Curtains: Care and Cleaning Tips
Most curtains collect dust and pollutants easily, especially the thick and dark ones. They can get really dirty before you realize it. This can be harmful to the health of the residents especially small children and elderly persons and increase the risk of respiratory diseases. If any of your family members has frequent attacks of bronchitis or asthma one of the main culprits may be your dirty curtains. Hence keeping your curtains clean is an important part of reducing indoor pollution. Curtains used in humid areas of the home can encourage mold and mildew growth, causing health hazards. Here are some care and cleaning tips to keep your curtains dust free and looking bright and beautiful at all times.
You can spray your curtains once a week with a room freshener making sure that it does not contain any harsh chemicals that might stain, discolor or weaken the fabric. It is advisable to keep sensitive materials away from the sun to prevent sun rot. This can also be prevented by using liners for the curtains or use blinds for the windows. Daily care consists of giving your curtains a good shake to remove loose dust. This will reduce the dust accumulation in the curtains. However you should avoid this if you have dust allergy or use a dust mask. Shaking will only remove the loose dust. To remove the embedded dust you must also vacuum the curtains on a regular basis if possible when you vacuum your carpet, although vacuuming curtains need not be done as frequently as vacuuming carpets.
To prevent the buildup of dust you must vacuum your curtains regularly by using the soft brush attachment. You can put a plastic piece or cardboard behind the curtain to make it easier to run the attachment over the curtain. In case of delicate material be careful so that the curtain is not swallowed by the vacuum nozzle. Before you try to clean, especially those window curtains that have been exposed to the sun for long, make sure that the fabric is not affected by sun rot. You can do this by feeling and trying to stretch the fabric. If it shows signs of sun rot then cleaning will further damage it. It is time to buy a new curtain. Polyester and acrylic are more sun resistant and colorfast than rayon, cotton, silk and acetate. Blending acetate with cotton or silk makes the fabric more sun resistant.
Look for the care and cleaning instructions that come with the curtains. If the curtain is lined get professional advice because the curtain may get deshaped, pucker or hang poorly due to uneven shrinkage of the curtain and lining materials. It may be better to get such curtains professionally dry cleaned. Unlined curtains can be washed according to cleaning instructions using cleaning methods recommended for the particular type of fabric used. Large curtains can be washed in the bathtub rather than the washing machine. After washing, the curtains can be dried in air dry mode in your dryer with a fabric softener sheet. This will remove wrinkles easily and your curtains will smell fresh.
You can safely wash net and sheer curtains in your bathtub with warm water into which a couple of denture tablets have been thrown in. Most of the curtain fabrics will hold up in the washing machine if the delicate cycle is used. First test for color fastness in an inconspicuous area before attempting to wash. For adding fullness to your heavier curtains, in the final rinse cycle, you can add three fourth cup of epsom salts. To avoid wrinkles hang the curtains to dry while they are wet. If they don’t hang straight you can add weight by inserting a broom handle or curtain rod into the bottom hem, while drying so that they get straightened out.
Shower curtains get dirty after sometime and there is build up of grime and soap scum. To keep your shower curtains looking fresh you must clean them regularly by wiping them with a non abrasive mild soap solution. Rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry. Your regular clothes washer is good enough for most shower curtains whether they are made of fabric, vinyl or plastic. Read the instructions on labels if any. You can use your regular laundry detergent. For very dirty curtains use a cup of baking soda. Don’t use warm or hot water for plastic materials as they might get softer or melt. To prevent growth of mold and mildew in shower curtains soak in vinegar or salt solution before drying. To remove mildew and mold add a little bleach to the wash water.
You can safely cold machine wash cotton, fleece, linen, acrylic, polyester and chenille. Acetate, metallic cotton, lycra velvet, rayon, tapestries and wool should be dry cleaned. Silk can be either hand washed or dry cleaned. For acrylic, polyester and nylon microfibers just cold machine wash without spinning. For polyester and silk use a cool iron. Cotton and linen can be ironed slightly damp. These care and cleaning tips will help you to always keep your curtains looking fresh and bright.
