3 Essential Care Steps for Cleaning Curtains and Blinds

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Hello, my name is Doug and in this is my home and garden development blog. On this blog, I will be passing on everything I have learnt about designing, building and maintaining your dream home and garden. And believe me, I know a lot. I am not a professional contractor, but I have spent the last 2 years working with a range of different contractors to develop my home and garden. The guys have done a fantastic job and I am really pleased with the results they have generated. I hope you find this blog useful and enjoyable to read.

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3 Essential Care Steps for Cleaning Curtains and Blinds

1 July 2015
 Categories: Home & Garden, Blog


Your window dressings are a major part of your interior décor. The curtains and blinds you have in each of your rooms are no small investment. The standalone cost of purchase is high, and it's even higher if you have had them professionally installed. The last thing you need is to damage them during the cleaning process. In light of that, follow the tips outlined here and your blinds and curtains will last you longer.

1. Lined curtains must always be dry cleaned

Lined curtains are excellent at locking warmth into your rooms. They are more expensive because of the lining, but the upkeep adds more expense because you cannot throw these curtains in your washer. Read the care label and you will see 'Dry Clean Only'. Always clean according to the instructions on the care label.

2. Vertical blinds need machine washing with care

To remove your blinds from your window, it's as simple as unclipping them from the rails. The rails and clips do not need to be removed. Fabric vertical blinds can be machine washed, but only at a low temperature. They are installed for ease of removing the blinds so you can wash them and keep them looking fresh all the time. Put them into a rough spin cycle though and you can find it damaging them. Vertical blinds need washing on a low temperature and low spin. If your washer has a setting to wash without spin, select the no spin setting.

The other thing that helps keep the size of your vertical blinds the same, meaning they don't shrink after washing, is to put them inside pillowslips. That will constrain the rough and tumble of the wash cycle allowing the pillowslip to act as a protective barrier to the fabric vertical blinds inside them.

3. Opt for steam cleaning over wet cleaning

All your window dressings around your home can be cleaned with the power of steam. It's the safest and greenest means of cleaning them, and it's more convenient too. Just be cautious with the duration of time you run any steam cleaner for. While it's tempting to whiz around each room blasting steam over your curtains and blinds to revitalise them, it's not the best idea for your machine. Read the operating instructions first because you will find recommended cool down times that need to be followed to avoid the unit overheating.

Follow the three cleaning care tips for all your window dressings and you will keep them looking fresh and new for longer, without altering the size of them by straying from the recommended care instructions provided. If you're looking for new curtains, whether because they were damaged during a cleaning or if they've just gotten old, contact a business like Aussie Curtain Call Interiors to learn about different options that could improve the look of your home.