After investing in designer draperies, now what? The care of the fabric is most important. Cleaning drapes correctly will add life and neglecting them will only cost you more money in the end. Here are a few tips I would recommend: Inspect the back fabric; you are looking at the back of your drapes for sun rot. This deterioration of the fabric is caused by intense and frequent sun exposure and extreme heat. Natural fibers, like silk, tend to fade and sun rot quicker than man-made fabrics. Dust frequently with a vacuum attachment on the lowest setting to remove topical dirt and bacteria. Here are the different fabric contents and their processes for cleaning.
Cotton/Rayon combination fabrics should always be dry-cleaned and never washed. The primary drawback of cotton is that it sometimes has a tendency to shrink when cleaned.
Cotton/Polyester tends to be the most durable of all of the blends. This fabric cleans very well and resists shrinking. Dry cleaning is recommended when cleaning poly/cotton blend fabrics.
Self-lined draperies provide excellent insulation, privacy, and durability at a relatively modest price. Be sure to start by only purchasing self-lined draperies with cotton suede backings because of their superior durability. These draperies do require some special attention when dry-cleaned. However, they certainly have been cleaned successfully by dry cleaners for many years.
Talk to your cleaner to find out what care they take in cleaning draperies with self-lined backing. Inherently Fire Proof/Flame Retardant draperies are made so that the fiber itself will not sustain or continue to flame. These fabrics should be constructed with a mod-acrylic material built into the fibers. The fire retardant feature will not change, stop working or wash out because of dry cleaning. Understanding the look and styles of different fabrics is important to achieve a designer look.
And understanding the proper cleaning methods will insure that your draperies will have a long and happy life and give you years of enjoyment. For timeless, elegant styles and superior quality, choose the only website where you can buy direct from the factory and save hundreds of dollars per window.
