It’s summer the perfect season for cleaning and rearranging the house. You can leave your windows wide open and let the sunshine and warmth in your home. What better time to wash and take care of your curtains? If you are unsure how to proceed with this task our professional London cleaners have a couple of tips and suggestions that will make your day easier.

Before You Start

You’ve decided your curtains need a good wash but before taking them down you need to do a couple of things:

  • Check the type of fabric you are attempting to clean. Different types have particular washing requirements. Some can be submerged only in cold water, others can be only steam cleaned.
  • While the curtains are still hanging, look for stains. It will be easier for you to see any discoloured spots and problem areas, especially if you have a large amount of fabric to work with.
  • Consider calling external help. If you are uncertain what to do, the safest way to continue is actually searching for reputable cleaning services in your London area.

How to Wash the Curtains in Your London Home

If the fabric is washable, you actually have little to no work ahead of you.

  • Remove all hooks and free the fabric.
  • Shake it to get rid of the dust Do this in your back yard, terrasse or front porch.
  • Soak the curtains in water and then proceed to wash them by hand or place them in the laundry machine.
  • Rinse your drapes good and remove as much water as possible.
  • Put the curtains up while they are still damp. This way you will skip the ironing. The weight of the fabric will hold it down and prevent it from wrinkling.

Professional Cleaning Tips

There are a couple of things you can do to brighten the colours of your curtains and make the room look fresh and tidy.

  • Use lemon juice as a natural whitening agent. Soak your curtains in it after 30 minutes rinse them up and squeeze the excess water out.
  • Rely on your steam cleaner if you don’t have time to wash properly your curtains. The hot vapours will disinfect the fabric just as good. However, check if your curtains can handle it, you don’t want to melt your nylon drapes.
  • If you dust and vacuum your curtains regularly, you can wash them once or twice a year.
  • Let them dry over direct sunlight, avoid using dryers.
  • Remember, if your curtains can’t be water-washed there are other options. A lot of companies offer dry cleaning on the spot.

Curtain Cleaning Mistakes

How can you mess up something so simple you may ask? Well, people often tend to overlook and skip some important steps. Don’t be a know-all and try to avoid the following:

  • Have no clue about the fabric. You must check the type of curtains you own and research the manufacturer’s’ guidelines. The cleaning method depends on the material your drapes are made of.
  • One cleaning technic for all. Every material has its own washing requirement. Do not assume that since one method works for the majority of them you can apply it freely.
  • Using bleach or other strong chemicals. This is a major NO. Curtains are made of delicate fabrics, and you need to stay away from harsh solvents. There are many specialised cleaning products you can use, just ask at your local store.
  • Clean your curtains once a year. As we mentioned above to have a healthy home environment, you need to vacuum and dust your drapes every week. The washing can occur during the warmer months but regardless your curtains need to be cleaned regularly.
  • Never book professional curtain cleaning services. This is the easiest mistake to prevent especially if you live in London. Here you can find tons of reputable companies to chose from. Professional cleaners use specialised products and technics and can significantly prolongate the life of your drapes.

Stephanie Cooper

Stephanie is a content marketing specialist for Top Cleaners for the past several years. She has extensive experience working with cleaning companies and knows her audience. Stephanie creates engaging and useful content helping the customers of Top Cleaners with their struggles and providing them with the most accurate insight.