How to Clean, and Avoid Ironing, Drapes and Curtains

So, spring cleaning time is here again, and, even though they may not look all that bad, it is time to get those curtains and drapes down and give them a good cleaning.

If you have drapes that are “dry clean only”, then obviously you don’t want to throw them into the washer. However, you don’t have to take them to the dry cleaners either. Since most drapes do not get stained and soiled to any extent, it’s likely that all they need is freshening up. Often, a good shaking out, and a few minutes in a dryer on a cool setting will do the trick.

 If you want more, there are products on the market that will give them a fresh “just back from the cleaners” feel, and smell, right in your dryer. These are easy to use. Just put the drapes in the bag that is supplied with the kit, add the cleaner cloth to the bag, and, follow the directions as to how long they should be in the dryer, and, on what temperature. Once you re-hang them, you may have to steam them a little, especially if they are pleated.

If you have the washable, mostly permanent press, drapes and curtains, then you know that even if you take them out of the dryer immediately, you usually need to stand and iron them. This can take forever, but there is a way around this.

You will need a bottle of liquid starch.

1. Wash the drapes according to the instructions that came with them. I usually use cold water on everything I wash. Hot water is not a good idea with drapes, and is totally unnecessary.

2. Once they have gone through the regular wash, and the spin cycle, start to fill the washer again, on a low level setting, and  stop the machine when the water gets to about the top of the drapes in the bottom of the washer.

3. The amount of starch you put in is up to you, and, is basically a matter of trial and error. You want the curtains or drapes to have body, but you don’t want them crunchy. I put anywhere from a cup to a cup and a half in the water with the drapes, and agitate the starch and water around the drapes by hand, making sure that all of the material has been exposed to the starch. Let the drapes sit in the starch water for a few minutes.

4. Turn the washer to the last spin cycle, not the one that adds more water. Close the lid, and let the washer spin for a few minutes, allowing the water to drain off of the material, and some of the water to spin out of the drapes. The drapes should be very damp, but not drippy. They need to be very wet for the next step.

5. Put the drapes in the dryer for a few minutes, usually not more than ten or so. If you leave them in until they are dry, they will wrinkle. The time in the dryer actually helps relax the wrinkles, and shakes them out.

6. Take the still very damp drapes out, shake them out, and hang them back up on your window. They should be very damp, but not so wet that they are dripping on the floor.

7. After you have the drapes or curtains up, fluff them out, and pull them straight. Do not add tie backs until they are completely dry. Not only will all of the wrinkles usually be pulled out by the weight of the drying material, your room will smell fresh and clean for days from the starch.

Drapes and curtains starched and hung this way stay fresher looking longer, and, are even protected more, between washings, from pollutants in the air