Clean draperies and curtains can add beauty and style to any room, and they serve useful funсtіоnѕ including blocking sunlight and providing privacy. However, with time they аlѕо tend to accumulate soil. You’ll nееd to clean them regularly to keep them looking their bеѕt.

How Often Do Curtains or Drapes Need Cleaning?

Cleaning your curtains at home еvеrу 3 to 6 months should be аррrорrіаtе for mоѕt hоuѕеholds, with professional cleaning by a service like Reliable Carpet Care every 3-5 years. We recommend more frequent cleaning if anyone in your home:

Has allergies
Smokes either indoors or near entry doors or windows that open
Has recently been sick with a cough or communicable disease
Or if you have pets that shed, or have dander or powder (like some birds, including cockatiels)

Cleaning Options:

You can basically do 1 of 3 things:

Nothing. Live with the dirt and pollen in the air that your family breathes, and ignore any stains that may have accumulated from time and daily life.
Clean them yourself. This can be appropriate periodically. Dust and airborne soil can be removed at home to a significant extent. However, depending on the size and weight of your window coverings, it can be a difficult and cumbersome task. Nevertheless, below we’ve given you some DIY methods you may want to consider.
Professional cleaning. By far the safest, easiest, and most effective method of getting clean draperies is entrusting them to a professional like Reliable Carpet Care. With our extensive experience, we know how to clean your window coverings safely, and the results are unparalleled. Your drapes will be left without the dust mites, pollen, flu virus, pet dander, shed skin cells, and other detritus that used to clog its fabric. And they will look beautiful again, which is the reason for having lovely draperies in the first place.

Regular Maintenance

Typically curtains and draperies get dusty, and that is what you’re trying to clean from them, to reduce allergens in the home. Keep your curtains and drapes in good shape between seasonal, deep cleanings with the following steps

Caution: Things you should not do include vacuuming your curtains and/or putting them in the dryer. In particular, do NOT use the upholstery attachment of your vacuum, as its teeth may snag the fabric and ruin your curtains and draperies. These are two easy ways to destroy your window coverings.

Some DYI Curtain and Drape Cleaning Techniques

Leaf Blower: Once every few months use a leaf blower to remove dust from curtains and draperies from top to bottom, paying extra attention to the top 10-12 centimeters where the majority of dust accumulates. Obviously, it’s best to do this outdoors if you can. If a leaf blower isn’t an option, try another possibility below.

Blot: Check your window coverings for stains. Stubborn stains may require a spot treatment. For fabrics other than silk, wool, or acetate, blot with a clean, moist sponge followed by a dab of rubbing alcohol. To avoid unpleasant surprises, test everything on an inconspicuous area first.

Press: Some fabrics are more prone to wrinkles than others. If your drapes appear wrinkled or creased, you can iron them to smooth the fabric. Be careful to check the tag for temperature settings to prevent damage. If you’re not sure, use a cool iron and press on the reverse side of the curtains and/or clean draperies, putting a towel between the fabric and iron. Or, to quote everybody’s grandmother, if in doubt – don’t.

Spray: From cigarette smoke to cooking odours, unpleasant smells may cling to your window coverings. If you can’t have your curtains cleaned at this time or want instant relief from odours, try a fabric freshener spray. Test it in a location that no one can see 24 hours before spraying the whole curtain. Check the test area carefully for colour damage.

Why call Reliable Carpet Care?

Not every dry cleaner or other fabric cleaning specialist is a good choice for your drapes and curtains. The experienced technicians at Reliable know how to protect and properly handle your window treatments. This includes measuring their length to ensure they’re returned to you the same size. We will take down your drapes so you don’t have to climb dangerous ladders. Besides, quality drapes are often quite heavy and few homeowners enjoy struggling with their weight. We also dress the window again after cleaning, to ensure your drapes hang as intended when they come home.

Final Thoughts

Curtains and draperies in your home are expensive and beautiful. No doubt about that. But they also act as a giant air filter in your home, trapping dust, pollutants and grime. That’s why it’s important to clean window coverings regularly, not only to preserve the style of your decor but also to maintain air quality in your home.

To arrange for your curtain cleaning, or if you just want expert advice regarding window treatments, call Reliable Carpet Care at 416-461-4006.