Wash Curtains At Home
Curtains are textile pieces placed in the home in order to cover a door or window, and also serve as a decorative element. Their maintenance is usually periodic, since, depending on the room they are in, they could accumulate a large amount of dirt and unpleasant odors.
The grease released from cooking food, dust particles, and pet hair, among other dirt-causing agents that are suspended in the air of our home, end up accumulating on furniture, walls, and textiles. In this sense, the curtains are usually an easy target. Therefore, it is important to provide them with constant maintenance.
Otherwise, with the passage of time and lack of washing, the excess of ingrained dirt could weaken the fabric. Thus, when deciding to wash curtains, it would end up tearing, since it is necessary to scrub more vigorously and even apply products with more intense active ingredients to remove dirt.
wash curtains can be a messy task for some people regarding the manipulation of the textile because it is a piece that generally has a large format. In addition, there is the issue of the type of natural or synthetic material, which requires special treatment to prevent it from deteriorating, discoloring, or shrinking.
These are the main reasons why the hygiene of the curtains implies a visit to the dry cleaners, in order to clean, dry, and straighten them correctly. However, if the person is patient and informs himself about the needs of the fabric with which his curtain has been made, then he can clean it at home, either manually, in a washing machine, or with steam.
Three simple ways to wash curtains at home
Before starting to wash curtains, the person will have to check the manufacturing label, since it contains all the information regarding the type of washing, detergent to use, and maximum water temperature. Likewise, it will be known if it is pertinent to apply softener, and how the textile should be drained and dried.
Once these aspects have been pointed out, it will be possible to safely wash the silk curtains and lace curtains for the bedroom, as well as the cotton curtains, linen curtains, and thick curtains in the living room, or the synthetic curtains used. in the bathroom. Next, we explain the step by step.
Manual soaping of curtains
To wash curtains manually, it is necessary to have a large boat or a bathtub. Everything will depend on how big the textile is. Afterward, it is necessary to fill said space with fresh water and add detergent, preferably free of bleaches. Remember that if the manufacturer has recommended washing the product manually, this means that its fibers are delicate.
It is important to leave the curtains to soak for a period of no less than five hours and, after that time, rub the entire textile with your hands. In this way, the detergent will penetrate the fibers and will act to remove the accumulated dirt.
If the manufacturer allows it, after removing excess detergent, softener can be added and left to stand for at least one hour. This will make the fibers more pliable when putting up the curtains.
Wash curtains in the washing machine
To wash curtains in a washing machine, the cleaning procedure will be simpler. It is only necessary to remove the textile from the respective rails where it is hung and incorporate it into the washing machine.
Then, you will have to program the washing machine in a soft and short cycle, preferably with cold water and with a spin of no more than 400 revolutions per minute of work. Thus, it is possible to take care of the textile, avoiding its wear, shrinkage, and the generation of wrinkles.
steam wash curtains
Steam is another method for cleaning curtains, with which dirt, mites, and bacteria are removed. For this, the use of a steamer is essential. It is electrical equipment that incorporates nozzles and brushes, through which a volume of steam is generated at a certain pressure.
However, not all fabrics are suitable to be exposed to such cleaning technology, so, once again, the invitation is to review the curtain manufacturer’s instructions.
Regarding how to dry clean with steam cleaners, the procedure is intuitive, because after turning on the equipment and adjusting the head, it is only necessary to move it over the curtain, without having to disassemble it. Of course, it is necessary to keep the textile moving so that the steam is not projected in a single area and moistens the fabric.
Removes stains and brightens the colors of the curtains
The appearance of stains on white or colored curtains is usually common because this type of textile is washed two to three times a year. In this sense, the accumulation of dust and dirt is inevitable.
The quickest solution to this problem would be to apply some bleach, which removes the aforementioned stains. However, many times the use of these products discolors the curtains, making them dull and visually unattractive, so it is convenient to put into practice some tricks to wash curtains at home.
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The first piece of advice for those who do not know how to whiten curtains would be to add one to two tablespoons of baking soda to the detergent, as this ingredient has a highly effective active power, removing deep-seated stains and restoring whiteness to the fabric.
For its part, to learn how to remove mildew stains on fabric curtains, the indicated recipe is to incorporate a cup of vinegar for each liter of water used to soak the textile. It should be left to rest for at least an hour before rinsing.
One more piece of advice would be to wash curtains with ammonia, in order to brighten the colors so that the fabric is always like new. Remember that to maintain the cleanliness of the curtains, it is only necessary to know how the fabric with which they have been made should be treated and, then, to have the disposition to wash, dry, and iron them, as required.
