A Quick Guide To Curtain Care

Curtains and drapes represent a relatively significant investment, depending on the size of your windows, so it’s important that you know how best to go about taking care of them over time to ensure that they don’t need to be replaced sooner rather than later.

The various techniques you’ll need to employ will largely be dictated by the type of fabric and material you’ve gone for, as well as curtain construction. You don’t want to throw your beautiful velvet curtains in the washing machine, for example!

When it comes to day to day care, there’s not much you need to do with your drapes. Simply give them a bit of a gentle shake as you open them and close them in the morning and at night to help prevent the buildup of dust and dirt.

Once a month, consider giving them a bit of a deeper clean using the vacuum cleaner and soft brush attachment, using the lowest setting possible and avoiding any embellishments that may be a feature so you don’t suck them up. As you go, keep a lookout for any household pests like moths, which can really wreak havoc on your upholstery!

Every six months or so, it’s advisable to give your curtains a truly deep clean and give them a proper wash. Make sure you check the care instructions for any simple drapes or plain-panel curtains before you do so you can ensure that they are washable and you won’t ruin them by putting them in the washing machine.

Run them on a cool cycle and don’t put too much fabric in the washing machine. You may need to wash your individual curtains separately, depending on the size of your machine. Once the cycle is done, you can tumble dry the fabric or hang them up outside. Give them a good iron on the reverse side and they’re ready to be hung back up again!

However, if you think your curtains look a little wrinkly after they’ve finished drying, you can smooth them out quite quickly by running over them (on the reverse side again) with an iron or steamer.

If you have non-washable fabric like the aforementioned velvet, you’re best off taking your curtains off to the dry cleaners to give them a new lease of life.

You may also want to consider doing the same with any pleated curtains you have, as you may find they lose their shape if you put them in the machine. And if the drapes and the lining are made from different materials, it’s often best to err on the side of caution and go for dry cleaning in order to preserve their construction.

If you need any further help or advice relating to curtain care, make sure you get in touch with the Pret A Vivre team today.