Curtains are integral part of your home. You buy different types of curtains for doors, windows and other spaces. You not only see their functional part but you also choose curtains to enhance interior value of your space. However nothing remains beautiful and fresh if it is not taken care of. You can maintain quality of your curtains by following some useful tips on curtain care. Here are some of them:
- Care for window curtains
Before you wash curtains, you should remove all hardware from them. When you wash curtains, make sure to check the care label first. If you have any kind of doubt then you should initially test by washing a small corner of the curtains, with a mix of water and a small amount of liquid laundry detergent or liquid dish soap. Generally most curtains which are washable are needed to be washed in cold water with a small amount of laundry detergent. If you have curtains with delicate lace or you have sheer curtains then you may wash it with hands or machine inside a mesh bag.
- Don’t wash always
You cannot wash your curtains always. There are many reasons for not to wash curtains. There may be lining, or any trims and embellishments which are not washable or drapery and lining may be made of different fibers. So, if you go for washing then the fabric may shrink and your curtain would hang stiff and poorly. If the fabric has weakened because of sunlight then also you should avoid washing. Sometimes, your curtains may be too large for your washing machine also.
- Press when necessary
After you washed your curtains you need to press them. Apart from this other curtains which you have not washed like that of your living room or bedroom curtains, you can occasionally iron them also to keep pleats looking crisp and to keep the fabric fresh. You should keep in mind when you iron that you don’t damage the fabric. For this when ironing, you can always turn them inside out, put your iron on a low setting and glide the iron gently over the fabric and material of the curtain.
- Caring for Lace
You should use dryer on the air cycle to remove dust from lace curtains. If you have lace curtains then check if they are hand- or machine-washable. If they are then you can follow the directions given for the wash on the label or you can gently wash in cool water. You can use detergent that comes for fine washables.
- Taking care of sun light
Sun is damaging to curtains. Dust and grime are also destructive to curtain fabrics. If you have light-colored fabrics of your curtains then they generally reflect sunlight and resist fading. And if you have dark colored fabrics then they absorb light and fade. So, to protect curtain fabrics from sun you can use lined window treatments, blinds, or shades.