Curtains are a stylish element of apartment design. Regardless of the type, dust and dirt always accumulate on them. In this regard, the question arises about the frequency of washing such things.
Cleaning different types of window curtains from dirt is carried out at different intervals. However, there are a number of general recommendations regarding the care of such things.
We’ll tell you in this article how often you need to wash the curtains hanging in your apartment.
General tips for cleaning products from contaminants
Doctors advise washing all types of curtains in an apartment at least once a quarter . You can clean them a little less often – once every four months.
Washing of some types of products is required. It prevents dust from accumulating in various areas of things.
Many housewives wash curtains 2 times a year. More often, spring and autumn are chosen for this. This frequency of cleaning products is also considered optimal. Usually, a large amount of dirt and dust accumulates on things just after winter and summer.
General care rules
To make window drapery pleasing to the eye for as long as possible, at least until you get tired of it, you should follow simple rules for caring for curtains:
- Regular ventilation, with the windows wide open for 1-2 hours, will clean the fabric from a significant amount of dust and refresh not only the curtains, but also the room.
- Vacuum cleaner. Using nozzles for textile products, clean the surface of the curtains from dust.
- Steam is an excellent solution to the problem of cleaning dirt and restoring the freshness of tulle.
- Regular wet cleaning of the premises. The less dust there is in the apartment, the less it accumulates on the curtains.
- Frequently clean the curtain rods and drapery fastenings from accumulated dust.
- Do not forget that thin and delicate tulle is extremely susceptible to intense mechanical stress during washing.
It is impossible to imagine a cozy home without light and airy tulle on the windows.
Tulle curtains, made from different materials, differ not only in their structure, but also in their care features, which, upon closer examination, are not so complicated. With the right approach to solving the problem, using available means, tulle can create comfort in your home for a long time.
Frequency for different types of curtains
The frequency of washing also depends on the type of curtain. Let's look at the main types and their washing features.
Thread
This type of curtain does not require constant cleaning. This is due to the specifics of their design.
Dust accumulates on such things in spots . Contamination occurs in a small area of the curtain. It is recommended to wash thread curtains once every six months.
You must first gather the curtain into a braid and tie it with ribbons. If the item is machine washed, then it must be placed in the drum only in a special mesh bag.
Such products cannot be wrung out in a washing machine . They are not allowed to be ironed. Products can only be dried on the ledge. It is forbidden to hang them on the battery. Thread curtains consisting of glass beads and various decorative elements should be washed exclusively by hand.
Rolled
It is recommended to clean such products as rarely as possible. If they are heavily soiled, they should be dry cleaned. It is enough to clean the roller blinds once or twice a year.
Roman
Since a lot of dust accumulates on such products, they need to be cleaned of dirt every two months . Roman blinds can be washed in a machine, but before the procedure, be sure to remove the slats from them.
Products need to be rinsed several times. This is necessary to preserve the color of the curtains. Things can only be washed with powder whose pH level is neutral. No bleaches should be added.
Items made from bamboo and other natural fibers are prohibited from washing. They can only be cleaned with a dry brush.
Blackout
This type of curtain does not require frequent cleaning. It is enough to wash items made from blackout material once every six months.
Since such curtains are thick, they can be washed not only by hand, but also in a machine . You cannot use bleach on them. Such items can be washed at 400 C.
If they contain an acrylic layer or a metal coating, then it is better to wash such products by hand. It is recommended to wash such items with liquid detergents.
Curtains in the bathroom
It is recommended to wash such items regularly . At the same time, the frequency of cleaning the curtain directly depends on how often people wash in the bathroom itself.
If the bathroom is used every day, it is better to clean the curtain monthly. If trips to the bathroom are infrequent, then you can limit yourself to cleaning the item once every couple of months.
Old bathroom curtains usually need to be washed more often than new ones. The need to clean them may occur two to three times a month.
Most types of curtains designed for bathrooms can be run in the washing machine . It is recommended to choose a mode in which the water is heated to a maximum of 400 C. You cannot iron such products.
Oilcloth polyethylene curtains are not machine washable. You cannot use bleach on them. Instead, it is better to use baking soda.
Such products also cannot be wrung out. It is recommended to wash them by hand every two or three months.
Bedspreads and sofa covers - wash every two to three months
Upholstery and throws on sofas are the textiles that suffer the most, so they require the most cleaning: approximately every two to three months.
In the case of covers and bedspreads, everything is simple - remove them and wash them according to the label. The problem is the permanent upholstery on the sofas and seats.
In this case, you will need to clear them manually:
- ammonia diluted with water is a good detergent, as it does not damage fabrics;
- Vacuum regularly and remove stains with special products.
It is much easier to wash a sofa cover than to clean its upholstery. Choose a comfortable cover that fits the size of your sofa and make washing your home textiles easier.
When should you clean more often?
It is recommended to wash curtains in the kitchen most often . Grease and food stains appear on them especially quickly. This is especially true for tulle. It is usually recommended to wash them once every 4 months. If they hang in the kitchen, then such products should be washed monthly.
Those who constantly have guests and feasts in their home will often have to wash things. The frequency of cleaning window curtains in such cases is individual and depends on the detection of stains on them after the next visit of guests.
In apartments where children are present
The frequency of washing things is influenced by factors such as children . If they live in an apartment, it is recommended to clean the curtains at least once every two months.
Small children often stain the curtains in their rooms. This frequency is also due to the fact that children are especially prone to allergies to dust.
How to care for curtains so you wash them less often
It is possible to reduce the frequency of washing using several rules:
- shake off dust regularly - once a week, washing the floor and wiping dust throughout the room;
- do not open windows in summer; in hot weather, use air conditioning to cool;
- for the kitchen, choose a window frame that can be easily wiped down or cleaned with a vacuum cleaner;
- treat the curtains with care, do not spill liquids, touch them less often, do not get them dirty.
There is no special care to reduce the rate of contamination. All care consists of being careful and keeping the room clean.
Complex designs are difficult to remove from the curtains and then hang them back, which is why the quality of their cleaning suffers. When choosing decor, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the room, the presence of a vacuum cleaner and a steam generator.
Alternative to washing
Depending on the type of curtains, you can choose an alternative washing method:
To clean thread curtains from dirt less often, it is recommended to wipe their threads with a soft, damp sponge at least once every 7 days. You can only limit yourself to dry cleaning with a vacuum cleaner.- Roller curtains cannot be wet cleaned.
They cannot be washed either by machine or by hand. An alternative to washing roller blinds is to dry clean them. To do this, use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush. Small stains from such products can be removed with a regular eraser. - It is recommended to steam Roman curtains more often. Thanks to this, they will have to be washed much less often in a machine and by hand. Bamboo Roman curtains can only be cleaned with a brush.
- Blackout curtains can be washed less often if you clean them with a vacuum cleaner at least once a month.
- An alternative to washing bathroom curtains is to wet clean them. This is especially true for polyethylene curtains. It is enough to wipe the products several times a month with a soda solution or a composition based on vinegar and water. You can also wash the curtains with a sponge dipped in soapy water.
How to remove difficult stains
If stains are found on the tulle, they are removed by washing. Fat deposits are easily removed with dishwashing gel or laundry soap. We treat the stain with one of these products and soak the curtain for a couple of hours in warm water, up to 40 degrees. After time has passed, we re-treat the area, scrub and rinse.
Laundry soap is a simple and affordable product.
An ammonia aqueous solution will help remove old stains. To do this, mix glycerin and ammonia one to one, and wet the stain with the resulting liquid. We start processing from the edge, gradually moving towards the center. After waiting a few minutes, we proceed to machine wash. A mixture of vinegar and ammonia is prepared in a similar way; it is also carefully rubbed into the contaminated area, after which the tulle is washed.
Preparation
The preparatory stage is very important and the final result also depends on it. To begin with, the curtains should be shaken well (it is better to do this outside) to remove all accumulated dust. Canvases with eyelets must not be shaken out, so you can use a vacuum cleaner. Be sure to inspect the curtains for stains and heavy dirt. If they are, move on to the next stage.
Washing items with stains or traces of grease cannot be done without soaking. Add a suitable product to a bowl of cool or warm water and leave for 30-60 minutes. It is not advisable to rub them, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the fabric fibers. You can raise and lower the curtains into the basin several times to create foam. All that remains is to rinse the curtains in clean water and proceed to the main stage.
Proper drying
For some housewives, light curtains do not dry, and immediately after washing they are hung on the window - they spread out under its weight, so there is no need to iron them.
Many housewives do not dry curtains, but immediately hang them on the window.
But in some cases you can’t do without drying. Firstly, there are several prohibitions:
- do not use an electric dryer,
- do not dry in direct sunlight or near heat sources,
- don't squeeze.
Let's move on to the drying process:
- After washing, straighten the curtains and hang them over the bathtub to drain water.
- Hang the dry but still damp product on the curtain rod hooks to dry.
- Light creases as it dries over the next 2-3 days.
Tip: If wrinkles remain, spray the curtain with plain water using a hand sprayer.
When drying outdoors, hang the item on several abrasive lines at the same time to avoid a clear crease line.
Velvet and velor are the most difficult fabrics to dry. After washing, wrap them in a towel or terry cloth and gently squeeze to remove excess moisture. Only then hang the curtains to dry.
Curtains that are too wrinkled should still be ironed.
Ironing methods
The method of ironing the curtain after washing will depend on the material from which it is made:
- Iron the back of the curtains while they are still damp.
- When smoothing the seams, place gauze or a small piece of fabric between them and the fabric.
- Cotton and linen can be ironed using a high temperature iron.
- Velor and velvet can only be ironed dry and on the wrong side of the fabric, making sure that there is no steam on the iron.
- Synthetics and silk must be completely dry before ironing. These blinds are ironed on the reverse side of the fabric with minimal heat from the iron.
Types of funds
To avoid damaging the curtains when washing, choose the appropriate type of detergent.
| No. | Name | Photo | Cost, rub. |
| 1. | Liquid detergent for delicate washing of curtains (blinds) and tulle Flat 0.5 l | 110–150 | |
| 2. | Selena for washing curtains and drapes 0.25 g | 110–150 | |
| 2. | Selena for washing curtains and drapes 0.25 g | 120–150 | |
| 3. | Shampoo for washing curtains Dr. Beckman 0.5 l | 130–180 | |
| 4. | Gel for washing tulle and curtains Unicum 0.75 l | 130–180 | |
| 4. | Gel for washing tulle and curtains Unicum 0.75 l | 170–200 | |
| 5. | Washing powder booster “Super white tulle plus” from Frau Schmidt in tablets (2 pcs.) | 80–100 | |
| 6. | Heitmann curtain detergent in sachets (5 pcs.) | 80–100 | |
| 6. | Heitmann curtain detergent in sachets (5 pcs.) | 280–300 | |
| 7. | Elixir for tulle and curtains “Cashmere” 0.3 g | 50–80 rub. |
