How Often Should You Clean Your Curtains?

How Often Should You Clean Your Curtains? Expert Recommendations

You never feel comfortable living in an unclean and unpleasant environment. Isn’t it? This is why you must do regular cleaning. We know cleaning is not fun, as you must perform different tasks for proper cleaning. From bedroom cleaning to kitchen cleaning, the list is long.  However, curtains are probably the most overlooked in this list of household cleaning items. But you consider cleaning them often. Knowing what amount of cleaning is required and how often you should clean curtains is necessary to understand. It is why, in this article, we will discuss how often should you clean your curtains. 

What Processes Must be Followed for Curtain Cleaning? 

Curtains attract dust and grime over time and leave odours. Usually, it is advisable to clean them every 3 to 4 months. Keeping your curtains clean can give your home a fresh look. There are both options available, like machine washing and dry cleaning, depending on the material of the curtains. 

Machine wash 

If your curtain material applies to cleaning machines according to the label care instructions, you can put them in machines. It is advisable to perform the cleaning task on a bright, sunny day so that you can give them a quick air dry. Gentle machine wash mode will be appropriate for the cleaning. 

The same is also applicable to stained curtains. The stains need to be dealt with properly and gently. 

Dry cleaning options 

Curtains made of silk, linen, velvet, or other sensitive fabrics must be cleaned during the dry cleaning process. Hot water, harsh detergent, and constant rubbing can cause damage to curtains. 

No doubt, curtains are expensive for your home, so you want to make sure they are clean with the right cleaning process. For most households, experts recommend cleaning curtains every 4 months. However, there are different scenarios where you have to clean curtains often. Some of them are mentioned below. 

• Allergic homes  
• Cigarette smoke
• The area where you live 
• Curtain fabric 
• Pets
• Children  

Allergic homes

Dust allergy is a common medical condition, and people who suffer from it understand how important it is to keep the curtains clean. Curtains absorb everything quickly. Dust particles smells, and other harmful debris accumulate in the curtains. As a result, some people experience severe allergic reactions and even face respiratory issues. So if you or a family member are allergic or asthmatic, you must clean your curtains monthly. Doing this can protect you from this, at least to a certain extent. 

Cigarette smoke 

Cigarette smoke is one of the worst things that can dull the look of your curtains and get accumulated in debris form in the curtains. Cigarette smoke is probably the worst odour that curtain fabric absorbs quickly. Any household that has smokers can tell how it feels. In such circumstances, cleaning the curtains monthly is recommended, as more than 3 to 6 months of cleaning would not be sufficient.

The location where you live 

How often you should clean your curtains depends on the area where you live. If you live in a crowded and dusty area, you must often clean your curtains. If you live in a sea-facing house where lots of construction is done, you know how important curtain cleaning is. The debris from construction projects and sands in sea-facing houses can quickly dirty your curtains. The same problem is seen in the roadside houses, too. 

Pets 

If you have pets at home, you know how hairy your rooms become daily. You can not even protect the curtains from getting dirty. It happens, especially if you have a dog or cat. We know they love chewing and sniffing everywhere. Curtains are also on their list. They often hang or sit over the windows, and as a result, they sometimes even drool on the curtains. All this means dirty curtains. You could not get any better option than cleaning the curtains after every 15 days or once a month. 

Children 

Last but not least, children, ah! How can we forget the little munchkins? Yes, many houses have kids. If kids are there, you can expect all over dirt for their naughtiness. Kids touch everything with their dirty hands. They tend to wipe their sticky hands on anything that they come across. Curtains are not exceptional. You can easily find stains or dirt marks made by kids. They even spill or draw something on it. That means you must clean the curtains at least once a week. 

Conclusion 

“How often you should you clean your curtains?” may create debate as it depends on many things, and people have different opinions about this. The decision will be yours. When it comes to cleaning curtains, your only aim is to keep the living environment healthy and maintain the beauty of your home. So, check these points and think about what would be in your favour!