Your curtains will add the finishing touch to any room in your home, so keeping them clean is essential to maintain the aesthetics of your home. Whether you’re doing a thorough cleaning of your home or you’ve got something on your curtain that you need to get off, to help you, we’ve put together this essential guide to washing your curtains.
Things to Think About
Colour - whilst all curtains will attract stains there are some colours you can choose that won’t show up stains as much, choosing a darker colour might mean you don’t have to wash your curtains as often as if you chose white curtains.
Material - some curtain fabric is much more absorbent than others can be. A set of heavier curtains will soak up more airborne particles than others, meaning they will catch a lot more dirt in them than other curtains as well.
Location - depending on where you hang your curtains, might depend on how dirty your curtains get, if they are in the kitchen and that room gets used the most, they will get dirtier than others. These might need a little more attention than curtains in the spare room that never get touched. Concentrating on the curtains in the rooms with the most dirt and grime would be best.
Lifestyle - your lifestyle can say a lot about the condition of your curtains - as some families will naturally create more dirt than others. A few factors that can affect the condition and quality of your curtains are whether you have children or not, whether you are smokers and if you have pets.
Ways You Can Wash Your Curtains
When aiming for clean curtains, you’ve got to make sure that you wash them correctly otherwise it could ruin and damage them. Being aware of the washing instructions on the label is very important, but here are a few ways that you can choose to wash your curtains for the best results.
Washing Machine
People often ask ‘can I machine wash my curtains’, and the answer is yes - but only in some cases, you need to be careful. Most curtains will have their own specific washing recommendations on their label, so turning to that for advice would be ideal. Choosing the ‘delicates’ or ‘cool wash’ setting on your washing machine would work well for your curtains so they don’t get too hot and damage the material.
Cleaning curtains in the washing machine can mean dust and dirt are eliminated, but exercising caution is always advisable.
Hand Washing
If your curtains are a bit more delicate, and cleaning them in a washing machine isn’t an option then hand washing might be the best option for your curtains. We’d recommend using the bath or a large sink so you can wash the whole curtain together, rather than missing bits out.
The label on your curtain will indicate the warm water temperature that you should wash your curtains, alongside any extra advice you might need when cleaning them. Getting out curtain stains can be more focused with a hand wash too as you'll be able to locate and deal with them faster than a machine wash will provide.
Drying Your Curtains
Whether you have chosen to hand wash your curtains or use your washing machine if you can dry your curtains out on the line during a warm sunny day when it’s breezy then this would be the best option.
Alternatively, check the care label. If it says you can on your curtain label then drying them in the tumble dryer would be a much quicker alternative for drying your curtains. Large amounts of fabric if left out too long to air dry can become musty and damp so keeping that in mind when you’re washing and drying your curtains is important.
Maintaining Your Curtains
If you are wondering how often you should wash your curtains, there isn’t a definitive answer. We would advise you to keep your curtains clean as and when they get dirty or if your home collects dust and odours regularly. Use the vacuum cleaner if you need to get rid of heavy dust or detritus or even have them dry cleaned if you want them perfect tip top condition.
These top tips should hopefully help you keep your curtains looking fresher for longer, allowing you to just brush over them now and again with your hoover. Do you have questions about washing your curtains? If so our helpful team of experts are here to help you through your journey at The Mill Shop.
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