Life Expectancy Guide for Household Textiles

The American National Standards Institute, Inc. approved the Fair Claims Guide for Consumer Textile Products. Not only does the standard provide guidelines for determining liability for claims adjustments for textile products, it also provides a life expectancy chart for household textiles.  Please keep in mind that these are general guidelines; the life expectancy can vary depending on the durability of the material, if the material is preshrunk or pretreated for stains, if the material is resistant to light fading, and how much care is provided to the item. 

Proper care is important when it comes to extending the attractiveness of our textiles.  Be sure to follow these guidelines when caring for your items:

• Always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations.
• Just as you do with your garments, be sure to also clean all household textiles before storing them away.
• Be sure to address stains and spills as soon as they occur to ensure a greater likelihood that they will be removed.
• Don’t allow items to become extremely soiled before cleaning.  The heavier the soil, the less likely it is that it can all be removed.
• Repair tears and damage immediately.
• Protect textiles (and furniture) from sunlight.

Life Expectancy Guide

Bedspreads: 6 years
Blankets - Heavy wool & synthetic fibers: 10 years
Blankets - Lightweight: 5 years
Blankets - Electric: 5 years
Comforters: 5 years
Comforters - Down: 5 years
Curtains - Sheer: 3 years
Curtains - Glass fiber: 3 years
Draperies - Lined: 5 years
Draperies - Unlined: 4 years
Draperies - Sheer: 3 years
Draperies - Glass fiber: 4 years
Sheets and pillow cases: 2 years
Slipcovers: 3 years
Table linens - Fancy: 5 years
Table linens - Other: 2 years
Towels: 3 years
Upholstery fabrics: 5 years
Articles coated or flocked: 2 years

The information in this post was provided by Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s Consumer News You Can Use.  If you have questions about a particular item of yours, please feel free to contact us via e-mail at wildwednesday@acleanerworld.com or stop by or call one of our locations and speak with a manager.