When you are setting up your home, you take a lot of pain to choose and select the right curtains for windows. You make sure to match them with your wall color and sofa color and rummage around in the souk for days, to get the perfect material for your drapes. And once you hang them, you consider your work to be done. Unless there is some festival or you are spring cleaning, you hardly even glance in their direction, forget about cleaning them. Finally, when they get extremely soiled, you throw them away and start the buying process all over again. Instead of going for all-new curtains when your old ones become dingy, you should go for regular cleaning, which not only perks up your home décor, and keeps the curtains in good shape, but also allows you to put the money to better use. It is not a very tough task and can be done easily, by following the steps given below. So, read on and know how to clean curtain
Tips For Cleaning Curtains
- Check the fabric of the curtains, whether it is heavy or light. If your curtain is made up of light fabric, such as cotton or silk, a gentle shake now and then will be enough to keep them clean. You can also vacuum them on a regular basis, to keep them clean and dirt free. Before going for any cleaning method, look at the attached tag for information on the cleaning process that will suit your curtains.
- If your drapes are made of cotton or linen fabric, you can clean them on a weekly basis. Just put them in a washing machine and run the gentle cycle. For drying them, hang them out, in the sun. In case the curtains are colorful, you need to put them in half shade and half sun. Make sure to take them inside as soon as they get dried.
- If your draperies require dry-cleaning, but you cannot afford it every time, there is one option for you. Shake your curtains to remove as much dust you can or use a vacuum cleaner, if they are very heavy to clean. Then, take your cloth steamer and run it over your drapes. It will kill the germs and give the curtains a fresh appearance.
- Use a lint brush to wipe your curtain on a daily basis. Start at the top of the curtain and work your way towards the base. This is because, if you start from the base, the dust from the upper part will fall on it and make the curtain dirty again. Make sure to vacuum both sides of the curtains.
- Do the sniffing test on your curtains, every week. Sniff your curtains to see whether they smell fresh or stale. Some people spray their curtains with a freshener. You can do so too; just make sure not to use something with harsh chemicals inside, as it might weaken or even discolor the fabric.
- While cleaning the curtains, don’t forget to wash the curtain rings as well. If they have become rusty and dirty, boil them in water, along with vinegar. It will remove the rust and restore shine in them. Curtain rods also need to be cleaned on a regular basis.
- If your curtains are made of a sensitive fabric, don’t put them in places where they catch direct sun. If you cannot avoid it, put a liner behind them, to protect them from sun rot. You can even put blinds on such windows.
- If your curtains are made up of a very costly fabric, then it is better to have them dry-cleaned from a professional. Washing them at home might do more harm than good.