Caring for your Window Treatments
The custom made-to-measure window treatments manufactured and supplied by Ideal Drape Makers will with care last and look great for years.
To assist you in keeping your treatments at their best this FAQ is designed as a resource that can be referred to for information on the part you need to play in their care.
Fortunately, with the right information, and depending on the environment your treatments are located, that job is not difficult, and if you do not find the resources here sufficient, or if you have any doubts or require reassurance, then please do give us a call. - It's much better to be safe than sorry.
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FAQ 9: Caring for your window treatments
Curtain Treatments
How do I care for my new curtains to ensure they continue to function and look great for years to come?
Always use draw cords or other drawing methods (eg Flick Sticks, or Chains) without handling the curtain itself to avoid soiling or discolouration of curtains from oils and other contaminants (dirt) from hands. Parents. - This will be particularly relevant if you have small and even teenage children living within your household.
All soft window furnishings manufactured and supplied, have attached care labels with care instructions.
As part of your regular cleaning routine, use a soft brush on your vacuum cleaner to 'dust' the curtains from time to time. If your vacuum cleaner supports the regulation of suction power, then ensure the suction is not too high so as to grab and crease the fabrics of your treatments.
The following advice is given in good faith and should not be considered a guarantee. If in any doubt, please do not hesitate to contact Ideal Drape Makers for further advice or confirmation of cleaning approach:
In all cases, regular care will minimise the need for additional cleaning. Always exercise caution when spot cleaning. Test cleaning on a non exposed surface. Avoid excess rubbing and abrasion.
Use of specialist dry-cleaners or a reputable and experienced fabric care specialist is recommended and may be located in local Melbourne directories or by referral from Ideal Drape Makers.
What other considerations should I be aware of in relation to curtain care?
Fortunately, by purchasing your window treatments from Ideal Drape Makers you have already, have a degree of assurance that your window treatments, with care, will look great for years to come with a minimum of fuss and effort.
All our products have attached care labels so that you are always assured of being able to identify the appropriate care instructions long after you have purchased your window treatments from us. Of course, if ever in doubt, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be more than happy to provide you with advice and instruction on how best to maintain your window treatments.
Relining
Ideal Drape Makers is able to re-line existing curtains should they start to suffer from the ravages of time, or if the original lining provided from your original supplier (not Ideal Drape Makers) did not provide you with lining suitable for the treatment you previously bought, and /or supplied you with inappropriate/inferior lining.
Ideal Drape Makers drapery and blinds are only produced with high quality linings that are designed to protect your curtains against the ravages of light and heat to ensure that your treatment looks great for years from the time of purchase. Quality lining costs more and is often the reason why the pricing of some of our window treatments is more than our competitors, for quotes you may have received for equivalent window treatment solutions.
Flame Retardant Materials and Fabrics
By law window treatments for commercial premises must utilise fire retardant materials and fabrics. Ideal Drape Makers, depending on the location of the treatment, believe that this is just as important in treatments we manufacture for residential homes. Fire retardant materials where utilised in residential treatments offers an important assurance that translates directly to better care and protection afforded to your home.
Repair & Alterations
Despite all your efforts to take good care of your window treatments, accidents can and do happen. We have yet to come across any product from a manufacturer that is 100% child or pet proof.
There are other times when curtain edging or seems may need attention through wear, or the outright age of the treatment. Rest assured, Ideal Drape Makers is available to ensure that your window treatments, whether originally purcahsed from us or from another supplier are repaired and / or rejuvenated, once gain breathing fresh life into your home.
Shutter and Blind Treatments
How do I care for my blinds and shutters?
Blinds and Shutters should be regularly dusted or wiped with a soft dry cloth to minimise build-up of dust and other contaminants. Use a duster, soft dry cloth or gently vacuum with an appropriate brush attachment.
Cleaning frequency will vary from least once a week, sometimes more often, depending on environmental conditions, such as pet hair, pollen etc.
Generally, blinds (Vertical, Holland Blinds, Aliminium Venetians and Sun Screen Blinds), may be cleaned by wiping with warm soapy water and a damp cloth. Avoid using abrashive or harsh household detergents or cleaning products.
IMPORTANT: Do not use water or water with soap based products for cleaning wood based shutters as the water may damage or warp the wood. Instead dust or wipe with a soft cloth as per the instructions for other blind types.
PVC or painted/synthetic shutters may be cleaned as per the instructions given above for general (non-wooden) shutters and blinds.
When cleaning shutters with soap and water, ensure that shutters are again wiped down with clean water to ensure that soapy residues are removed. Finally shutters may be dried with a soft dry cloth.
This advice does not apply to Roman Blinds. Please refer to care advice given for drapery products.
Awning Treatments
How do I care for and maintain my exterior window awnings?
Generally, awnings may be hosed down to remove dirt and grime. If soap is used with a sponge (do not use a brush), ensure that the whole panel is cleaned rather than spot cleaning. Do not use harsh or abraisive detergents. Especially avoid using a detergent containing ammonia. Rinse thoroughly and allow the awning to dry in the open position, as opposed to rolling or retracting it while still wet or damp.
What can I do if my existing awnings have suffered from wear and tear over time?
Depending on the state of your pre-existing awnings it may be possible to re-cover them. Our best advice is to call and talk to one of our consultant to discuss as, depending on the condition of the awning, re-covering may not be possible and/or cost effective given the state of the operational componentry of the awning.
To assist our consultants, it is very helpful if you are able to send us a series of photographs of the awnings and their general state. Smartphones are particularly useful and images can be uploaded via the orange contact widget at the lower right of this page below or by sending them to info@idealdrapemakers.com.au marking the email to the attention of the consultant you have spoken to or request a call back if you have not yet spoken to anyone.
Generally speaking, if the awnings are not too badly decayed there are definite advantages in exploring the recovering of your existing awnings.
We would like to invite you to leave feedback and any suggestions on how we can make this FAQ better if you feel we have not addressed an FAQ question adequately, or you feel we need to add further questions and answers to this FAQ, please comment below. Our FAQs are 'living guides' so we intend to update them regularly and incorporate the feedback we receive.
Sincerely,
The IDM Family.
Our quality window treatments are made to last, so we don't expect you to survive with just some verbal instructions at the time of purchase. All our drapery products have care labels sown onto them so you'll need to look no further than your nearest window treatment for the information you need.
Our website is a good resource for care instructions. For example our care label decoder (below) is a great resource that provides a fuller explanation of care instruction than can be squeezed on a label found on your drapery products.
Sometimes care labels can be a little cryptic so do not hesitate to contact us for further advice, even if it is just for a little reassurance.