Curtains lose their colour

Fault: Colour loss on areas of curtaining and upholstery fabrics which is revealed in drycleaning.

Cause: It is possible to produce fabrics with very good lightfastness to natural daylight and even to regular sunlight exposure but actual standards vary greatly. Poor quality specification leads directly to fading of the type shown here. Frequently, light damaged dyes do not look too bad prior to cleaning but when the weakened dyes are flushed away by the cleaning fluid the problem becomes starkly apparent and a serious and expensive complaint arises.

Responsibility: A cleaner can neither foresee nor avoid the extent to which light damage might result in localised fading in drycleaning. The blame lies with the curtain maker and the original dyer or printer.

Rectification: Light fading usually cannot be rectified.