What Are The Best Kept Secrets About Curtain Cleaning?

Interior decoration is one of the most important home improvement aspects. Curtains are at the heart of interior decoration, and they inevitably have to be as clean as a new pin if they are to please the eye of the onlooker. A clean curtain is a happy curtain. Perhaps that is why there are very well kept secrets on curtain cleaning that are worth looking at. Here are some of these secrets. 

· Keep dust off the curtains.
Dust and grime lead in the list of the worst enemies for any form of fabric, especially one that is exposed throughout the day. It is very important to shake off the curtain once per day to keep off dust particles. This has the effect of making the curtain cleaning easier and manageable. Failure to remove the dust particles frequently will make the room stuffy and uncomfortable.

· Cleaning the bathroom curtain. 
The bathroom is the busiest room of the house. For this reason, it should be perfectly clean. It is common for molds and mildews to accumulate on the shower curtain or around the tub or shower. To prevent this, you need to add about three tablespoons of table salt in a spray bottle and fill it with water. After showering, spray the tub side of the shower curtain and close to allow it to dry. Spray the salty water along the tub or any other place where molds can grow on the bathroom.

· Washing the shower curtain depending on its type. 
There are various types of shower curtains and all should be washed differently. For instance, if the shower curtain is made of PVC, soak a scrubbing brush in white vinegar and scrub the dirty side of the curtain. If it is a cotton curtain which can be machine washed, wash it on a cotton cycle preferably at 60’C. Use your usual washing powder and if the curtain is white, apply a bleaching solution in fine moderation.

· Dry cleaning is not recommended with most curtains. 
Hand washing is always recommended, as you can hardly go wrong with it. The chemicals involved in dry cleaning may cause the curtain to shrink, causing damage to certain fabrics.

· Follow the machine wash instructions religiously. 
Check the machine wash instructions as show on the label and follow them religiously. On the same note, it is important to ensure that you use a short cycle mild detergent when machine-washing and line dry without folding over.

· Do not machine-wash your curtain if the label does not allow machine washing.
Doing so is like putting a square peg in a round hole: it doesn’t work! This is so because some fabrics like silk and wool shrink during the cleaning process, making it necessary to use hand-washing in this case.

· If it is possible, keep the curtains away from the direct sunlight after washing.
Extreme sun rays are not good for the curtains and all clothes in general. This is so because it fades the color of the fabric and weakens its structure. You should thus be careful when putting the curtains in the sun to dry after washing. This will depend on the fabric of the curtain. In general, acrylic and polyester take the sun better than cotton or rayon, and dark colors fade faster than light colors. Even when you finally return the curtains on the windows, you should ensure that the curtain is not directly exposed to extreme sunlight. You can use sheers between the glass and the curtain – they will reflect the better part of the damaging rays.

· Washing the other parts that come into contact with the curtain. 
It beats logic to wash your curtain and place it on a dirty window frame. You will go back to square one in a short while.

· You can wash some fabrics by yourself, but with others, please leave it to the professionals. 
Curtain washing sometimes looks like a walk in the park. However, it is important to make it clear that with some common fabrics, curtain cleaning is easy but with others like suede and velvet, you should never wash them at home. In this case, hiring a professional is as right as rain. Fortunately, curtain washing professionals normally charge reasonably for their services, and rightly so especially in these tough economic times.

· Removing persistent stains on the curtain. 
There are some stains on the curtain that will not be easy to remove by the normal washing procedure. There are also fabrics that absorb stains easily. You have to acquire stain removers that will allow you to eliminate that specific type of stain and leave your curtain clean.

· Use the right cleaning detergents. 
There number of detergents in the market is overwhelming, and choosing the right one is not always easy. This notwithstanding, you should purchase a washing solution or detergent that is recommended by the manufacturer of the curtain and by the relevant authorities.

· Eco-friendly washing. 
Eco-friendliness is the way to go these days, as global warming is slowly becoming a real menace. Whenever you wash curtains, ensure that you abide by the eco-friendly rules as set by the Ministry of the Environment and Water resources and the National Environmental Agency in Singapore. Failure to adhere to these rules can attract a possible lawsuit that may lead to more problems.

· Use of a lot of water for rinsing. 
Using a lot of water while rinsing any piece of clothing is always advised. Rinsing is actually considered to be the most important form step of the cleaning process. Hand washing your curtain and using little water during the rinsing process is self-defeating logic

Briefly, curtain cleaning is not always a walk in the park and that is why it is important to look at these secrets keenly. Cleanliness is second to godliness, and a clean curtain adds color to the decor of the room. The cleanliness of the curtains in a room determines the amount of light that enters the room. It also frames the windows in a manner that complements the general ambiance of the room. This means that curtain cleaning is an essential home improvement task that should be taken seriously.