How To Wash Curtains Myself? Curtains help in improving the looks and the value of a home so they should be kept clean. With time, pet hair, dust, dander, and mold spores can accumulate on your curtains.
If you want to remove odors and dust from your curtains without damaging them then you must know how to wash curtains regardless of the type of fabric used in them. The tips discussed here can help you in cleaning your curtains effectively.
Tips to wash curtains yourself
The right way to clean curtains is to wash them according to the materials used in them. You should follow the instructions of maintenance cleaning while cleaning them on a seasonal basis. You should also follow these instructions if you are not sure about the type of your curtains.
For cleaning curtains made of fabric:
You should remove all the hardware installed on the curtains and shake them well outdoors. At a time wash two panels of the curtain at cold settings on a delicate cycle. Dry them on low heat and remove them immediately from the dryer to avoid wrinkles.
For cleaning curtains made from sheer fabric or lace:
These curtains can get snagged and wrinkled when wet due to the lightweight fabric used in them. To maintain the looks of these curtains it is better the wash them by hand. You can mix one teaspoon of liquid dish detergent in a sink filled with cold water.
After removing these curtains you must shake them outdoors. This is to remove pet hair and dust from them as much as possible. Submerge one of these curtains in the soap water for at least 10 minutes to release the debris.
After ten minutes you should drain the soapy water and refill the sink with cold water. It is to rinse the panel to remove the residual soap. You can hang them on the laundry line or on the shower rod to drip dry.
For cleaning curtains made from acrylic shells or beads:
You should wash these curtains carefully as shells or beads on them can tangle easily. To wash them easily you must use clothespins to hang and fasten a bedsheet behind them. Put a towel on the floor below the curtain.
Now, fill the mixture of 2-3 drops of liquid dish detergent in 2 cups of warm water in a spray bottle. You can spray it freely on the curtain from top to bottom. Now take a damp cloth to wipe clean the beads or shells. Repeat the process on the other side of the curtain and allow them to dry in the air after removing the bedsheet.
For cleaning curtains made from velvet fabric:
Some of the velvet curtains can be washed in a machine whereas some have to be dry-cleaned. You should wash these curtains after checking the label of their manufacturers. The lined velvet curtains should be washed by dry cleaning only.
However, while cleaning unlined velvet curtains it is necessary to check the fastness of their color by testing the effect of the cleaning agent at some hidden spot by using a white damp cloth. You should opt for dry cleaning them if their color transfers to the white cloth.
But if the color of these curtains is fast then you can wash one panel at a time in your washing machine in the solution of cold water and detergent at delicate cycle. You should lay them flat to dry instead of hanging or drying them in the dryer as it can crush their fabric.
For cleaning polyester curtains by dry-cleaning only:
First of all, you should check their label to know about their washing instructions. You should send them to a trusted dry cleaner to avoid ruining your costly curtains.
You can try to dry clean them or wash them at home if you just want to refresh them without running them. At a time you can wash one panel of these curtains in your washing machine at the gentle cycle in cold water.
Each panel of the curtain should be removed from the machine instantly to avoid wrinkling of their lining. You should lay them flat to dry in the air. They should not be dried in a dryer to avoid shrinkage in the fabric.
How To Wash Curtains Myself?
Thus, you can wash curtains at home according to the type of materials used in them.