5 Tips To Clean Your Curtains Easily

Even if they don’t look dirty, knowing how to clean curtains, and making it part of your cleaning routine, will go a long way to helping your home stay clean.Most curtains are made of woven fabrics that gather dust, pet hair, and dander even mold spores. Over time, these things accumulate, and your window treatments start to look dingy.

That accumulation can also drastically affect your indoor air quality. Every time the curtains are opened or closed, dust and other debris begin swirling around in your home. You’ll find that debris settling on your furniture as well as your carpet, where every step stirs it up again.

* Garment Fabric Curtains

- Remove all hardware.

- Shake outdoors if possible.

- Wash two panels at a time on the delicate cycle using the cold setting.

- Dry on a low-heat setting.

- Immediately remove from the dryer to prevent wrinkles and rehang.

* Sheer Fabric or Lace Curtains

- Shake outdoors to dislodge dust and pet hair.

- Wash one panel at a time by submerging it in the soapy water for 10 minutes then swirling to loosen debris.

- Drain, refill the sink with cold water and swirl the panel again to remove soap residue.

* Acrylic Bead or Shell Curtains

- The easiest way to do this is by hanging a bed sheet behind them fasten it to the curtain rod with clothespins.

- Lay towels on the floor beneath the curtain.

- Fill a spray bottle with 2 cups warm water and 2-3 drops of liquid dish detergent and liberally spray the curtain top to bottom.

- Wipe them clean with a damp white cotton washcloth, lightly rubbing heavily soiled areas as needed.

- Let dry and remove the bed sheet backdrop.

* Velvet Curtains

- In general, lined velvet curtains should be treated as Dry Clean Only.

- Unlined velvet curtains require testing for colorfastness by dabbing a hidden area with a damp white washcloth. If the dye transfers to the cloth, take them to the dry cleaner. If the fabric is colorfast, wash them one panel at a time on the delicate cycle using cold water and half the usual amount of detergent.

- Freshly washed velvet curtains should be laid flat on a cotton sheet to dry, and never placed in the dryer.

* Dry-Clean Only Curtains

- If you decide to wash Dry-Clean Only curtains, do one panel at a time in the machine on the gentle cycle using cold water.

- Remove them from the machine immediately to keep the lining from wrinkling and then hang them on a laundry line or lay them flat to dry.

- Do NOT dry them in the dryer or the liner will most likely shrink.