How Often Should You Clean Your Curtains?

How Often Should You Clean Your Curtains?

Curtains are absolutely essential to a home. Not only do they add beauty to your home but they also block dirt and dusts coming from the outside, prevents the wind from blowing too hard, and allows the right amount of sunlight to come in. However, since curtains often require less attention, it is very easy to overlook their care completely. There are a lot of home owners who are still unsure how often their curtains should be cleaned and what the proper way of cleaning them is.

So how often should you clean your curtains?

 

Proper Curtain Care May Prevent Allergies

Curtains naturally attract dust and absorb odors over time. It is recommended to clean your curtains every 3 to 6 months. Having your curtains cleaned on a regular basis is a good idea to keep your house fresh and clean.

 

Machine washing

If your curtains are fully machine washable (check the label care instructions), you can carefully do the cleaning yourself. Pick a nice warm sunny day to let them dry in the open air after they’ve been through a gentle machine wash cycle. Make sure to iron your curtains while they are still a little damp, then hang them up immediately to prevent wrinkling. Keep in mind that curtains contain a lot of fabric, which often makes them unmanageable in a small/constrained home environment. If you’re concerned about your washing machine not being big enough, your ironing board being too small or simply have nowhere to dry your curtains, you may be better off getting professional help.

 

The same applies for stained curtains. Leave it to a professional curtain cleaning company to remove stains without the risk of damaging your curtain fabrics.

 

Dry Cleaning Curtains

Curtains that are made of silk, linen or other sensitive fabrics will need to be professionally dry cleaned. The reason for this is that the hot water, detergent and constant rubbing action in the washing machine can easily cause damage such as fading or shrinking. Curtains can be an expensive investment for your home, so it is important to look after them in order to give you and your family member years of pleasure.

 

When will a curtain require more frequent cleaning?

While cleaning your curtains every 3 to 6 months should be appropriate for most household requirements, we would recommend more frequent cleaning if the following factors play a role in your home:

 

Allergies

Curtains can trap a variety of common allergens including dust, pollen, mold spores, pet hair and dander. If you or a family member suffers from allergies, regular curtain and carpet cleaning should be a crucial part of your household routine.

 

Smoking

Smoke particles from cigarettes, cigars and pipes are easily trapped in curtains fabric. If you don’t want to make your curtains yellow or have a strong smell of smoke in your house, make sure you let plenty of fresh air in and clean your curtains every month if possible.

 

You live near the sea

If you live near the sea and specially if you have sea views, salt is not your best friend. Salty sea air can affect curtains as well as the window panes. Hard wearing curtain fabrics are your best choice under these circumstances, and frequent cleaning is a must.

 

So how do you keep your curtains clean? Share your best advice in the comments section below.