So you’ve been hearing the words nano or nanoparticle coatings lately, maybe around the cooler at work or from a friend who’s just picked up a shiny new car, and you don’t know what that means. But you do know that it’s an exceptional new protective coating that keeps literally anything clean and safe, without any more work from you.

Nano coatings are also completely safe. They contain no harmful chemicals, no volatile organic compounds, nothing that’s going to hurt you and your family.

But what are nano coatings? Well, it’s literally a very thin optically transparent plastic polymer film that coats whatever you’ve treated with it with a surface measuring literally atoms thick. Measured in nano-meters, or one billionth of a meter, nano coatings are completely invisible to look at and almost undetectable to the touch.

Each application of a nano coating lasts a long time, with products that are designed to be used with electronics lasting months, and sprays and waxes for cars lasting in the region of years

Nano coatings are also completely safe. They contain no harmful chemicals, no volatile organic compounds, nothing that’s going to hurt you and your family. Because of how they work, they’re also incredibly efficient to use, with just a few grams of protective fluid coating anywhere up to a square meter of surface.

How do nano coatings work?

When you treat something with a nano protective coating, you’re covering the surface in a tiny surface of nano-protectant that’s atoms thin. Every surface, no matter how smooth it might feel to the touch, has tiny little dents and holes in it. Even something like glass, when looked at under a microscope, has tiny little holes in the structure. These little irregularities are what let dirt and water bond to it, because they increase the surface area, and so the surface tension of whatever’s touching it. It’s like a handhold for the dirt to grab hold of.

Because nano particles are so small, they easily fit into all of these irregularities, and their structure keeps them stable, levelling out the surface and making it almost completely flat. The particular make up of these nano-particles keeps them all flat and uniform, which causes the surface to become incredibly smooth at a microscopic level.

Unable to bond with the surface, water, dirt, oils and fats just ball up and slip straight off of whatever has been treated with the nano coating, making cleaning it as simple as a quick wipe with a cloth.

It’s called the ‘lotus effect,’ and it sounds ridiculous, but this technology was first discovered when scientists looked at a bunch of flowers.

The lotus flower has a peculiar quality to its blossom which keeps the leaves absolutely clean. Dust and dirt just sit on top of the leaves, and then whenever it rains, the water beads off of it exactly like we’ve just described, keeping the lotus flower perfectly clean.

Close examination under microscopes taught us how this works, and we’ve found ways to replicate it in the lab. Now, nano coatings are available for pretty much everything that we use, from the products in and around our homes, to the clothes we wear and the cars we drive. Read on to find out how nano coatings can benefit you.

Nano coatings for the home

If there was a way to keep all the surfaces in your house glisteningly clean, shining, and protected against bacteria and other dangers with no more work than you already do, would you take it?

Of course you would. You’d have to be mad not to.

As they become cheaper and more commercially available, use of nano coatings is becoming far more widespread. You’ll find nano coating products used everywhere now, including industrial furniture factories where they treat and finish upholstery, your local butchers or supermarket, where it’s used to keep food prep areas clean, and even window cleaners!

That’s because surfaces treated with nano coatings are proof to pretty much anything. Fluids, including water, oil and fats, just bead straight off, and nano coatings are also a natural antibacterial, so whatever you treat is going to be much safer and healthier for your family to use, ideal if you’ve got new additions to the family, especially if they’re at that point where everything’s going in the mouth!

Nano coatings in the home can be used for …

Furniture: Nano coating products can be found that cater for fabrics, so you can treat your couch, rugs, curtains, even carpets. Once treated, they’re going to shrug off liquids without absorbing anything, rebuff dirt so cleaning is a whole lot easier, and all without looking or feeling any different.
Wood: Tables, chairs, sideboards and cabinets benefit hugely from a nano coating. If it’s regularly used, the extra level of protection will keep your furniture looking newer longer. There’s also options for older wood, to protect and enhance the finish of even the most delicate antique, protecting and bringing them back to new.
Stone and brick work. Because nano coatings fill in microscopic holes on whatever you treat, nano coatings are ideal for exposed stone and brick work, especially on particularly porous stone, preventing water damage. Inert and breathable, nano coatings are safe to use on any building quality stone, including marble, so don’t worry about damage. Most nano coatings are also chemically resistant, so if you’re worried about acid wear from rain or exhaust run-off, a nano coating will keep it safe.
Windows: The same properties that make nano coatings ideal for protecting the paintwork of a car make them fantastic at keeping windows clean and sparkling. One treatment on a set of windows keeps them protected for up to six months, makes them much easier to clean, and causes fingermarks and other dirt to just wipe off with water.
Kitchen surfaces: As an antibacterial and surface protectant, nano coatings are ideal to treat kitchen sideboards with. In fact, they’re so good at this job that some of them are used in industrial food production.

Whether you need it for indoors or out, nano coatings can keep your home clean, safe and protected for months at a time.

Credits: https://nanocareproducts.com/about-nano-coating/

You want a sofa that is soft to the touch, luxurious to look at and easy to take care of. We got you. In fact, we got you several times over. All Comfort Works sofa fabrics are soft, beautiful and machine-washable.

But our newest fabric’s particular brand of low-maintenance luxe has a lot of people asking: What is the difference between Comfort Chenille and Classic Velvet? And which is the right one for me? Read on for answers.

What is Comfort Chenille?

*Comfort Chenille in Dusty Rose. Image credit: Comfort Works*

Comfort Chenille is our take on the classic chenille fabric. Chenille is known for its soft, plush texture, with a fuzzy pile reminiscent of caterpillars (guess what ‘chenille’ means in French?) The way we make it, it’s the ultimate adaptable sofa fabric. Its unique composition mean it works for any season, while its beautiful look and feel lend themselves to any style.

Read all about Comfort Chenille here!

What about Classic Velvet?

*Classic Velvet in Cobalt. Image credit: Comfort Works*

Classic Velvet is one of our most popular fabrics. No beating around the bush here – Classic Velvet is a classic velvet, with a silky, soft pile and subtle sheen. The density and length of the pile means you get all of the rich softness you expect from a velvet, with a subtle, sophisticated sheen to the fabric. A Classic Velvet slipcover makes for a bold, stylish look – perfect for bold, stylish homes.

So what is the difference between chenille and velvet?

*Comfort Chenille in Burnt Orange. Image credit: Comfort Works*

It’s not always about looks. Even the biggest fabric expert can mistake chenille for velvet and vice versa – the two have so many similar qualities, in particular their soft, fuzzy textures.

To make matters even more confusing, the term ‘velvet’ is often used to refer to a wide range of textures so long as they’re soft and fuzzy.

So what’s the real difference?

The key determinant lies in how the fabrics are woven. While both chenille and velvet are fuzzy to the touch, the methods used to create that fuzz are quite different. Velvet is a woven, tufted fabric, so its fuzz is created by cut threads that are evenly distributed through the weave, creating a dense, regular pile.

Chenille is also woven, but its fuzzy texture is caused by its nap, which is created when the finished fabric is gently brushed, teasing out fibres for a silky feel. Chenille’s nap is usually much finer than velvet’s pile.

Are Chenille and Velvet made of the same fibres?

*Classic Velvet in Emerald. Image credit: Comfort Works*

Most velvet fabrics are made solely of polyester fibres, but our chenille is woven with a blend of polyester, acrylic and linen fibres that make it incredibly versatile and plush.

In fact, compared to our Classic Velvet, our new Comfort Chenille has a fine, soft, and fuzzy texture which gives it its incredibly stylish look. Classic Velvet’s pile is made up of slimmer and longer fibres, which contribute to its sleek, sophisticated look. These fibres are also what necessitate a little bit of extra care. Which brings us to…

How do I look after a velvet sofa?

We have a saying around here: “Treat velvet like an expensive cat.”

Our Classic Velvet sofa covers are, like all of our covers, machine washable. But like cats, they do benefit from a regular brush, especially as they’re drying from said machine wash.

On the other hand, Comfort Chenille is as low-maintenance as they come. Its strong, durable weave is wrinkle-resistant, so you’ll never have to spend time ironing it. Our chenille sofa covers will stay soft and smooth, wash after wash.

What colours do your chenille and velvet sofa covers come in?

*Classic Velvet colours. Image credit: Comfort Works*

Our Classic Velvet range comes in six bold shades. There’s Storm, a deep, dark grey. Ash, a sophisticated silver. Turquoise, a lively, bright blue-green. Emerald, a jewel-toned green. Cobalt, an eclectic blue. And our newest offering: Forest Green, a beautiful, classic deep green.

*Comfort Chenille colours. Image credit: Comfort Works*

Comfort Chenille comes in a contemporary array of neutrals. Pebble, a cool-toned light grey. Cream, a warm off-white. Sandstone, a calm, light beige. Dusty Rose, a stylish grey-toned blush pink. Purple Mauve, a soothing purple shade with hints of brown. And Burnt Orange, a statement shade of rust.

Which colour is the best fit for your home? There’s only one way to find out. Get our fabric samples sent straight to your door so you can see and feel them in person – and find the perfect fabric for your space.