Patio umbrellas are a beautiful addition to any outdoor space, but over time, they start to fade and bleach out, which can have negative effects on the look of your patio. Here’s how to keep your patio umbrella from fading.
- Apply a UV protectant
- Clean regularly
- Keep closed when not in use
- Place the umbrella in a shaded area
- Store the umbrella for the winter
These tips can help you keep your patio umbrella from fading for much longer and hopefully keep your patio colors looking nice and vibrant. The rest of this article will walk you through each of these five methods to protect your umbrella.
Apply a UV Protectant
A UV protectant is your first line of defense against damage to your patio umbrella. The sun is the primary cause of a patio umbrella fading, and a protectant is designed to absorb the rays of the sun so that they don’t adversely affect the umbrella.
The sun can cause the colors of an umbrella to fade, making them far less vibrant, so applying a UV protectant once every two weeks (or more frequently as needed) will help keep your umbrella nice and colorful for a long time to come.
Clean Regularly
Cleaning your umbrella regularly is a good way of protecting the fabric from stains or other damage that could cause it to fade.
Dirt and debris in your fabric can also cause discoloration and stains over time. Umbrellas that spend a lot of time outside are also more suspect to dust, which can form a fine layer over your umbrella and cause the colors to appear more muted than normal.
Conduct a regular clean once a week on your patio umbrella to keep it nice and clean. Use a specially formulated fabric cleaner for the best results. Using a soft brush with warm water and a mild soap is the best way to remove dirt, dust, and debris.
If you have a synthetic fabric, you might also want to use a vacuum to help keep it looking brand new for a longer period.
Keep Closed when Not in Use
One great way to protect your umbrella from potential damage is to fold it up when not in use. During windy conditions overnight, the umbrella can be blown away or the fabric damaged if left open.
Of course, you’re going to be using it to protect yourself from the sun when you spend time outside, but leaving your umbrella open when you’re not present isn’t a good idea even if there’s not much sun.
Spreading out the fabric allows for the sun to penetrate the surface area of the fabric more easily. When the umbrella is closed, on the other hand, the sun can’t bleach the fabric as easily. Putting a tarp over your umbrella when you’re not using it is another great idea.
A fade-resistant waterproof tarp will have built-in UV protection, ensuring that it won’t weaken as easily over time.
Tarps also do a great job of protecting your umbrella from dirt and debris, as well as other stains and discoloration from outdoor use. Using one is a good way to extend the life of your patio umbrella.
Place the Umbrella in a Shaded Area
Placing the umbrella in a shaded area is a wise idea to protect you from excessive sun damage. While it may be tempting to place your umbrella in an area that gets a lot of sun, the issue is that it can age your umbrella a lot faster and cause it to fade.
Try to find an ideal spot for your umbrella that doesn’t put it in the heat of the day as much or someplace that provides a degree of respite from the sun during the warmest hours.
Admittedly, an umbrella that doesn’t protect you from the sun might not be an ideal solution, but if you prefer having the aesthetic of an umbrella more than the function it provides, then a location change might be just the solution to prolong the life of your patio umbrella.
Store the Umbrella for the Winter
Storing the umbrella for the winter is a prudent idea to protect it from wear and tear while you’re not using it.
Place it in a water-resistant bag to prevent dirt and debris from being able to stick to it and put your umbrella away in the shed or garage. If you know you’re not going to use it, it’s best to just keep it out of the sun.
Conclusion
Patio umbrellas will eventually fade due to sun exposure. It is their job to protect the user from the sun, after all, but there are lots of great ways to protect your umbrella from fading as quickly so that you can get the most out of a brightly colored patio umbrella.
The sun is the main culprit for bleaching your umbrella and can cause it to be discolored over time if you don’t maintain your umbrella. Dirt, debris, and dust also play a role in ruining the look of your umbrella.
Keeping it closed when not in use is one of the best solutions to reduce the amount of time your umbrella spends in the sun, and applying a UV protectant or draping it with a UV-resistant tarp is a great solution for protecting your umbrella for a long time.
FAQs
How to Keep a Patio Umbrella from Falling Over?
Patio umbrellas usually fall over in excessively windy conditions, and for most umbrellas, the base is the component that isn’t strong enough to hold it down.
Investing in a heavy-duty base is a good idea to keep your umbrella held down, but a built-in patio table is also a good solution to weigh down a patio umbrella.
Why Is the Color on My Patio Umbrella Fading?
The color on a patio umbrella fades due to exposure to the sun. Over time, sunlight bleaches out the color of fabrics and causes them to appear as a much more mute color than their former selves.
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