May 22, 2012
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Chairs and Germs
I was sitting in Starbucks tonight and I noticed there were two types of chairs. Now at the risk of sounding like a germ phob, I will point out to you the type of chair I prefer.
First the chair I don’t like to sit in. This chair is made out of upholstery.
Can you see how this type of chair would look as if it would carry more germs?
Now look at this chair.
Do you see the leather seating? It would appear to me that this is more likely to be clean.
We had to face this choice when purchasing a couch recently.
Can you see why I would be concerned about the couch above?
Now the one I picked.
The above is almost the exact couch I picked.
I felt a leather couch would always feel and look clean.
Do you prefer a leather couch or a couch made of upholstery?
Comments (50)
i like leather chairs. at least you can wipe it down the a leather cleaner. and fart and other smells don’t absorb much
a chair made of upholstery
I love germs
i don’t particularly like leather chairs, not good fro tropical weathers.
I see your point. In that case..
I prefer leather for seating in public places! (like Starbucks)
but… upholstery for home. You know whose butt sits on your couch at home :p
Leather gets all sticky and makes my butt sad.
My favorite couch in the world must have been full of germs, but it didn’t matter because that was the comfiest couch in the world.
I love how you always address the hard-hitting questions, Dan.
When I do let my imagination run in starbucks it almost as certainly as fuck wouldn’t be over chairs.
Bean Bag Chairs for me please. Thank you.
I like leather. It’s more comfy and easier to clean.
I like microfiber. Leather can contain as many germs as most fabrics and is harder to remove. Trick for your upholstery – 3 TBSP clorox per spray bottle – mist weekly. Enough bleach kills the germs without ruining the upholstery. But those pillows HAVE TO GO if you are a germaphobe. You don’t even want to know.
I don’t think I’ve ever gotten sick from butt germs, so it really doesn’t matter to me.
Lol, “at the risk of sounding like a germ phobe. . . . . “
Dan, you need to admit it, you’re a total germ-o-phobe.
You make me paranoid! I’d honestly prefer upholstery so that when I’m vegetating on my couch and every time I move I don’t hit a cold spot. Cold spots are only good in bed!
i do not like how leather looks
I like the kind that doesn’t look gay.
I like upholsted couches better. That way, my ass doesn’t stick to it in the summer. Gotta love those butt-germs!
Personally neither, but upholstery couches are very unsanitary and must be the cause of so many discomforts such as colds, tiredness etc. People want to be too comfortable and pay a high price with their very health. Wooden chairs are ideal to sit on.
It’s doorknobs and telephones you really have to worry about!
I think leather couches are comfortable but I like being able to sit on something soft… leather has the tendency to be a bit cold, I wouldn’t like that wearing shorts or something.
on a different note, nice choice going with the sectional!
Oh my… this again…
The couch fetish is handled by the washing hands fetish and the shower fetish and towel fetish. Also the undies fetish if you sit on the couch in your undies.
All your fetishes are self reinforcing so I say, “What the hell!” enjoy your new couch.
leather — its easier to* clean
upholstery– captures all sorts of stain and some people are lazy and dont really clean the stains up and just wipe it
the cloth ones would absorb moisture stains. ewwwwwww.
the leather one would also have stains that get crusty/flaky or greasy!!!!!!
Just when you think the germ posts were done…
I agree for the most part; and I despise having to sit in upholstery that is in public areas. But leather is disgusting. At home I’d rather have a fabric couch and steam clean it. Perfectly acceptable.
I myself am a bit wary of leather, only because people I know who have had leather couches say that they can dry out and crack/split…
On the other hand I can very well see your point in that upholstery fabric seems to absorb more germs…EWW.!! (Now I am going through my head thinking about all the places I go to where I have to sit on fabric couches.!!!)
I agree with @eagerblue, I have an upholstery fabric couch because I also am aware of who parks their derrière on mine
Butt germs?! Don’t you people wear pants?
LOL. These couches are indeed problem. You’d definitely need to put a blanket on the first type. No one wants to take off the seat covers to wash them every week so usually they end up not getting washed. I always sit on my personal towel not the seat cover. On the other hand leather is made of dead animals, so I’d go for fake-leather.
Suede ftw.
“at the risk of sounding like a germaphobe..“
Too late for that! lol
I love leather couches, especially after they’ve been worn in and the leather is soft and almost suede-like.
Also WTF!? Starbucks where I live don’t have the nice furniture anymore!
I have never thought of that before!
doesn’t matter whether upholstered or leather in a public place .. what matters is they need to be properly cleaned, disinfected, etc .. leather, vinyl or anything else kinda sorta needs to get wiped down after each butt duh .. may as well sit on upholstery as anything else
whatever you choose at home, personal preference as it’s you who will know how and when it’s been cleaned
i would rather upholstery for my home, but figure there’s a better chance vinyl will have at least some sort of cursory wipe off at least once a day at a public place
Leather is easier to clean- but we do the microfiber at our house because we have small dog and microfiber is tuff. Plus you can shampoo it and virtually indestructible. But I like choice….nice
I prefer comfortable chairs and couches.
Sorry I’m the 99% I can’t afford leather.
I chose leather for my living room because I like how it looks, not because I’m a germophobe. You must have a pretty weak immune system if you’ve been this afraid of germs all your life. You do know, don’t you, that being exposed to germs is what builds up our immunity?
I agree with some of the PPs, leather is uncomfortable and I feel it’s outdated. I prefer upholstery, but it has to have the zip-off covers so I can wash them, esp since I have a small child terrorizing my home
We have a white sectional in our den that I can dress up and down and change around to my hearts content.
How do you feel about the pool of sweat and the layer of skin I leave behind after sitting on your leather chairs?
Upholstery, I don’t buy leather anything.
Neither. Our couch is a weird material – it’s not quite upholstery (like our old ones), but it’s soft, comfortable and you can just vacuum them to get them clean.
This makes me kind of glad for our couches from Ikea with micro-fiber covers that can be removed and washed in the washing machine. I think I might need to start bringing a personal towel/blanket (washed after every use, just for Dan) to sit on from here on out.
leather couches would always make me feel stuffy…the other fabric types would make me feel itchy…I’d rather sit on the floor
I do not think what I have in my home is what worries me about germs, it is what I have to sit in out in public places. I have an upholstery fabric sofa because I know who cleans it and who sits on it.
Leather takes a little work to maintain, it needs to be cleaned and conditioned for it to not crack. And, if you have dogs who are on the couch, there nails tear the leather (learned this with my leather car seats, which I will NEVER get again)
I see my intervention didn’t work. I do believe my 5’5” ass needs to come kick some rationale into your 6’4” ass.(If you are indeed that tall.) Hmmm….wonder if short people are not afraid of germs and tall people are…..
You should probably avoid California as much as possible. I have a tendency to lick the arms of every chair I sit in. Yeah it’s not healthy, but the way I see it, you only live once.
You have an immune system for a reason. Give it something to do! It’s bored! it’s going to be atrophied and then when you actually (inevitably) DO get some germs inside of you, your body won’t have as much strength to fight them.
The Starbucks I go to makes you wear pants…you know, the old ” no pants, no butt germs, no service” mentality. Seriously Dan? You raise questions I had never even considered, and I have boys. I have never had leather, too expensive, and the kids or dogs would probably rip it somehow. Fabric is comfy and easily cleaned if necessary. We wear clothes at home, too.
@Megabyyte - I love germs too… They Are the things that helpe build immunities and live a long life! Besides we all know that disease is a prrodct of because that is what the bible says.
“Now at the risk of sounding like a germ phob…” Well you certainly do! Who thinks about germs when they are looking to sit their butt in a chair. If you are so worried about germs perhaps you should just stand and let someone else use the chairs. I prefer upholstery myself. More comfortable and not hot like leather.