Curtains are an indispensable part of any home- both from an aesthetic and a functional point of view. They add beauty and grace to the rooms and also help keep the extreme cold or heat out, and of course, there is the added benefit of privacy that curtains allow.
Cleaning and maintaining curtains Bexley is quite a tiring and challenging task given how heavy and large drapes tend to be. You can’t quite pile them in with the rest of the laundry but then again, having them dry-cleaned every time they get dirty does not work out as a sensible solution either. In fact, people are usually prone to neglecting the drapes in their homes until they become damaged beyond repair and need to be replaced. In this article we share with you some expert advice for how to clean and maintain your curtains over the years.
A little effort daily goes a long way in keeping curtains clean. Whenever you get a few minutes free in the day, take a clean duster especially intended for fabrics and dust your curtains lightly. A feather duster or a damp cloth can also be used. This will shake loose any dirt and dust particles on the surface.
Ideally, you should vacuum your curtains whenever you can because this involves just as much effort as the previous step (probably less because the machine will be doing most of the work) and it allows for deeper cleaning. Most vacuum cleaners come with special attachments for drapes and fabrics and these will be very effective in keeping your curtains absolutely fresh.
Whether you decide to dust or use a vacuum cleaner, make sure you work from the top to the bottom, in long vertical strokes. While you clean, a lot of the dust that comes loose will fall downward. This way, even if it sticks to the lower ends of the curtain, those portions will get cleaned when you reach them.
Instead of taking your curtains off their hooks, let them hang while you clean. This allows for more flexible and easy arm movements and you won’t have to make a lot of effort bending over the fabric. Just make sure that the curtain rods are strong enough to hold up against all the movement and the suction action of the vacuum cleaner.
People often overlook the backside of the curtain and focus only on cleaning the side that is visible. In fact, most of the dirt will be on the back because this will be the side open to the windows and the door openings. You should first clean the back so that if some of the dust and grime do fly around or fall on the front side, it gets cleaned later and continues to look neat.
Much of the dirt collects in the hems of the curtains, so make sure you clean these out properly. The folds of the curtain are another vulnerable spot and require special attention.
If you are using a damp cloth to wipe down the curtains please use a vacuum cleaner or a dry duster first to get rid of as much of the dirt as you can. Wiping dust or grime on fabric with a damp cloth can be counterproductive because you might end up spreading the dirt and causing ugly blotches and stains.
Steam cleaning is a very effective way of cleaning curtains. There are a variety of handheld steam cleaners available in the markets. By purchasing one of these you can look forward to getting professional results without hiring the pros! Most curtains have a warning label describing which cleaning methods are appropriate. Please check to see if your curtains can be steam cleaned before starting the process.