Are you noticing the accumulation of dust on your curtains over the past few months? First, read the care instructions to find out if you can wash curtains or draperies. If you do decide to dry clean them, be sure to check. These curtain cleaning tips from Consumer Reports’ “How to Clean Practically Anything” will help you in either case.
Curtain Cleaning Tips and Don’ts
How to Dry Clean
Even though your window coverings may be made from washable fabrics, the seams and linings can shrink in the washing machine. If in doubt, dry clean. Dry-clean drapes and curtains with intricate ornamentation, such as swags or pleats, that are not strong enough to withstand washing.
Special Fabrics
It is possible to refresh velvet draperies without having them washed or dried-cleaned. Simply brush them with a chamois cloth, dipped in hotwater and wrung thoroughly. Hand-wash silk curtains in cool or lukewarm water. Use mild liquid detergent. Gently swish the silk curtains, but do not twist or wring.
Sun Damage
Even the most sturdy fabrics can become fragile from constant sunlight exposure. When machine washing curtains or draperies, you should use the gentle cycle with cool or lukewarm detergent and cool water. Hang them on a clothesline or dry them on a delicate or no-heat setting in your clothes dryer.
Sheer Curtains
Even if sheer curtains don’t appear dirty, they should be washed on a regular basis. They can become permanently stained if dirt accumulates. These delicate fabrics should be cleaned gently. Let them soak in cold water for five minutes, making sure that they don’t fill more than half of the machine. Use mild detergent and, if necessary, a bleaching agent. Turn the dial to drain the water. Then run the machine on a gentle wash setting, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Place the sheer curtains along with a few terry-cloth towels in an airtight dryer for 2 to 3 minutes. Rehang the curtains while they are still damp and shape them. Move an ironing board near the window to iron the hems of draperies or curtains while they are hanging. To smoothen them, you can use a handheld steamer to do the same thing as a regular steamer.
Routine Curtain Cleaning
Remember to dust drapes and curtains regularly after the deep cleaning. Use a soft-brush attachment on your vacuum or a long-handled soft-fiber broom. They are much more effective at collecting dust than natural fibers.
You should set your vacuum cleaner for a lower suction setting to avoid drawing the fabric into its nozzle. To prevent this from happening, you might place a rigid piece of plastic screen between your fabric and the nozzle. You can also secure an old nylon stocking with a rubber band over the nozzle.
You can easily take down drapes or curtains, and then rehang them.
Step-by-Step Guide to Curtain Care
- In case of stretching curtains, measure the curtains before you wash them. Make sure you remove any hooks or weights. Then, loosen the tapes to allow them to lay flat.
- Dust the curtains by running them through the dryer on the no-heat setting before you start the best curtain cleaning in auckland. You can also shake them and place them on a mattress. Then dust them with the vacuum brush attachment.
- Do not overload your washing machine. Also, remember that curtains will be heavier when they are wet.
- Hand-washing is not recommended. Instead, agitate the fabric gently.
- To avoid wet surfaces touching, dry curtains on two parallel lines. Do not let curtains dry on wood as this could cause staining.
- Iron the vertical length of the side that isn’t visible while it’s damp. To avoid watermarks, dampen the whole curtain again if parts of it has dried.
- To avoid puckering, stretch the seams while ironing. Next, spread the curtains on a flat surface such as a table or a bed and then pull them up to the right size.
- After curtains have dried, attach hooks and weights to them and then pull the tape to the correct width.
- Hanging curtains can save you a step. Then, use either a handheld steamer to steam them or a regular steamer to smoothen them.
- Clean the valances that are attached to the wall before hanging the curtains. Clean an upholstered valance using the upholstery attachment. Use the crevice tool to clean a wooden valance.
- Rehanging curtains is easier when someone stands on a ladder to insert hooks, and someone else stands below to ensure that the curtains don’t drag on the ground.
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