Fading. As many goths know from their own clothes, if you wash black fabrics very often, they'll start to turn a greyish or greenish shade that is no longer true, jet black. So when washing dark sheets, blankets, comforters, towels, etc., try these tips:

• Wash in cold water.
• Wash with other dark fabrics.
• Use a color-safe detergent.
• Use a less detergent than suggested (1/4 or 1/3 less).
• Set your washing machine to the shortest cycle.
• When drying, use low heat.

Fading also happens to dark upholstery and rugs when they are exposed to the sun for long periods of time. Most goths would presumably not have this problem, but it's worth mentioning that you should keep curtains and blinds closed in order to keep direct sunlight off of dark furnishings.

The window-side of dark colored curtains will, unfortunately, always be prone to fading. One way to get around this is have blinds behind the curtains. Also, lined curtains won't show fading all the way through. To line curtains, sew or fabric glue a panel of solid fabric to the back of the curtain. Make sure they're in coordinating colors, because the lining may show when you open the curtains.