Washing Different Types Of Curtains
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I know there are many of you who are not sure how to clean certain types of curtains in your home. This is why I gathered some good information on different types of draperies, to be more precise, how to wash them properly. I hope you will find everything you need in this humble post and take care of your home on a new level.
SHEER GLASS FIBER CURTAINS
Such curtains call for hand washing in hot bubbles and, need no ironing like glass fiber draperies. They need a very soft handling while washing, like all other curtains but here it is all the more imperative to avoid mangling or twisting them. Rough handling or scrubbing is likely to cause the thread to break or distort the weave. In any case dirt glides down the glass fibers. As such no slap-dash methods are required. These curtains are the easiest to use. Just wash, rinse, and reuse without using any starch. They may be rolled into a towel or left out for a while to let them drip. Smoothen the seams and hems with your fingers and they are ready for use.
SHEER WASHABLE RAYON CURTAINS should be handled the same way as silken but may be washed uniformly well with mild detergents or unadulterated white soap flakes and warm water. Rayon fibers are not very strong when wet and therefore should not be soaked before washing. Do not hang them with clothes pins. They should be rolled in a Turkish towel to get rid of the moisture. Rayon’s behave differently as regards to the temperature they can withstand. The best option is to follow the manufacturers’ instructions. Else you should start with a warm iron, adjusted for rayon, and subsequently increase heat if needed. The top and bottom hems should be ironed first followed by ironing curtains along the length.
SILK CURTAINS fall in the category of the luxury curtains. Though not many of us would have them, directions for handling them are the same as for quite a few other articles like summer dresses and scarves.
WASHABLE SILKS SHOULD BE HAND LAUNDERED in tepid or cold suds made of a mild detergent that is far better for silks than the mildest soap. Gently you should squeeze the suds through the fabric. Rough handling harms the fibers. Having rinsed put them in between Turkish towels to get rid of excess moisture, and hang them to dry indoors, away from the sun or any other source of heat such as a radiator.
IRONING of SILK – after it has reached a level of uniform dampness, you may iron it after the iron has been set to “silk” setting. If you dry out silk completely and then moisten it by sprinkling water, it tends to get watermarks. This is particularly true for pongee that should be ironed when uniformly damp or when it is totally dry. It is good to take a simple precautionary measure while ironing silk. Iron it inside-out. You may use the protective covering of a piece of cheesecloth while ironing. If you iron too wet a piece of silk it will turn out to be quite stiff and papery, while too hot an iron causes white silk to develop a yellow tinge.
LACE AND NET CURTAINS – these are generally dry-cleaned. Should you decide to wash them, take a measurement before hand so that you can stretch them to the required length later? You should handle them just like cotton curtains with a nylon mesh or muslin bag for the delicate ones. One problem encountered with lace curtains is that their thread may break or get pulled back. Treat them softly. You can stiffen these curtains with gelatin or powdered gum Arabic to get a better finish. For getting such a finish pour an ounce of gelatin or powdered gum Arabic to a pint of cold water, and heat the mixture till the whole of powder gets dissolved. The ratio should be from eight to fifteen parts of hot water to the gelatin mixture and from five to ten parts to the gum Arabic solution. Mind you, it is this ratio which determines the degree of stiffness of your curtains. You may even treat your silks and rayon with gum Arabic solution. The gelatin mixture will deliver better results than starch for sheer cottons. You can safely use gelatin from any grocery store and the gum Arabic is available at most of the drug stores.
Bear in mind that sheer fabric curtains need to be hand washed and wouldn’t generally need ironing. A certain category of silk curtains too may be hand-washed in lukewarm water and a mild detergent.
How To Choose Curtains And Blinds
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The installation of a new seating arrangement in your living room would generally necessitate a changed window treatment, unless of course you took care to buy a whole new set keeping in mind the present arrangement. Many of us fear this part of the project. However, keeping in mind a few basic ideas will help you shed that trepidation of venturing into having a new window treatment and you’ll be glad that you did it. Here are the points that you should bear in mind while going ahead to get a beautiful window treatment.
Examine the room
The first step in that direction is to examine the present features of your room. This should include the number of windows, the kind of furniture you may already have or the new one that you want to accommodate therein and above all the present status of natural light, like if it’s dark during the day or it gets direct sunlight. All these factors matter and help you to take a better decision.
Generally, a darker room would look better with lighter shades of curtains. Bigger rooms welcome thick heavier curtains that add to its elegance. Just keep in mind that the widow coverings should jell with the rest of the room and not dominate the overall scene.
Choose colors and patterns
Once you realize the kind of room you have and the kind of lighter or a heavier window treatment that will suit it better, it’s time to move on to colors and patterns. Very often people decide the color to match with the seating arrangement that’s already there. That’s a nice way of short listing the color and design of your curtains. But, then the room shouldn’t already have too many colors. The idea may not work so well if you have colored wall paper and the seating arrangement like a sofa has a bold pattern and dark color. You have to take care that the blinds or such coverings should not dominate the surroundings. As a general rule smaller rooms look better with smaller window coverings.
Look at materials
Ultimately it is the material of a curtain or blind that goes to create the atmosphere of your room and gives it that feel, which you might have in mind. Heavy draperies in a large room impart that regal touch, but a small room gets rather stuffy with the same draperies. Similarly, bamboo blinds present an altogether different scenario than metallic blinds. It varies from situation to situation. A light sheer drapery imparts a room the feeling of being airy and cold in summers. While deciding on the material, continue to follow the theme that you already decided for the room. Airy rooms will naturally look better with lighter materials. But, all the time you don’t really have to go by the book. Keep your mind open to other options and continue experimenting with colors and texture and one day you’ll realize that the room reflects your personality.
Add dimension
To get that specialized look, give a dimension to your window treatment. It may be in the form of drawing better attention to the curtain rod than just to the curtains. Many experts on the subject often employ the technique of including many different textures to a window. It could mean incorporating a shade or blind in the background and covering it with a curtain on the top. Just as different colors and textures may be exploited to create the impression of a larger and brighter window, a variation of rod depth and level could bring in a changed outlook for the window.
Follow some simple tips and keep trying to create an impression that looks good only on the particular style and atmosphere of your room to get a unique personalized treatment to your window to the delight of everybody.
Tab Top Curtains – Simple And Affordable Window Treatment
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Its good to know that tab top curtains are available in a range of colors varying from very pleasant blue to bright orange. Whatever be the color or fabric of your choice, make sure that it jells with the interiors of your home and goes to reflect your taste and style. You may create your own personal color if the same is not readily available.
You could even use sheer curtains that could be doubled up on the hanging rods. You may slightly push the tab top curtains or use the side ties. Don’t forget that there are plenty of options you can choose. If I ever repeat anything on this blog, it’s that you should not limit yourself. Let the ideas flow, take some time to choose the pattern and fabric. Your mind will come to the best possible solution if you present it with different choices.
Tab top curtain is really an interesting window treatment. Try hanging a number of panels, which can separate the window to create an amazing contrast of light. You can give a classical look to your home by using the logon curtains tab top draperies. A very distinct feature of having a pure curtain is that while it helps to enhance the charm, you continue to have your privacy without sacrificing light.
If you are unable to get the desired color of tab top curtain or you like to make it on your own, go ahead and use your creativity to make a gorgeous curtain. You can experiment with different types of tabs and decorate the tabs with buttons, flowers, beads and pins, should you decide to go for this style of drapery. Use different color tabs to get interesting visual affects. For external tabs try using different shapes like round end or pointed.
Tab top drapes require your attention in order to adorn the windows beautifully. You need to focus on the drape and the drapery rod. The hanging rod plays a very important role as the tabs can create space between one another. You may try faux finishes instead of regular wrought-iron ones. Faux finishes are easily available, are lightweight and elegant. They are not too expensive either.
Should you have time at hand and be inclined to use your creativity, it will be a very nice experience to design your own distinct drapery rods by appropriately choosing the materials from any home improvement store. In a couple of hours you can make an excellent drapery rod by using curved fittings. In case you do not get them in a color of your choice, spray paint the same to get your own personalized shade. Get prompted to surprise everybody with your magical creation!
Curtain Poles – How To Install Them
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Any well thought off and planned activity saves you from a lot embarrassment and waste of time and materials. The same is true for fitting of curtains. Don’t be in a rush and take your time to read the instructions that are provided by the manufacturer. Gather all the tools that you are going to need in the process. The tips mentioned here would prove to be of great help in your plan. So, go ahead with the planned activities to get a good and desired output.
Pole Length
This may vary, being influenced by obstructions around the window area. But the thumb rule is that the curtain pole should extend by about 15-20cm (6-8in) beyond the window recess on both the sides and it should sit symmetrically with respect to the window opening. In exceptional cases one should seek help from a professional. Double check the position that the end brackets are going to occupy and be cautious of electric sockets or light switches that may be within 30cm (1 foot) of the window.
Positioning
Usually poles are fitted about 15cm(6″) above the aperture of a window, but at times you need to compromise because of insufficient space or if coving gets in the way. The pole has to be placed at the correct height above the floor to allow the drapes to hang appropriately. Take your time for accurate measurements and using a pencil mark positions on the wall. Keep in mind that there is no way to adjust the height of a drape except by moving the pole up or down. So you will have to be extra careful with you measurements and markings if the curtains are eyelet headed. Making use of a spirit level you should level the position of the drape pole even if the top of the window or the ceiling is not truly horizontal.
Walls and Fixings
As curtain poles need to be fixed into walls, window frames or doors, you will be required to drill holes, many a time into unknown materials. That calls for a good drill, preferably with hammer action for concrete, along with the drill bits of suitable size. Most of the modern houses have plasterboard. While drilling through that you may come across a steel lintel (particularly for the center support over a wide window). You might come across stone, wood or concrete, or any mix!. As bathrooms are generally provided with ceramic tiles, you’ll have to be very careful while drilling thru these to reach the wall, lest the tile should crack. The process may require special dill bits, depending on the material of the tiles. You should be extra careful and avoid drilling into electric wiring or pipe work.
Poles in two halves
Of course it is understood that if a pole comes in two pieces, the joint should remain in the middle to maintain uniformity, unless you have a good reason for putting the join in another place to accommodate a bespoke solution. Generally a pole comprising of two pieces would need a support bracket at the center. This will automatically conceal the joint. Using a doubled-ended screw joins the two halves of a wooden pole. At times metal poles require a wooden dowel for joining the two halves.
When working on a long pole with a central support, fit it first and then take levels of the left and right for the end brackets. This will give you a better level of the finished pole than if you start at one end and work across.
How to cut a curtain pole down to size
For wooden curtain poles we use a mitre box and a pull saw. But any wood saw would do and if you get stuck you may use a straight block of wood as a guide. A miter box gives a straight finish and you will notice that the pull saw gives a cleaner and smoother finish with less chances of chipping than a conventional wood saw.
For rods of small diameter we use a pipe cutter whereas large poles will need a high quality metal saw with 28 teeth per inch. You can use a junior hacksaw, but it tends to go offline. Stainless steel poles will require a sharp saw.
Remember that with poles in two pieces, you will need to shorten both parts by equal amounts so that the joint remains at the center of the finished pole.
Tools
Power drill with hammer capability; drill bits; masonry for brick etc; titanium for steel lintels; wall plugs and screws; spirit level; screwdrivers; pencil for marking up; spirit level; saw, pipe cutter & mitre block and a vacuum cleaner for final clean up.
Finally – safety first
Fitting a curtain rod is not such an arduous task, but if you are not confident please don’t hesitate to seek the help of a professional to get the job done. It is difficult to install heavier draperies or those, which are going to have a drop length of three meters or more.
Similarly, a hindrance in approaching the fitting space makes the job a bit difficult. If you are not aware a good curtain fitter your local curtain shop or interior design shop should generally be able to help.
Roller Blinds – Buying Tips
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Roller blinds make a very practical choice for window decoration on many different rooms in any type of home. They offer such a large choice of fabrics, materials and designs that you are sure to find a cheap roller blind to suit your decor.
These window treatments comprise of a large piece of fabric that rolls on and off a tube. The tube is held fixed above the window so that the blind can be pulled down over the window. The tube is kept in place by two brackets positioned at each end of the blind, one to its left side and the other to its right. These brackets allow the user to either top fix the blind into the recess top, or face fix the blind into the window frame. Top fixing a roller blind permits it to be positioned away from the window, bypassing the window handle when operated. Face fixing a enclosed blind would generally not provide the required space for the blind to pass any handles. However, there is an alternative if you prefer this system of fixing. The blind offers the function of reversed roll, meaning the fabric runs off of the front of the tube providing about an extra inch (25mm) of space between the fabric and the window handle.
There are two ways of operating blackout blinds that roll. One is known as a spring action. This is operated by a pull that is attached to the bottom of the shutter and pulls the fabric down. The spring is housed within the tube and has a small ball bearing that is functional in locking the blind into position when the shutters stop. This style of window treatment could be difficult to use as the spring is very tightly wound to ensure utmost tension. However, if the blind is left to go without locking into its place, there will be no resistance and the blind would shoot up towards the tube. This could possibly damage the blind.
The other method that is often preferred is called a sidewinder action custom blind. Here pulling of the sidewinder cord, which may be positioned on the left or right hand side, provides complete control over the blind .
It’s possible to use roller blinds at a lot of different locations. However, windows of larger sizes will need more of material and thus will weigh more. That adds to the weight of the blind. This puts pressure on the tube, which may bend and get curved over long use. That’s why it’s important to support a large enclosed shutter on an aluminum tube instead of cheaper and not so sturdy cardboard tubes that are available in the market.
You get a very wide choice of fabrics for roller blinds. There are a mind-blowing variety of fabrics and colors. You may opt for natural fabrics, blackout fabrics or some translucent materials. These are available in very vibrant colors. Blackout fabrics are particularly popular as they help to avert light coming into the room when the sun gets brighter.
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