Let’s figure out how to wash curtains made of different fabrics: linen, cotton, viscose, velvet, and blackout. And we tell you the intricacies of cleaning products with decor.
It doesn’t matter whether light curtains or heavy thick drapes hang on the window. Sooner or later they will become covered with the ubiquitous dust, become greasy, and stains will appear on them. Returning textiles to their original appearance is not as easy as it seems. The variety of materials and decors greatly complicates this process. Let’s figure out how to wash curtains so as not to spoil them.
How often to wash curtains
There is no clear answer to this question, although all kinds of housekeeping guides recommend doing this at least once every six months. But this may not be enough. The degree of pollution is influenced by many factors.
What to pay attention to before washing
- The type of fabric the curtain is made from. On canvases without antistatic treatment, for example, dust settles faster and in larger quantities.
- Season. In summer, as well as in warm spring and autumn, the windows are open, street dirt easily gets on the panels.
- The purpose of the room in which the decor is located. Thus, kitchen decoration is subjected to intensive treatment with steam, greasy splashes, etc., while in the bedroom or living room, there is no such contamination.
Therefore, each housewife decides for herself whether it is time to wash the curtains or not. But we must remember that even if there are no obvious traces of dirt on them, the panels that have been hanging for several months are saturated with dust. You can, of course, periodically clean it with a vacuum cleaner, but this will not solve the problem. Regular water treatments or full dry cleaning are necessary.
Handwash
Reading the manufacturer’s recommendations will help you determine the cleaning method. Curtains purchased in stores must have markings indicating which mode to wash the curtains and other features of the process. If this is not the case, you will have to focus on the composition of the textile and the features of its design. Some fabrics are strictly prohibited from being washed in any way, even by hand. They are taken to the dry cleaner.
Machine processing is also not for everyone. Manual is universal, but not always feasible. If, for example, the panels are very large and dense, the machine will handle them better.
The process of hand-washing curtains
- Shake out the curtains to remove dust. It is better to do this outside or on the balcony. As a last resort, we shake them in the bathroom so as not to dust the living rooms. Thick curtains can be knocked out with a special device.
- Pour cool water into the bath, add salt to it, and stir. Place the curtains in the saline solution. After about an hour, we lift them, straighten them, and dip them in water again. We repeat this several times. Drain the water.
- Take clean warm water and dissolve liquid detergent or washing powder in it. If necessary, add bleach if the fabric should be snow-white. We lower it into the solution. Leave for 40-60 minutes. Take out the curtains several times and dip them into the water again. Drain the dirty solution. We repeat everything three or four times.
- Pour clean water into the bath and add conditioner if necessary. Rinse the product several times. We fold it lengthwise like an accordion, squeeze it out lightly, and hang it over the bathtub to drain the water.
This cleaning method is suitable for delicate textiles that do not tolerate machine washing well: items made of silk, wool, thin nylon tulle, etc.
Washing in a washing machine
Washing curtains in an automatic washing machine is much easier. It is important that he is able to endure such processing without loss. You need to make sure of this in advance by reading the manufacturer’s labeling. To prevent unpleasant situations, it is advisable that the washing machine has a delicate mode or its equivalent and the ability to turn off the spin cycle.
General rules
- The curtains are placed in the drum very carefully, without creases or twisting. The container should not be filled more than halfway. Otherwise, the material will not be rinsed properly.
- All detergents must be liquid. Powders are difficult to rinse out.
- It is better not to use the spin or reduce its speed to 600 rpm.
- Fabrics decorated with bugles, beads, embroidery, metal parts, etc. are washed only in special bags.
Before putting it into the machine, textile decor must be shaken out to reduce dust. Heavily contaminated items are pre-soaked in cool water with salt or soda. Let’s talk about how to properly wash different types of fabrics.
Selecting a mode by fabric type
Textiles of a simple cut without additional finishing are easy to care for. The main condition for success is to choose the right processing mode.
Cotton and linen
Durable, wear-resistant fabrics. They withstand high-temperature intensive washing well. For dressed flax choose 40°C, for dyed flax – 50-60°C. Cotton is even more unpretentious. White models, if necessary, can be washed at 80-90°C, dyed and printed ones – at 50-60°C. Repeated rinsing is required, preferably using conditioner. Dry cotton and linen away from heating equipment to avoid shrinkage. Iron slightly damp.
Silk, wool
Products made from natural fibers are best dry cleaned. The results of washing in a machine can be disastrous. However, if you decide to clean them at home, soaking them first is necessary. The machine selects a special “Silk” or “Wool” mode; only special liquid detergents and conditioner are used. Spinning is strictly prohibited. Dry silk and woolen fabrics away from heaters.
Viscose, polyester, other synthetics
All artificial threads cannot withstand high temperatures and intense impact. Therefore, they need to be washed on a delicate cycle at 30-40°C. It is advisable to pre-soak and use special detergents. To make ironing easier and maintain appearance, it is advisable to use conditioner. It is recommended to spin at minimum speed or not spin at all. In the latter case, the product is placed over the bathtub to drain the water, then ironed while still wet or immediately hung on the ledge.
Velvet
Regardless of the composition, dry cleaning is recommended for velvet. But sometimes it needs to be washed. This is possible, but good results are not guaranteed. First, the velvet curtains are carefully knocked out. Then they are folded with the front side inward into a strip whose width is equal to the depth of the drum. Roll the resulting strip into a roller and place it in the machine. Select the “Delicate” program with the minimum temperature and processing time. Spin is excluded. To dry, the fabric is straightened and laid out on a horizontal surface with the pile facing up.
Blackout
These are light-opaque models made from dense materials. There are one and two layers. In any case, blackout curtains can be washed in a washing machine. The dust is knocked out of them, carefully rolled up and placed in a drum. No special precautions are required. The mode is selected in accordance with the composition of the material. Most often you can squeeze them out. Dry flat to make ironing easier.
Washing items with decor
The cleaning regime determines not only the composition of the fabric, but also the finish of the product. Therefore, it can be difficult to decide how to wash blackout, thread or Roman curtains. Let’s figure out how to do it right.
Models with eyelets
Eyelets are large rings on which the cloth is hung. They can be plastic or metal, removable or stationary. Curtains with eyelets must be washed carefully, because the rings can damage the material. Metal parts of low quality can rust when exposed to water, and then unpleasant orange stains and streaks appear.
To prevent this from happening, removable elements must be removed before soaking. Products with permanent eyelets are carefully rolled up and placed in a mesh bag. Select a delicate cleaning program and turn off the spin cycle. At the end of the cycle, remove the fabric from the bag, allow it to drain, and dry it in a straightened form. The same applies to models decorated with large plastic or metal elements, rhinestones, and beads.
Thread decor
You need to wash thread curtains so that they do not get tangled. To do this, the threads are divided into several bundles, each of which is tied into a loose knot. You can do it differently. A braid or several are woven from threads if the product is long. The braid is secured at the end with a rubber band.
In this form, the curtain is placed in the drum. The mode is selected in accordance with the composition of the threads. Often this is a regular wash at 40°C. The spin is not turned off, but the maximum number of revolutions is not used either. The wet product is untied or unraveled, carefully straightened and hung on a curtain rod, where it finally dries.
Roman and roll systems
They must be cared for in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. For rolls, dry and dry cleaning is most often recommended. They can be washed, but very carefully. Let’s get acquainted with recommendations on how to wash Roman blinds. First, they are disassembled and all plastic and metal parts are removed. Then they put the canvas in a mesh bag and put it in the machine. Select a delicate program and dry flat.
Comfort in an apartment is impossible without clean, ironed curtains. Putting them in order is not so difficult and should be done regularly. Then the cleaning process will not cause unnecessary trouble, and the result will be the best.
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