What are some recommendations for washing curtains at home?

General recommendations

The main question that housewives ask themselves is how often to wash curtains. The frequency depends on several factors:

• Room. It is logical to wash kitchen curtains more often than bedroom curtains – they are more susceptible to dirt and grease. In the children’s room, curtains also need to be washed more often – dust settling on the fabric can cause allergies in the baby.
• Type of curtains. Straight curtains without folds are less susceptible to dirt, unlike complex designs with draperies, lambrequins, ties and other details.
• Fabric. Velor and velvet curtains, openwork tulle will get dirtier in a short time than smooth materials.
• Location of the house. If the windows overlook the road or the apartment is located near an industrial area, the curtains act as a filter, absorbing all the dirt. Wash them more often to keep the air in the apartment cleaner and fresher.
• Family composition. The more residents there are in the apartment (including adults, children, pets), the faster the curtain gets dirty.

The standard interval for washing curtains is once every six months. This process is usually combined with washing windows. It is not recommended to wash less often, only more often (once every 3 months) – if you live in a dusty metropolis, family members are prone to allergies, you have animals at home or the curtains are made of fleecy material.

Next, we will analyze the nuances that need to be taken into account depending on the type of fabric. But first, advice that is relevant for washing any curtains:

1. The temperature at which to wash curtains is determined by the type of material, but it is better not to set the value below 40 ° C. In cold water, dirt may simply not be washed off.
2. Remove all hooks and clips before washing. The exception is soft plastic loops that will not damage the drum.
3. Wash out stubborn stains or use pre-soaking for a couple of hours, then you can wash the curtains.
4. Use liquid gels or capsules for the washing machine – they do not leave streaks, wash out well.
5. Any fabrics (especially heavy and prone to stretching) are best dried horizontally on a dryer. Only lightweight, non-stretchy materials are hung on a rope.

Features of washing by fabric material

There are 4 types of curtains that need to be washed differently:

• in a washing machine on a standard cycle — cotton, blackout;
• on a delicate cycle — viscose, acrylic, velvet, organza;
• in a special bag in the machine — models with eyelets, thread;
• exclusively hand wash — options with glass beads, beads, seed beads, and other decor.

Silk, organza, veil

Delicate tulle should be washed on a delicate cycle, water temperature no higher than 40°C, spin no higher than 600 rpm. It is advisable to buy special soft detergents in the store that are suitable for such fabrics.

You don’t even need to iron the thinnest organza and veil – just hang the damp fabric on the window and it will smooth out on its own.

Important! Silk and organza must be washed separately – there should be only curtains in the drum, it is prohibited to add other things.

Linen or cotton

Depending on the exact composition of the material, curtains can be washed in different water:

• low temperature 30-40°C – for 100% natural materials;
• high temperature 40-70°C – for cotton and linen curtains with the addition of anti-shrink components.

The most common powder will do, it is not even necessary to use liquid gel for washing curtains. Dry as convenient – on a rope or a special dryer. Before hanging, be sure to steam – natural fabrics wrinkle a lot.

Blackout

Light-blocking curtains have different compositions, washing recommendations are usually on the product packaging. If the tag is lost, try the following machine wash settings:

• gentle cycle;
• water up to 40 degrees;
• spin up to 600 rpm.

Heavy curtain fabrics are taken out of the machine and hung on the curtain rod, otherwise they may wrinkle. If the material does not sag, remove it and iron it after it is completely dry.

Important! Curtains with an acrylic layer cannot be washed in a machine, only by hand.

Acrylic and viscose

The requirements are almost the same as for silk and voile:

• delicate cleaning program;
• water up to 40°C;
• special mild detergents;
• rinse with conditioner;
• spin at minimum (up to 400-600) revolutions;
• dry in the shade;
• gently iron at a low temperature.

Taffeta

Curtains are not afraid of hot water (up to 50°C) in a washing machine, but they cannot stand spinning – set a maximum of 300 revolutions, or better yet, wring them out by hand through a soft towel.

Pile fabrics

It is better to entrust high-quality washing of curtains made of expensive velour or royal velvet to a trusted dry cleaner. If you decide to do the cleaning yourself at home, set the following settings on the washing machine:

• gentle mode;
• water 30°C;
• quick wash;
• no spin function.

Important! Before putting the fabric in the machine, fold it with the pile inward, and after washing, dry it horizontally with the pile up.

Thread curtains

There are two ways to clean thread curtains made of muslin or other synthetics:

1. Braid the curtains, put them in a special bag and load them into the washing machine on a delicate cycle.
2. Hand wash them by soaking them for a couple of hours and then rinsing them in clean running water.

Advice! Dry the threads directly on the curtain rod, no ironing required.

How to wash in a washing machine?

Let’s fix on what mode to wash curtains, at how many degrees and with what means.

Determine the detergent

The best option is liquid gels. They are for natural, synthetic, white, bright, dark, delicate, dense and other materials. Choose the most suitable option in terms of composition and color.

If you plan to use regular washing powder, set an additional rinse so that white streaks do not form on the curtains.

Choosing the right mode

You can’t go wrong if you set any curtains in the washing machine to a delicate setting of 30-40 degrees with minimal spinning.

Hand wash

Washing curtains by hand should be done in much the same way as using equipment: liquid, easy-to-rinse gels, cool water, spinning with a soft cloth, horizontal drying.

Nuances for models with decor

Cleaning straight curtains without decorative elements is not difficult, which cannot be said about models with a complex design.

Curtains with hooks

Metal hooks must be removed – next determine what fabric the curtains are made of and follow the recommendations.

Plastic hangers can be left on the tape, the main thing is to close each one before loading into the drum.

Curtains on eyelets

Metal eyelets, unlike hooks, cannot be removed – therefore, in order to protect the curtain rings and the drum of the machine from scratches and damage, load the curtains into a spacious mesh bag.

Models with fringe

Depending on the length and complexity of care, you can use one of the options:

1. Short, easily untangled fringe will easily endure machine washing in a special cover.
2. Long, constantly tying into knots is easier to carefully wash by hand.

Follow our recommendations and laundry will become your favorite housework.