How to Wash Drapes
Drapery Cleaning in Fairfax — Cleaning the draperies can prolong their life and free your home of unwanted dust, dirt, pet hair and allergens.
Weekly Maintenance
Remove dust from your curtains with your vacuum. Most vacuums have a soft brush attachment that’s fantastic for the drapes. Place the brush attachment at the end of sweep and then the hose in an up and down motion across the cloth. A hand-held vacuum also works well for this task.
Washing the Drapes
IMPORTANT: Before trying to clean your draperies, CHECK THE TAGS. Some draperies should BE CLEANED PROFESSIONALLY. NEVER wash them if:
They are not specifically labeled as washable (if they are lined, be sure BOTH the drapery fabric and the liner are recorded as machine washable).
The cloth is damaged, frayed or disappeared (i.e. by sunlight)
The draperies are pleated
Other vases or trim are not listed as color-fast
The draperies contain a sign for”dry clean only”
For anyone in your area, check your regional yellow pages. Take heed of this label and follow these simple steps, if your draperies are machine washable:
Carefully remove the drapes from the rods (it’s best to have someone help you with this as you will most likely require a step stool or small ladder to reach the sticks ). NEVER tug or pull on the draperies to get down them since this may damage the cloth, the sticks or the walls.
In the event the draperies are wrapped with pins or hooks remove these and set them aside.
Hand wash every panel in cool water and a detergent such as Woolite. For big drapes, it may be much easier to use the tub in place of the sink.
The curtains can be placed to the GENTLE cycle in your washer, as indicated on the label using warm or cold water. Opt for cold if the label does not indicate a temperature setting. Use a gentle detergent. Consider taking them or doing the panels at some time at which you can use washers if your draperies are big or bulky.
Place the drapes in a drier on the atmosphere indicated on the tag (probably low heat). Take care to not overload the dryer as well.
Consider taking them into a laundromat with oversize dryers or doing a single panel at a time. The most common cause of damage to draperies during the cleaning method is warmth; when in doubt (especially if having a commercial drier not familiar to you), use the”no heat” setting. Suggestion: If you’re fortunate enough to possess an old fashioned clothesline, rather than the dryer, hang your draperies out to dry on the clothesline. You won’t need to be concerned about overheating, and the drapes will have a fresh odor. To keep fabric from fading, avoid hanging in sun.
Remove draperies from your dryer immediately and press lightly if needed. Again, check for settings in your label. Use a cool iron if no sign is given. To avoid damage, utilize the iron just.
Replace the pins or hooks (if any) and then re-hang that the draperies on the sticks. Again, it is best to do this with another person assisting.
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Ways on how to clean drapes in Fairfax
