Cleaning is not fun for most people, and it is a well-known fact. And it is also a thing we must do regularly unless we want to live in an unpleasantly filthy home. Well, regular cleaning means different things for different parts of the house. For example, regular cleaning for bed linen and pillows is much more often than for carpets. Knowing what amount of cleaning certain items require can get a little confusing. So to make it a bit easier in this article, we are going to focus on how often you should clean your curtains. We are going to look into what affects how often you should clean them and why.
For most households, it is recommended to have their curtains cleaned every 3 to 6 months. But certain factors can change that. Some of them are:
- Relocating
- Allergies
- Cigarette smoke
- The area where you live
- Fabric the curtains are made of
- Pets
- Kids
Relocating
Relocation is a complicated endeavour. Especially if you are moving somewhere far. There is also a lot of confusion about what items to bring into a new home and whether to clean everything before you leave. Well, the best thing to do with curtains, instead of washing them and moving them, is to just leave them behind and replace them afterward. It’s just too much work cleaning all the curtains in your old home and then even more work to transport them so far away into a new one. This is one of the rare occasions where you can skip cleaning your curtains.
Allergies
Allergies are an important factor in determining how often to clean your curtains. Anyone who has allergies knows how important having a clean home is. And curtains absorb everything over time. Dust particles, smells, dirt, and much other harmful debris. All of these things can cause severe allergic reactions and even some other respiratory issues. So if you or a family member are allergic or maybe have asthma, you should definitely wash your curtains more often to avoid potential health problems. Experts recommend 2 to 4 months.
Cigarettes
Cigarette smoke is one of the worst things about your curtains. There is nothing that will make your curtains smell quicker than cigarettes. Any household that has smokers will tell you that they wash their curtains very often. While for most homes, 3 to 6 months is often enough, for homes with smokers, curtains need to be washed at least once a month.
The fabric
Washing machines are not always a good choice for cleaning your curtains. Sometimes curtains themselves dictate how often you can wash them. Basically, it all depends on their fabric material. Some fabrics like silk, linen, and other sensitive materials should not be washed very frequently. Washing them too often can cause them to tear, shrink or fade. And those types of curtains are usually expensive, so you should try and avoid that. Not only that, but they can’t be washed in washing machines, and they require professional dry cleaning services. So washing them every 6 to 10 months and using dry cleaning is the way to go in this situation.
Location
One factor that greatly affects how often you should clean your curtains is the area where you live. Or you are moving to. Suppose you are living in a dusty area. In that case, cleaning your curtains often is inescapable in an area near the sea, or somewhere where a lot of construction work is done. Keeping a home clean during relocation to somewhere like that is especially important, so keep everything dust-free and clean, including your curtains (if you decide to transport them as well). Sea air and debris from construction work can quickly make your curtains dirty. In addition to that, if you live in areas where that is a regular occurrence, you are going to have to wash your curtains much more often.
Pets
If you have pets, you know how hard it is to keep your curtains clean. Especially if you have a dog who is not house-trained very well or is still a small puppy. They like to sniff and chew everything. That includes curtains. Dogs like to see what’s going on outside, so they hang by the windows a lot, and sometimes they will drool on your curtain. All of that means that you are going to have to clean your curtains much more often than 3 to 6 months.
Children
And finally, we have come to probably the most important factor. You have guessed it—it is kids. Many people will tell you that when you have kids, your house is always dirty. Taking care of kids is so exhausting that sometimes you do not even have the time to think about cleaning your curtains. Also, kids touch everything with dirty and sticky hands, so it is hard for anything to stay clean. In this case, you can go in one of two ways. You can either wash your curtain anytime your kid spills something or draw something on it, which would mean washing them almost daily. Or you can just give up and wait to have nice curtains when your kids grow up, and you don’t have to worry about them getting dirty every day.
In conclusion
How often should you clean your curtains? It depends on many things, and it is important to consider everything listed in this article. At the end of the day, you will make the best decision when it comes to washing your curtains. There are many resources online that you can consult if you have more questions. The questions could include:
- What is the best dry cleaning service for curtains?
- What cleaning tips should I avoid?
- What fabrics can be washed in the washing machine?
Different circumstances require different amounts of cleaning, but if you decide to clean your curtains like most people do—between 3 and 6 months—you still can’t go too wrong.