CLEANING WINDOW DRESSINGS

Most people don't think about cleaning drapes, curtains or other window treatments in their home. Window treatments are important for their aesthetic beauty; their protection of your furniture from sun damage, and your privacy and comfort. However, they are often overlooked during housecleaning. This happens because window treatments usually still look clean, even after they have been hanging for years.

Extend the Life of Your Curtains and Drapes - You can extend the life of your curtains and drapes with regular cleaning maintenance. This starts with daily care. In the evening, when you draw your drapery panels or lined drapes closed, gently shake them to keep dirt and dust from lodging in the fabric. Draperies, curtains and window treatments collect a huge amount of dirt over time.

The most important drapery cleaning tip to follow is, vacuum your drapes often, using a handheld vacuum with a soft brush attachment. Weekly vacuuming 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. Do not use soap or detergent as it may leave staining around the spot.

General Instructions
In general, it is advisable to clean your draperies as seldom as possible. When it becomes necessary to clean them, however, professional dry cleaning is the preferred method for drapes. Most store-bought curtains can be cleaned right at home in your washing machine but be careful to read the care label before doing anything with them. Drapes or curtains labeled washable should either be hand washed, if they are small, or machine washed using the short, gentle cycle. Use cool water and mild detergent but never overload your washing machine, as the drapes will not clean properly. Rinse thoroughly and gently and then either line-dry, out of direct sunlight or tumble-dry on a delicate or air setting. Remove your draperies immediately from the machine once they dry. Touch up with your iron if necessary, but press on the reverse side, not on the front of your drapes.

Chief Source of Damage to Drapes
Heat is the primary source of destruction for drapes. This is why lined drapes last two to three times longer than unlined drapes. The liner protects the facecloth from the damaging effects caused by intense ultraviolet sunlight. Exposing drapes to temperatures less than 130 degrees is preferred when cleaning them.

Risks Involved in Taking Your Drapes to the Dry Cleaner
Because drapes aren't cleaned very often, they require a lot of special attention. Carefully inspect the drapes with your Lapels Dry Cleaner to determine whether they will have any problem standing up to the professional cleaning process.
" The fabric will be faded and/or weakened by sunlight. When you flatten out the drapes you will likely see striping between the pleats. Gently pulling the fabric will give an indication of how week it has become.
" The threads in weekend fabrics will break apart during the harsh cleaning process leaving holes or tears.
" Most embellishments and trims are not colorfast and may run during cleaning.
" The lining and the drape itself may be made of different fibers. Often one of the fabrics will shrink slightly which will pull the drapes out of shape.
" Many soils and sizings are not visible while the drapes are hanging but once solvent-soluble soils are removed in dry cleaning, streaks and sizing rings may be evident.

Fabric Types and Cleaning
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.