Drapes adorn almost every room in the house and are delicate, decorative, and stylish. They can never appear to be filthy at first glance. It can be difficult to know when it's time to clean the drapes. Naturally, you put this chore on the back burner while you wait for a weekend to open up on your calendar. Weeks turn into months and months into years before you know it. Those dirty reams of cloth are actually hanging over your head the whole time.

Drapes, too, require care and maintenance to maintain their longevity and keep them in good shape, despite their ability to simply become a "piece of furniture" among everything else you own.

The question of how often you should clean your curtains arises. How can you protect delicate sheer ones? Is it possible to wash your curtains? Is there a universal curtain, drapery, and upholstery cleaning method that works for all styles or do you have to tailor it to the specific make and fabric?

Take a look at this quick guide on cleaning drapes. These steps will ensure that your home is healthy and that your window treatments are in good condition.

Cleaning of drapes

1. Check the care instructions

Most homeowners overlook a curtain's maintenance instructions, believing that their own cleaning procedures are the most effective. Make sure you do not make the same mistake. Traditional washing works for some materials but not for others due to their sensitive nature. Cleaning a curtain or drape is a simple task that will extend the life of the materials if done correctly. For the best way to clean your curtains, follow the care directions to the point. Otherwise, you can end up shopping for window treatments rather than cleaning them.

2. Spot cleaning

You don't have to clean all of the curtains if you find a stain on a recently cleaned fabric. Instead, do spot cleaning. To remove the stain, just moisten a piece of cloth with soapy water and rub gently.

3. Vacuum cleaning

The most irritating nuisance in the house is dust. It also builds up on draperies and curtains! Vacuuming is an excellent way to remove dust off light, fragile drapes.

Simply connect the appropriate brush tip to the machine and sweep the curtains. To get rid of dust, you can use a hand-held vacuum. To get the dirt out of the curtains, be careful to go over the often-overlooked nooks and crannies. While you're at it, clean the windowsills and the roof (Also, read about roof cleaning and why it is important).

4. Steam cleaning

This is a fantastic way to clean light, fragile and machine-washable drapes. Steam is emitted by a handheld steam cleaner to remove dirt and grime. Simply keep the nozzle hovering above the material until it is clean. Steam cleaning works for both light and heavy machine washable curtains, but it won't clean badly stained ones. In this situation, you'll still need to wash the curtains in the washer because they're dirty.

5. Machine or hand washing

You'll have to hand-wash soiled, heavily discoloured curtains and drapes or wash them on a delicate cycle if they need to be thoroughly cleaned. Washing the curtains, however, should be done with caution because it may fade the colour or harm delicate stitching.

Check the care and washing directions on the label first. Start by spot cleaning the material to see how it reacts to soap and water. You can remove the curtains for washing if the colour did not bleed or the material was not harmed by the cleaning agent in any way. Remove any solid objects like hoops and hooks. Use a mild detergent and the appropriate amount of water to clean your drapes.

You can either use the dryer or hang the curtains outside to dry. It's worth noting that some fabrics aren't meant to be hung outside. Tumbling delicate materials to dry could also ruin the stitching. To be safe, read the care instructions.

Maintenance of drapes

Your maintenance routine sits in the middle of your daily efforts and deep cleanings. These act as periodic check-ups that can be done weekly, monthly, or even on an as-needed basis. This is not a phase to be taken lightly. Drapery maintenance is just as important as an annual physical exam or a regular oil change.

1. Limit exposure to sunlight

Your curtains are continually shielding you from the bright sunshine, but they might become discoloured over time due to overexposure. Instead of darker drapes, use light-coloured ones that will not fade as quickly.

If your curtains aren't lined, check for drapery lining that you can sew or hook onto the back of them. The lining gives body to your curtain and protects it from UV rays, resulting in better-defined pleats. You can pick between blackout or water-resistant linings.

Another option is to put a second layer of sheer curtains behind your primary ones. The additional layer will shield the more expensive curtains from the sun's rays.

2. Dust them regularly

While cleaning and dusting other areas of your home, dust the curtains regularly. You can use a long broom if your vacuum does not have an attached brush. To remove dust from the folds of your curtains, gently shake them while closing them each night.

3. Get proper length for drapes

What role does the length of your drape have in extending its life? It is far more practical than you may think.

You'll end up with excess fabric on the floor if your curtains are overly lengthy. It's likely that your child, granny, cat, dog and even yourself will be tripping over it all the time! Not only will the bottoms of the curtains be ruined, but treading on them repeatedly will cause them to come loose from their panel tracks and get damaged quickly.

4. Use a lint roller

Lint rollers are an excellent tool for cleaning and removing surface dirt on a weekly basis. An occasional shake is perfect for lightweight curtains to protect fragile fabric, but a lint roller can effectively clean the curtain of any buildup and fluff for heavier styles such as the box pleat.

Conclusion

Drapes are an expensive purchase. You want these lovely fabrics and textures to last as long as possible, which is why it's so important to look after them. Cleaning your curtains on a regular basis keeps dust and dirt at bay and extends the life of your curtains. It can also aid in the relief of indoor allergies and the improvement of indoor air quality.