The morning sun would blind us and melt us when having our coffee.  We put these curtains up and it was like night and day (pardon the pun).  It felt 15 - 20 degrees cooler and the curtain blocked out the blinding sun.  

The curtains have held up perfectly and although we live in a relatively moist area (middle Tennessee), we have not had any mildew, mold, or dirt buildup on these.  We have been pleasantly surprised that after about 5 - 6 months use, they still look brand new and don't need cleaning.

These are met our needs perfectly!  We are very pleased!