists of 100 % solution dyed acrylics.  Most fabrics are made from essentially colorless fibers, then dyed.  With solution dyed acrylic fabrics, the fibers are dyed before they are processed into yarn.  This means that sun or even bleach won’t affect the color.  Sunbrella fabrics are guaranteed for 5 years, the longest time in the industry.

Below, you’ll find our selection of Sunbrella fabrics.  Many more are available for custom order, however, these are what we consider to be the most popular colors available, and are available in all of our cushions and umbrellas.    If you are looking for a particular fabric for your order, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

It’s important to keep your Sunbrella fabrics clean and dirt free.  Sunbrella fabrics are highly mildew resistant, however, dirt and mud are not.  Most times, when you see mildew on an umbrella made with Sunbrella fabrics, it’s because dirt and mud where allowed to get on the umbrella canopy, embedding into the fabric.   As mud and dirt get wet and are exposed to the air, mildew grows on the particles.  The fabric resists the mildew, but it still grows on the foreign particles.

Follow these steps to keep your Sunbrella umbrella or Sunbrella cushion clean and mildew free.

General All Around Cleaning

1. Brush off any loose dirt using a cloth brush or towel.
2. Create a  solution of 2 ounces (1/4 cup) mild soap per gallon of lukewarm water (less than 100°F/38°C).  The term “mild soap” is all over the place, but generally we are talking about a mild laundry soap like Gain or Tide.  Anything that isn’t EXTRA STRENGTH would do fine.
3. Use a sponge or a soft bristle brush to clean.  Use circular motions and press the sponge or towel into the fabric for stained areas.
4. Allow the soap to soak into fabric.  Let the bubble do their work!
5. Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap residue.  You can hit the umbrella with a hose if you’d like.  With cushions, use a sponge or towel free of soap, just water, and sploosh water on and then pick it up with the towel after you’ve wrung it dry.
6. Allow fabric to air dry.  Put your cushion over a table on on hang it up on a clothesline.  Open your umbrella up and expose to sun and wind.

If your umbrella or cushion fabric is removable, like ours, you can launder them in your washing machine! For removable Sunbrella fabric umbrella and cushion covers, machine wash in cold water (less than 100°F/38°C). Depending on your load size, use normal amounts of laundry soap. Allow fabric to air dry.  Drying your fabrics in the dryer is NOT recommended.  Tumble drying acrylic fabrics can sometimes cause shrinkage or wrinkling.  Hang up your fabrics on a clothesline if you can.  When done, you can iron them with your iron set on synthetics.

Spot and Stain cleaning

Sunbrella fabrics are highly stain resistant, if you move quickly.  Since the fabric is moisture resistant, most stain causing liquids can’t “grab” the fibers long enough to cause a stain.  If you can wipe it up quickly with a wet towel, you’re probably going to come out great.  However, sometimes we don’t catch that bit of wine or chocolate ice cream, so we have to work just a little bit harder to get out the stain.  Here are some steps to take:

1. Apply a light mist of the recommended soap using a spray bottle or a sponge.
2. Work the solution into the stain by lightly scrubbing the area with a sponge or very soft brush.  Concentrate on the area of the stain.
3. Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap residue.  The particles that create the stain clings to the soap.  That’s how soap works.  If you leave a bit of soap behind, you’ll be leaving behind a slightly paler stain.
4. Blot excess moisture with a clean, soft towel or sponge.  Blotting shouldn’t be too strenuous, but don’t be afraid of pushing the clothe in some.
5. Wet-vacuum or blot excess water.  If you don’t have a wet-vacuum, don’t worry.  Just keep blotting with dry clean towels or sponges.  Once a towel or sponge is wet, move on to a new one.
6. Repeat these steps until stain is removed.

No one can guarantee that your Sunbrella fabric will always be stain and spot free, but most people have success with this technique.

Heavy Cleaning

Sometime you just have to get in there to clean up your cushion or umbrella fabric.  Follow these steps to make heavy cleaning as simple and easy as possible.

1. Prepare a solution of 8 ounces (1 cup) of bleach and 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of mild soap per gallon of clean water.
2. Spray on entire area and allow to soak into the fabric.  Sunbrella works well with bleach, don’t worry.
3. Scrub vigorously with a soft bristle brush, sponge, or clean towel.  When we say vigorously, we mean it’s time to pound that baby down.
4. Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap residue.  Hit the umbrella or cushion with a hose, or buckets of water.  You do not want the bleach to settle in.
5. Allow fabric to air dry.
6. If the stains are severe and don’t come out the first time, you can increase the amount of bleach used.  Try an additional ounce per gallon at first, then increase by one ounce as necessary.  You shouldn’t really get to this step though.  The first pass should do the job.

Some Last Thoughts

• Protect the area around your Sunbrella fabric when using a bleach solution.  Bleach can discolor non-Sunbrella fabrics. Always rinse Sunbrella thoroughly to completely remove bleach.  Bleach setting can damage the fibers.
• Sunbrella air-dries very quickly. Machine drying is not necessary.  Clothespins and an old fashion clothesline is fine.
• If fabric has some wrinkling, use an iron, if necessary, but only on the synthetic* setting.  Some irons exceed the recommended 100°F/38°C temperature on the synthetic setting though, so test a small inconspicuous area before ironing entire piece.
• DON’T use a steamer or iron set to steam setting.

With proper care and maintenance, your patio umbrella or patio cushion will give you year after year of lush color and service. Here are a few tips that should keep your fabrics looking great.

1. Never leave your outdoor cushions or patio umbrella out when expecting excessive rain. Although our fabrics are meant to stand up to all weather conditions, saturating the fabric with water will make it take much longer to dry. Try to take your patio cushion or umbrellas in when you’re expecting bad weather.
2. If your cushion has been left out in the rain, wipe it down with a towel, remove it from it’s chair, and hang it from a railing or clothesline.
3. Most outdoor fabrics are mildew resistant, however, mildew will grow on dirt and oil. Keep your fabrics clean by using a solution of liquid soap and warm water to clean away dirt and dust.
4. Keep suntan oil off the fabric. Suntan oil can stain outdoor fabrics. If stained with suntan oil, remove by using a commercial spot remover. Follow the instructions on the bottle.
5. If your patio cushion gets wet, simply wipe it down with a towel to remove excess water. If your patio umbrella gets wet, close it, wipe down with a towel, and let it air dry. Open the umbrella up again for best results.
6. Try to put your patio umbrella or patio cushion away when not in use. Storing your outdoor cushion or outdoor umbrella will increase the time your fabric stays new and vibrant. Take your cushions and umbrellas in for winter, then let them back out again for summer.