Upholstered furniture adds comfort and style to any room, but over time, exposure to sunlight or improper care can cause the fabric to fade, which diminishes its overall beauty and lifespan.
Whether it’s your favorite sofa or a cozy armchair, keeping your upholstery looking vibrant requires a proactive approach. In this blog, we will share practical tips to prevent upholstery fabric from fading, helping you preserve the color and quality of your furniture for many years.
7 Clever Hacks To Prevent Your Upholstery From Fading
1. Avoid Direct Sunlight
Sunlight is crucial to our well-being, but the same cannot be said for upholstery. Sunlight contains UV radiation, which is particularly harmful to dyes in upholstery fabric. UV rays trigger a process called photodegradation, where the energy from the sun breaks down the molecular structure of the fabric’s dye.
As time goes by, this causes colors to fade and lose their vibrancy. To prevent this, you can consider investing in curtains or blinds. Curtains and blinds act as physical barriers that limit the amount of UV light reaching your furniture.
In addition to them, slipcovers are also a fine option to prevent upholstery fabric from fading. Slipcovers act as a shield and absorb or reflect UV rays before they reach the upholstery fabric, minimizing their direct exposure.
2. Vacuum Regularly
Upholstery fabrics, with time, often trap dirt, dust, and various other debris. These particles, unbeknownst to many homeowners, are actually abrasive in nature.
So when people sit on or use the furniture, these particles act like sandpaper, slowly grinding down the fibers, weakening them, and causing them to appear dull or faded over time.
One of the best ways to clean your upholstery and help protect the fabrics is to ensure regular vacuuming. A vacuum cleaner has a strong suction that can trap and remove these particles before they damage the integrity and color of your upholstery.
3. Implement A No-Smoke Rule
If you are an everyday smoker, make sure to do so outside your house. This is because when tobacco burns, it releases a combination of tar, nicotine, and various chemicals that settle on surfaces, including upholstery.
Over time, these particles can interact with the fibers of the fabric, causing yellowing, dullness, and fading. This is known as thirdhand smoke—residual nicotine and other chemicals that cling to indoor surfaces long after smoking has stopped.
4. Maintain Proper Humidity Levels
This might sound something atypical, but humidity levels, indeed, can have a severe effect on your upholstery. In overly humid environments, excess moisture can weaken the fabric fibers by promoting mold, mildew, and bacterial growth.
The breakdown of fabric fibers due to moisture damage makes them more prone to wear and fading. Additionally, dyes in the fabric may bleed or fade faster under constant exposure to dampness.
On the other hand, environments with excessively low humidity cause fabrics to dry out. The lack of moisture can lead to fabric shrinkage, brittleness, and cracking of certain materials, especially in the case of leather. This gradual degradation makes the fibers more susceptible to color loss and fading due to wear and friction.
Conversely, when humidity levels fluctuate too much, the dye molecules can destabilize, making the fabric appear dull or discolored. Therefore, by maintaining optimal indoor humidity levels, you can ensure that your upholstery stays vibrant for longer.
5. Keep Harsh Solutions At Bay
Timely clean up of stains is crucial, but more crucial is to use the right cleaning solutions. Many cleaning agents contain abrasive ingredients that may cause discoloration or fading over time, even if they initially appear to clean effectively. Common examples include bleach and ammonia-based cleaners.
Upholstery is often made from delicate materials that require gentle care to maintain their look and feel. So, by using fabric-safe, mild cleaners, you can safely clean your upholstery.
6. Apply Fabric Protectors
Spills or stains are inevitable when it comes to your upholstery. With that said, it’s impossible to prevent them from happening. While spillages are natural, real trouble can arise if you don’t address them promptly.
When that happens, spills can seep further deep into the fabrics, only to fade that particular area beyond repair. Moreover, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s understandable that you may not always have time to tackle a stain right away.
Nonetheless, in such cases, investing in fabric protectors can help. These products create a strong barrier that prevents spills from penetrating the fabrics, making it easier to clean the mess in your own time (just make sure not to take too long).
7. Schedule Professional Cleaning Regularly
Although upholstery naturally wears out over time, scheduling professional cleaning periodically can help ensure your couch lasts longer. Professionals like JP Carpet Cleaning Expert Floor Care are backed by years of experience and have some of the most well-trained staff.
By investing in top-notch cleaning solutions and state-of-the-art tools, they can deep clean your couch and extract deep-seated dirt, stains, and other harmful contaminants in the vulnerable, thereby revitalizing your upholstery. While the general recommendation is twice a year, the frequency can be adjusted based on how often your furniture is used.
Closing Thoughts!
An upholstered furniture adds beauty and warmth to any living space. However, as time goes by, it may wear out prematurely, leaving homeowners puzzled about the cause.
While the causes are quite common, it is important to know them and help take proactive measures to prevent upholstery fabric from fading and prolonging its lifespan so that it remains a cherished part of your home for many years to come.
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