Fabric is a complicated animal when it comes to maintenance and cleaning. A lot of different types of fabric shades, curtains, and drapes are made with simple designs, most commonly a swathe of material that is a single undecorated piece. Then there are some that have complex and beautiful patterns and appearances that can make cleaning them a much more difficult endeavor, even requiring the help of professionals to get it done. Above all else, fabric is not normally a tough material, and while it can stand up to different types of treatments and abuse, fabric also needs care and diligence to keep looking fresh and new. If a fabric window treatment has brocade or an embroidered body, that should require much more careful consideration, to make sure that you don’t cause any damage to the shade, curtain, or drape.
One of the most important factors to keeping any window treatment looking sharp is consistency. The grime and dust can’t take hold if you make sure to keep the cleaning regular, or a weekly or biweekly basis. When dusting, make sure to get both the indoor side and the outdoor side of the shade, curtain, or drape. Another part of regular maintenance is to check for damages after every cleaning, regular wear and tear will occur, but if you can keep on top of loose threads and split sections, your window dressings will last longer and look better. When you see a spot on your window treatment that is beyond what can be cleaned with a good dusting, it is important to spot clean that area as soon as possible. Finally, try not to use a strong detergent or cleaning agent on your fabric sets. This can cause irreparable damage to the colors, washing them out and leaving the set flat and dull.
There are also different tips that can be used when working with many of the different designs of shades, as well as tips for cleaning curtains and drapes. Cellular shades have hexagonal rolls that can get fairly dirty, seeing as they are not the easiest to clean with a duster. Instead of struggling to push a duster into it, or vacuuming the cell out, it is easier to use a blowdryer on a law setting to blow all the dust out. Pleated shades can be taken down for easier cleaning, while roman shades can be either washable, in a washing machine, though they should be hang-dried rather than tossed into the dryer. Curtains and drapes are an area with a bit of debate, where some parties believe that dry-cleaning is a safe method, while others, Blinds Side included, sees that it can lead to shrinkage if done too often. When cleaning drapes and curtains, there are a few things to remember that will make your job much easier. First, pay special attention to the top and bottom of the window treatments. The flat surface of the drapes and curtains, as well as the special additions that these sets may include mean there is usually a much higher chance of dust gathering at the top of drapes and curtains. An easy and quick way to dust drapes and curtains may in fact be to shake them out, taking them off the rods and going outside to get the dirt and dust off them. These are all simple ways to clean and maintain your window treatments so that the fabric never loses its hue, it’s brightness, or the beautiful textures they have.