Keeping Your Drapes Odor Free

4/8/2020 (Permalink)

Keep you drapes odor free!

Dirty draperies can make the entire room smell dingy and look unattractive. No one wants to deal with unpleasant odors; cleaning and deodorizing your drapes regularly can go a long way to making a space fresh, pleasant, and appealing.

Just removing your drapes from the curtain rod and putting them into your washing machine can be very effective if they are made of cotton or polyester blends, but some textiles, such as velvet, silk, taffeta, chenille, and brocade, simply can’t be safely cleaned by that method. These types draperies will have to be dry cleaned, as well as sheers and those that are insulated or lined. The care of a professional might be needed to remove spots and unsightly stains, as well.

Before you undertake this project, take a look at the care instructions for your draperies, usually located on a tag inside. These instructions will let you know how the material should be cared for, with specifics as to water temperature, the type of cleaning solutions that will be safe, and what the dryer setting will need to be. It might even be necessary to air dry them.

Over time, drapes will collect dust and grime just from hanging in a room. They will collect odors as well, and the smell can affect the entire room. A proper cleaning, whether DIY or professional, with restore your rooms to their normal sweet, odor-free state.

If you decide to do it yourself, you will want to start with a good vacuuming! It’s not necessary to take them down if you can reach them properly. After the vacuum cleaning, a hand-held steamer will work nicely to give them a fresh look and scent. Before steaming, you will want to be sure that the cleaning instructions don’t advise against it. Those that can be machine washed will be taken down and washed and dried; make sure you remove them from the dryer immediately to alleviate wrinkles.

After your draperies have been cleaned and re-hung, you can lightly spray them with linen spray, if their care allows. This will add a lovely scent to the room, and definitely deodorize them to keep any bad odors from hanging around.