How to Clean Cloth Curtains
Curtains are often overlooked during daily and weekly cleaning routines, but they rapidly accumulate dust and dirt from your home and out of open windows. You can machine wash or dry clean most textile drapes, but washing them every time they start to look dusty or receive a place is inconvenient. In addition, regular washing will shorten the life span of your curtains’ fabric. Leave your curtains hanging, but add a few curtain maintenance to your cleaning schedule until they actually need a good wash.
Dust Buster
Expand your curtains whenever you dust the remainder of your residence, paying particular attention to valances and heavily gathered curtains. Leave your curtains hanging while you dust them, taking care not to pull too hard on the curtain pole as you work. Use a stationary duster, feather duster or dusting cloth, and start at the top and work your way down. Spread out the curtain to eliminate dust from the folds and dust the hems that may have gathered debris from the floors.
Versatile Vacuum
You vacuum your carpets to eliminate dust and dirt buildup quickly and easily, so put in your curtains to your vacuuming routine also. Use the fabric attachment to suck debris from both sides of your curtains while they are still hanging, concentrating on the folds and hems and taking care not to pull too hard in your curtain rods. If you have problems maintaining your curtains from being sucked into the vacuum, cover the hose using a nylon stocking. Fasten the hose using a rubber band, and dirt will filter without your taking your curtain using it.
Spotting Solution
When you get spots or obvious grime in your curtains, try place cleaning prior to using the washing machine. Use an upholstery cleaner to eliminate spots, or mix 1 squeeze of dish-washing fluid soap to one cup of warm water. Use a damp sponge to press on the soapy foam, not the fluid, in the place, and then eliminate the soap using a clean sponge. Dry the moist spot with a cloth and let it dry. Light-colored curtains can show water spots more easily than synthetic drapes, but steaming the spots using a steam cleaner or even the steam out of a hot iron not only helps soften the spots but also helps clean your curtains.
All Washed Out
Your curtains will last longer the fewer times you machine clean them, but you will finally have to give them a thorough cleaning. Wool, silk, shiny cotton and lined drapes have to be washed, but most curtains can probably be washed in your regular machine. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your drapes, but normally, they need to be washed with the delicate cycle in cold water using a gentle detergent. Machine dry your curtains on the low- or no-heat setting till they are only slightly moist and then hang them around the rods. The excess water weight will help them dry crease-free and hang effortlessly, but keep your windows closed so the moist drapes don’t collect more dust and dirt. Spray freshly washed and washed curtains using a static eliminator spray to keep more dust from accumulating.