Does Polyester Fade In Sunlight? Polyester clothes are really strong and they test them a lot to make sure they stay nice for a long time. But some people wonder if they might not look as good if they’re left in the sun for too long.
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Does Polyester Fade in Sunlight?
The answer to this question is yes because polyester comes to market in different qualities, among which some have resistance to UV rays while some don’t. Most polyester clothes are first treated with fade-resistant chemicals to enhance their quality. Even though they are fade-resistant, carelessness still fades their color. So, handling them correctly will keep them fresh as new. Let’s deeply discuss polyester getting faded in sunlight naturally.
How Does Polyester Fade?
The process of fading in sunlight occurs because of UV rays coming from the sun. Polyester is a synthetic fiber on which dye is used for designs and other logos. If you hang them longer in direct sunlight, the reaction between dyes and UV rays will break the dye molecules causing the cloth’s color to fade.
What Type Of Colors Fade Faster?
Most polyester starts fading slowly if it’s kept in sunlight for a long time. If your polyester cloth’s color is red, it mostly fades faster than any other color. Due to fading, clothes color changes to orange or yellow. Red color tends to absorb more UV rays from the sun as it has a longer wavelength which
How Long Does it Take to Fade?
Leaving clothes out in sunlight for some time won’t affect them. Fading polyester in sunlight is a slow process taking hours, so don’t worry it will not fade immediately.
We can’t predict how long it will take to fade in sunlight, but the main factors that do this are the place where you live and the season. Most polyester takes days or weeks, and the time limit you keep them out in sunlight.
How to Prevent Fading The Polyester?
Polyester clothes are almost in every home; your favorite dress is made of polyester, so you don’t want to make it look dull and old-fashioned. Here are some measures to prevent polyester from fading.
Wash With Cold Water
After buying clothes, you must check the care label where all the instructions are written. Washing polyester clothes with hot water can melt them and soften the fibers, due to which their color fades faster, even after a single wash. So, avoid washing clothes with hot water; use cold water for this purpose.
Flip Your Cloth Before Hanging
It’s essential to flip clothes inside out before washing. After washing it, don’t flip it out; hang it as it is. In this way, if UV rays affect the shirt, it will be the inner side, not the outer one.
Hang At An Airy Place
After washing clothes, instead of hanging them in direct sunlight, hang them in the shadowy and airy place. This will prevent it from fading as well as forming wrinkles.
Other Factors That Fade The Polyester
Not only sunlight but many other factors can fade the polyester. Knowing these factors helps you prevent them and retain your cloth’s quality.
1.Washing
Washing doesn’t mean that you never wash polyester clothes here; it means that you must clean them by following all the instructions. The washing machine can fade color in the following ways,
- If the machine’s cycle is fast, it will damage the polyester.
- Water temperature in the machine influences significantly on polyester.
- After washing, reduce the spinner speed for drying; otherwise, fibers will be damaged, and color fades.
2.Bleach
Prevent bleaching the polyester as chemicals present in bleach react with fibers resulting in yellowing of clothes. This happens only with chlorine bleach, so use oxygen bleach which is safe for polyester.
3.Acid
Washing polyester with acid is done to change the clothes from new to older. It’s a risky process that professionals only do with proper protection. But if you do this at home with a bit of knowledge, you can damage yourself as well as your clothes.
How To Restore Faded Fabric
There’s a solution to all the problems in this world. So if your clothes are faded, don’t worry, you can restore them quickly. Let’s give you some ideas to restore your cloth’s color, but it will not fix the color completely.
1.Vinegar
One of the easiest ways to restore faded clothes is adding distilled white vinegar. It will brighten the color and prevent it from fading. You can do this by adding half a cup of vinegar to the washing machine or 1 cup in 1 gallon of water and soaking your clothes in it for at least 20 minutes. Use cold or warm water because hot water will make your clothes worse than before.
2.Salt
Salt is the best option for restoring slightly faded clothes. For this, you’ll have to do the same above steps by adding a cup of salt to the washing machine or adding a cup of salt to the water and soaking clothes in it.
3.Baking Soda
If you’re looking for something to brighten your dull white fabric, then we recommend you use baking soda for polyester. Add a half cup of baking soda with detergent in the washing machine, and then wash your clothes. Plus point of using baking soda is that it will deodorize polyester.
4.Dye
Last but not least is dyeing the polyester. Once you’re done trying all the above methods, dye your cloth to give them a new look if they don’t work. To do this, find a dye having the same color as your cloth has. Add the dye and a cup of salt to a pot of hot water and soak your clothes in it for an hour. Now take your cloth and wash thoroughly with cold water and dry them.
How to Fade The Polyester Fabric Safely?
Nowadays, fashion has taken us so far that some people fade their brand new clothes just for fashion. Doing this sometimes fades the whole color and reduces the quality. Here are a few methods that can help you fade polyester clothes safely.
1.Oxygen Bleach
Sometimes bleaches become more valuable in the case of polyester. Here oxygen bleach can help you to fade your clothes. To do this, add a cup of bleach to the machine and mix it well. Then put the clothes in it and turn on the machine for 5 minutes with a gentle spin. When the machine stops spinning, leave your cloth soaked in water for an hour instead of taking it out. And then hang them to get dry.
2.Lemon Juice and Vinegar
Use lemon juice and vinegar together to fade the polyester. First, pour some lemon juice into water and soak the clothing in it for 3 to 12 hours. Then remove the cloth and let it dry.
Now, pour three parts vinegar and 1 part lemon juice, soak the cloth and leave it for the next 3 to 12 hours. Then remove the cloth, wash them with clean water and hang it somewhere to dry.
Conclusion:
Polyester is durable but delicate, too that’s why UV rays can fade the color. However, polyester is fade-resistant, but in some cases, it may happen. So, follow all the instructions mentioned above to avoid.
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