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While there are no hard and fast rules for drapery cleaning, a good gentle cleaning every few years will help prolong the life of your drapes, and keep colors vibrant.
Additionally, if anyone in your home is sensitive to dust or pollen, you may choose to clean the drapes more often. Drapery fabrics can trap and hold small particles of dust, dirt and other pollutants, causing problems for those with allergies or asthma.
Methods for cleaning draperies fall under two categories:
wet cleaning,
dry cleaning.
Wet cleaning methods involve water plus a soap or detergent, and possibly fabric softener. Dry cleaning methods involve the use of a chemical solvent with little or no water, and a tumbling machine to help dislodge dirt and stains, and rinse the solvent. Dry cleaned fabrics are dried with the help of machines, then steamed or ironed for a finished appearance.
The method used depends primarily on the type of drapery and fabric. Professional drapery cleaners may clean your draperies on site, or take them to a shop and then return the draperies back to your home.
If the professional is removing the draperies and taking them off-site to be cleaned, you can expect the process to take anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks. If the cleaning is taking place on-site, the process will be a same-day service.
Professional drapery cleaning is the most effective way to thoroughly clean your drapes. However, not all spots are removable. Stains that go untreated can "set" and become chemically bonded to the material. Also, difficult stains on sensitive fabrics may be hard to remove without risk of damage to the material.
Generally, yes. Make sure you communicate your odor concerns prior to the start of the professional cleaning job, so the experts can create a plan and choose a cleaning method to effectively tackle the odors.
