Did you know that average curtains, per panel, cost between $20 and $300? In order to get the most out of your money, you’ll want to make sure that your curtains last as long as possible. To make that happen, you’ll have to take on the responsibility of curtain cleaning every so often.
But how often should you clean your curtains and, more than that, how should you go about doing it? The details depend on what kind of curtains you have. Keep reading and learn more about how to deep clean your curtains and how to keep them clean for years to come.
How Often Should You Clean Your Curtains?
No matter how clean your house is, your curtains will eventually pick up many layers of dust, hair, dust mites, and other debris. Even if your curtains look perfectly clean, they are likely full of dirt, especially if you haven’t cleaned them in a while. It can be easy to forget to clean your drapes, but it is important to give them a good wash every 6 months or so.
Cleaning your curtains every 6 months is a good way to keep your curtains in great shape. If you never clean your curtains or only clean them every few years, dust mites and other critters will eventually make those curtains their home and will end up damaging the fabric over time. This is not to mention that your curtains might take on a strange smell or dusty appearance if you never clean them.
Also, by cleaning your curtains about twice a year, you can remove allergens from your home. This is especially important if you or someone in your household has particularly sensitive allergies. Most curtains are, after all, magnets for dust.
By cleaning them, you can remove a large chunk of dust and other allergens from your home. If you live in a dry or dusty environment, it might be best to clean your curtains every 3 months. But how should you go about cleaning your curtains in the first place?
This is important to know because some curtains are more delicate than others. If you end up washing your curtains in the wrong fashion, you could easily end up ruining them. Fortunately, most modern curtains can go through your washer machine without any trouble.
How to Clean Your Curtains
If you don’t have time to clean your curtains, you can always hire a professional curtain cleaning service. Even though this will cost you a bit of extra money, you will find that it will be worth it considering that you will save yourself a lot of time and energy. If you want to clean your curtains yourself, on the other hand, there are a few things you will need to consider.
First, you will want to vacuum curtains before washing them in any way. Vacuuming them will remove the surface layer of dust that may have settled on the fabric over time. You will want to use your vacuum’s gentlest setting for this, especially if your curtains are on the delicate side.
If the suction of the vacuum is too strong, it might end up sucking in a large portion of your curtains, which, of course, is not ideal. If you don’t think your curtains are durable enough to withstand your vacuum, you can always slap the dust out of the curtains with your hand or an object. Once most of the dust is gone, you will want to check the cleaning directions on the label of your curtains.
If the label says that the curtains can be tossed in the washer machine, then don’t hesitate to do so. Once the curtains are done washing, you can either put them in the drier or have them dry outside in the fresh air. If your curtains got wrinkled after being washed, you will want to iron them while they are still a bit damp.
What You Need to Know
If you try to iron your curtains when they are already dry, you will find that it will be a much harder task. If you think that your curtains are too big or bulky to fit in your washer machine, it might be better to send your curtains off to professional cleaners.
What if your curtains are stained? Fortunately, removing stains from curtains is actually quite an easy task. All you need is a simple mixture of distilled white vinegar and water.
When you mix these two ingredients together, the mixture can remove stains in no time. All you need to do is dab some of this mixture on the stains and then sprinkle some baking soda over the wet area. The vinegar will help penetrate the stain and lift the pigment up and out of the fabric.
The baking soda on top will help to lift the vinegar and water, which will ultimately lift the stain out of the fabric. The vinegar mixture and the baking soda should sit for several hours, if not overnight. Then, vacuum away the baking soda and admire the results.
The stain should be completely gone. If some of the stains are still there, repeat this process until the stain is gone or call professional cleaners to do the job for you.
Everything You Need to Know About Curtain Cleaning
Curtain cleaning doesn’t have to be as complicated as it sounds. You should aim to clean your curtains about every 6 months. While you can clean your curtains on your own, professional cleaners can make the process much easier.
To learn more about professional cleaners, contact us here.
