Fall cleaning your Drapes

Fall cleaning your home is just as important as the traditional spring cleaning. Now is a good time to deep clean your house for a healthier and comfortable winter home. During fall cleaning, curtains and draperies are often overlooked. This happens because the window treatments still look clean even though they’ve been hanging for years.

Draperies and curtains may not show soil for years and a lot of people believe drapes should only be cleaned when they look dirty yet drapes collect an immense amount of dust, oil, pollution, smoke, pollen, heating fumes and bacteria over time. That’s why drapery cleaning is certainly a necessary part of your fall cleaning.

In general, it is advisable to clean your draperies as seldom as possible to prevent ruining the fabric. When it becomes necessary to clean them, however, professional dry cleaning is the preferred method. Only a small percentage of fabrics can be laundered. The tighter the weave of the fabric, the more stable the material should be in cleaning. All cotton fabrics are generally not as stable as a mix or blend in terms of shrinkage. For example, cotton/polyester or cotton/rayon are good choices for stable (prone to minimal shrinkage) drapes. You will want to find a cleaner that has some specialization and experience in cleaning drapes. They have equipment specifically designed for draperies. You can also have an on-site drape cleaning specialist come in to your house to clean and freshen your drapes. These professionals inject a specially formulated solvent into your drapery under pressure and extract the chemical, leaving your drapes clean. This special process results in no damage or shrinkage to the material.

You should regularly clean your drapes to preserve their life. While using a brush attachment on your vacuum, run it “lightly”up and down the folds and pleats of the drape to remove dust and particles. Weekly vacuum is best but if that is not possible, vacuum your drapes at least once a month. You can also “spot clean” most drapes with a damp soft cloth that has been wrung out. Do not use soap or detergent as is may leave staining around the spot. Dab away moisture with a clean cloth, air-dry. If the fabric has water spots, fade them with the steam from the garment steamer or iron. Use Febreeze to make it smell fresh and clean.

In some cases replacement may be less expensive than cleaning. Buying direct from the manufacturer like FactoryDirectDrapes.com at whole prices end up saving money in the long run.

Don’t forget to clean your windows, including the window sills!