Curtains are a must have window furnishing in any house or office. They offer both functional and aesthetical benefits.
On one hand, they help to block out excess sunlight while insulating external sound, thus offering privacy to people in the space. On the other hand, when chosen correctly, they complement the interior design of the space and even add depth to it.
Yet, like any other furnishing, they require regular care, maintenance and cleaning.
Cleaning Curtains in your Household or Office
Curtains should be cleaned on a regular basis. We advocate a weekly routine of dusting and vacuuming your curtains without removing them from their rack. This helps to prevent a buildup of dust, dirt, pest, pollen or any other foreign particles. Furthermore, since you do not have to take down the curtain, minimal work is involved here.
On a monthly basis, you should wash your curtains. Depending on their material, different washing methods will have to be used. If your curtain’s manufacturer instructions state that you may spin them, then a washing machine can be used.
When using a washing machine, we recommend using cold water with a delicate cycle. This reduces the change of damaging your curtain. After which, you may dry it on low heat. It is important that your curtain is dried before you hang them up as wet curtains are a prime location for mold growth.
If you are unable to machine wash your curtains, then you would have to do so by hand. A best practice for this is to wash one panel at a time by swirling it to loosen any debris. Once this is done, it should be allowed to drip dry.
Dry Cleaning Your Curtains
Certain curtain materials cannot be washed with water. Often times, this is due to the thickness of the material. In this case, you would have to bring your curtains to a dry cleaner for professional treatment.
Other than thickness, the potential for the curtain’s colour to run is another deciding factor when picking dry cleaning. To test this, you can simply take a damp white cloth and press lightly against a hidden part of your curtain. If your cloth begins to change colour, then it would be a telltale sign that your curtain’s colour will run when washed.
Steaming Your Curtains
If your curtains can be washed, then steaming makes a great alternative to vacuuming. As with vacuuming or dusting, steaming allows you to clean your curtains while they remain hung.
However, caution should be taken to prevent the curtain from becoming overly soaked or damp. To do so, we advise that you keep the steamer further away from the curtain and not to hover over any one spot for too long.
If possible, we also recommend that you hire a professional curtain cleaning Singapore for either dry cleaning or steaming services. This will ensure that your curtain gets the right treatment and no damage is dealt to it.
