Fabric blinds are a great choice for bedrooms and other private areas where you'd like the assurance of privacy and complete view blocking when you lower the window covering. However, all that solid fabric also tends to absorb more damaging UV rays onto itself as it blocks the view, leading to fading and other problems. Keep your fabric blinds looking new with these four sun fading prevention tips.

Choose a Light Color

First, rely on the color spectrum to naturally reflect as much light as possible away from the fabric. White fabric absorbs only a fraction of what a black piece of the same material will soak up, so compromising on your love of burgundy and forest green can help your fabric blinds last a lot longer. You don't have to choose white specifically, but stick to the pastels and cream shades of your favorite colors. You'll also notice a slight reduction in the amount of heat you feel radiating into the home by switching to light and reflecting blinds.

Line the Blinds

Unlined fabric blinds are slightly less expensive, but you're only saving money in the beginning. By the end of the life of the blinds, the lack of lining causes them to deteriorate faster and therefore lead to a faster replacement cost. If you're ordering custom blinds for an entire room, this is a cost of hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars. Even if adding lining to your design inflates the upfront cost, remember that you'll get years of extra use out of them with little to no fading of the color and patterns on the fabric. Make sure the lining is a UV resistant fabric or other similarly protective material to give you as much protection against fading as possible.

Apply a Window Film

Instead of trying to change the blinds themselves to protect your investment against fading, consider making changes to the windows instead. Installing Low-E windows is one choice, but there's no need to go that far if you're happy with your current windows. Clear and nearly invisible films help reduce the amount of fading rays making it through the glass without darkening the room. You'll enjoy less fading on the fabric blinds, your furniture, and your flooring.

Look for Reflective Treatments

Finally, some fabrics are treated to reflect light themselves. These treatments can't be applied to all fabrics, so you may be limited in your choices for colors, patterns, and materials. They tend to be invisible treatments that are in no way visible, but you will notice the difference in how much heat they absorb and how long the colors last without fading.

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