Curtains keep the hot sun at bay while forming an important part of the interior decor of any home. While selecting the right curtains can be a task, maintaining them is even more so. After all, how can you retain those beautiful colors for a longer period of time and ensure that they aren’t damaged by the sun? In a country like Singapore when the heat can get a little too much, these become the perfect barrier – and are often affected in the process. Therefore, it’s essential to maintain them properly to keep their charm alive. However, with the increasingly busy lifestyle led by most today, such household chores are often neglected. But if you want to avoid shelling out more money for newer adornments, remember that giving your household duties some of your valuable time is just as important as meeting that work deadline. So when it’s finally time to steam the curtains, here are some important things to remember (and mistakes to avoid!)
1. Follow the Directions:
To begin with, always remember to read the proper instructions mentioned on the curtains. These will normally be specified on a little attachment in the seams. Moreover, when you buy these drapes from a good store, the salesmen will also be able to tell you the best means of maintaining them for a longer period of time. After all, there is no single approach to cleaning all curtains. While some should be machine washed, others require hand washing, and there are still more that need steaming.
However, heavy drapes that are difficult to take off are ideal for being steamed. While this may seem obvious to many, never neglect the instructions they come with. After all, curtains are an expensive investment, so you don’t want to be stuck with some destroyed drapes adorning your windows. Once you’ve ascertained that steaming is the right way to go, there are some other measures you need to take in order to maintain that perfect look.
2. Steaming it Right:
Now that you’re about to begin steaming, there are other things you need to take care of. For one, move in a top to bottom fashion. Always begin from the very tip of the curtains and steam downwards in vertical columns. If those drapes are a little too big, you can do this in parts as well. Moreover, you must also remember to hold the steamer at least 10 inches away. However, this usually varies for different devices. So feel free to experiment until you’ve got a good idea of the distance. But if there are wet patches being left on the curtains, you’re definitely holding it too close. So before you begin trying this out, you need to do a test patch. This way you won’t end up making any mistakes when it comes to the whole of your upholstery.
3. Frequent Vacuuming:
Since steaming can take up plenty of time, it is often neglected. But ignoring it can lead to disastrous consequences for your curtains unless you follow some other simple measures. After all, there are always ways to ensure that you don’t need to steam those drapes all too frequently. For one thing, it’s best to avoid absorbent smells in its surrounding areas. So always cook with the kitchen door closed and try airing the upholstery out from time to time if that’s possible. But most importantly – vacuuming is the key. Just some quick swipes with this ingenious invention every once in a while will suffice. This will ensure that the dust and debris doesn’t accumulate over time. It will also keep them from creating stains in the drapes, maintaining the original appearance and texture for longer. So now, if you can’t find the time to steam them out all too frequently, there is no need to panic – but don’t forget to steam altogether!
4. No Dusting:
Once you do steam out the curtains, they are bound to be a little damp. So don’t dust or clean in its surroundings anytime soon, otherwise all that work would’ve been for nothing. This is because the damp curtains would attract the dust let loose in the room, making them dirtier than ever before. So cleaning of any kinds is a strict no-no if you want all your hard work to amount to something. However, if you are getting impatient with the drying time it takes, there are means of speeding this up as well. But by no means leave them to dry in direct sunlight – this could lead to discoloration, making those expensive curtains look old and faded. So instead, leave them to dry in the shade. Once this is done you can continue with the rest of the cleaning.
5. Hire a Professional:
While steaming can be done without professional help, its important to do it right. So if you see yourself pushing it off with every passing day, you know something needs to change. Instead of indulging in it half-heartedly – which can only lead to common mistakes – it’s better to not do it at all. Just ring in the experts and let them at it. All of this will cost a mere pittance as compared to the cost of new drapes anyway. Moreover, professionals can spare the entire process the time it requires and are practiced enough to avoid all the common errors made by most. To top it off, since you’re ringing in an established agency, any damage will be their responsibility, and so they’re likely to take extra care through it all.
Steaming those heavy drapes is a necessary chore that needs to be done right, otherwise they’re likely to lose that elegant touch all too early. So provide them with the much-needed time and attention, and you will likely be rewarded with gorgeous curtains for a long time to come. This is a great way of brightening up the atmosphere of your home, for a good set of drapes can make all the difference in the world. Moreover, it will also keep you from spending a bomb on newer upholstery anytime soon!