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I know I'm dating myself
when I start humming the old Fifth Dimension song, "Let the
Sun Shine In" -- but it's one I can remember all the words to.
Sunshine is something we crave,
and it's good for us in limited doses.
The same goes
for your furniture and drapes -- a little bit goes a
long way. This week, we've got
tips on how to minimize the "sunburn" your home textiles are
probably experiencing. (Bet you never thought
of that one before.)
Ed and Mary Longanecker
Iris City Cleaners and
Laundering Company
See you
soon! | |
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Drapery/Curtain COUPON
Everything that gets into the air
in your home gets into your drapes and curtains. Everything.
So, even though they look clean, they're not. Clean drapes
make for a more healthful environment, as well as one that's
springtime fresh. This week,
have $15 in regular drycleaning done, and we'll take 10% off
your drapery cleaning bill. (Include first page of this newsletter with
your order. Offer expires October 22, 2005. Cannot be combined
with other
offers.) | |
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Your Home Needs Sunblock!
Being in a home with all the drapes
drawn and the lights low is depressing. Nothing lifts the
spirits like throwing open the curtains and letting that
beautiful sunshine pour in. What
could be wrong with that?
Just as
too much of a good thing like sunlight can be bad for your
skin, it can be hard on your home textiles and furniture, as
well. Textile damage can be caused by heat,
humidity, chemicals, polluted air, and many other factors.
It's such a complex dance of cause-and-effect that different
areas of your home may be better or worse for your
textiles.
Not-so-sunny
outlook.
Sunlight's ultraviolet rayscan actually damage
fibers by weakening them. And you've no doubt
seen fabrics that have faded due to being in the sun for
extended periods of time. Obviously, drapes are prime
candidates for this kind of damage -- their function is to
block sunlight, and it costs the fabric some of its useful
life to do it.
But drapes
aren't the only home furnishings at risk.
- Sunlight can dry and damage wood
furniture -- even causing it to crack and
split.
- Rugs
that experience fairly direct sunlight will
fade over time.
- Ultraviolet rays can cause
the finish on ceramic lamps,
vases, and other items to crack (called
"crazing").
- Wood
will change color when exposed to sunlight over
time -- sometimes darkening, sometimes
getting lighter. Having an object such as a lamp, vase or
other item on the table that isn't moved will cause an
outline of that object to form on the wood when it changes
color -- much like the darker square left on a wall when a
picture is moved and the wallpaper or paint behind it has
not faded with the rest of the wall.
- The
pigments in oil paintings can crack, water colors can
fade, and almost any artwork will be
adversely affected by direct sunlight -- sometimes even by
indirect sun.
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Minimizing Sun Damage
You don't have to live in a home
that's cave-like to protect your furniture and other home
textiles. Here are some tips to minimize the damage and keep
things looking great longer.
- Accept the fact that
some fading will
occur.
- Keep drapes closed during the most
direct and intense sunlight of the day, if
possible. Using miniblinds will also
help.
- Move furniture around
regularly -- every month, if possible
-- to keep any one piece of furniture from getting so
much sun the fading becomes obvious.
- Rotate drapes throughout the house, or panels
within the same area of the house, so that
sun damage is not allowed to greatly discolor particular
panels and make them not match the others.
- Remember your rugs. If you have area rugs, move
them around the house, and also turn them different
directions regularly, so that any one area is not damaged by
sun in an obvious way.
- For
wall-to-wall or immovable carpet, move
furniture to different areas regularly, and close drapes
during most intense sunshine hours.
- When
choosing fabrics for items like drapes that will naturally
get a lot of exposure, stay away from dark
colors (which absorb heat and sunlight) as well as colors
like red, yellow and chartreuse which fade most
easily.
- Purchase drapes that are lined
-- and get lining that is of the same quality as the drapery
material, for maximum benefit.
Think
of your home furnishings like you'd think of your own body
when out on the beach -- take any precautions
you can to avoid burning, keep moving, generate shade any way
you can, and avoid over-exposure. This will keep your home
textiles and upholstery looking bright and attractive as long
as possible. You made a sizeable
investment in your furniture and drapes. A little extra effort
is well worth
it. | |
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We are
enormously appreciative of the opportunity to share our weekly
newsletters with you. We feel that much of the content
is valuable for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is
interested in their preservations and cleaning. Click on the
symbol to the left if your would like to send this and
future newsletters to a friend.
Thanks a million, Ed and
Mary
The
Iris City Cleaners Connection
is a weekly news letter dedicated to the interest of fine
garment care, restoration, and conservation. It is
published in Mt Pleasant, Iowa by Iris City Cleaners and is an
extension of our services described in www.iriscitycleaners.com
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International Fabricare
Institute
Iris City Cleaners
is
a proud member of the International Fabricare Institute, a
premier association of Dry Cleaners, Wet Cleaners, and
Launderers dedicated to the advancement of technologies
and service to the textile industry.
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