If you own curtains, you know that sourcing them can be quite the project. You might have shopped around for designs, purchased the perfect curtains, and had them installed. However, window care does not end with choosing a set of drapes. You need to have a maintenance schedule for your curtains. If you don’t, you’ll end up with faded, dirty drapes soon enough.
Before you know it, your stylish fixtures will become dust traps. Help keep your family safe, and ensure your curtains can be used for years to come, by following our tips. Aside from protecting your curtains from sunlight, keeping them looking new also means sticking to a cleaning program. Read on to see what we included in our schedule, which you can adapt to your needs.
Daily – dusting and spot cleaning
Give your drapes a shake or a light dusting every day. You will make your weekly cleaning sessions easier if you do this. Curtains, like any surface in your home, attract dirt particles. Because of this, a daily dusting is ideal for preventing excessive build-up. You should also check your curtains for spot staining.
Because you cannot take them down every day to wash, you need to clean these dirt spots as your curtains are up. Depending on the type of fabric, you may need to use paper towels or terrycloth, soaked in warm water.
Weekly – vacuum cleaning and mending
Try to vacuum your curtains once a week. This takes care of any smaller particles you don’t manage to shake off from your curtains. Scheduling your floor and carpet vacuuming on the same day as when you’ll dust your curtains helps make this efficient. It is important to maintain a regular vacuuming schedule for your curtains because this prevents allergy breakouts.
Once a week, you should also check your drapes for holes. If the hole is tucked away to one side, or in an inconspicuous part of the fabric, you can mend it using temporary stitches, so you don’t have to disrupt your cleaning schedule.
Monthly - washing and drying
If you vacuum regularly, you just need to put them in the laundry dryer once a month. Spinning your drapes helps remove any remaining dust particles.
You need to make sure, though, that your curtains are machine-washable before putting them in the spinner. Definitely check with your provider if your drapes have other cleaning instructions.
Every three to six months – deep cleaning
Even the most vacuumed curtains need to be taken down for cleaning. If you haven’t washed your drapes in three months, you should machine-wash them or send them out for dry cleaning. Check what kind of laundry options you have for your curtains. For example, cotton is completely machine-washable, but wool should only be dry-cleaned. Some curtains are made of materials that are so delicate that you need to hand wash them in warm water.
When using a washing machine, do not overload your drum with all of your panels. It may be tempting to do your load all in one go, but one panel at a time is best. You should do your laundry in the summer or during long stretches without rain as it takes more than a day for heavy curtains to dry out.
In Conclusion
Having a maintenance schedule for your curtains will help keep them looking new. It is not enough to clean them by just dusting or occasionally vacuuming. You need to wash them as well and check for holes or frayed parts. Finally, it is good to have them pressed. Crisp drapes always look better than wrinkled ones. When you have a schedule for your curtain upkeep, you are sure to make them last.
If you are looking for a source for quality curtains, try Direct Fabrics. We supply soft furnishings across the UK and Europe and will be with you from selection to installation. Get in touch with us to see how we can help.