Questions from Customers: Cleaning Draperies

While dry cleaners are mostly associated with clothing, Custom Care Valet does provide drapery cleaning in Vancouver, WA. We take as much care in our cleaning process for draperies as we do for clothing, and in regards to our drapery cleaning services, one of our customers in Hazel Dell, WA had a question with this in mind:

How often should I clean my draperies?

A good rule of thumb is that they usually need cleaning before they look dirty or soiled. It’s the invisible particles that cause deterioration and irreparable harm. Unfortunately, the daily activities done in the home is attributed to their damage. Cooking, operating furnaces and wood fireplaces or stoves, as well as smoking all produce harmful particles.

And the reason draperies are affected is because they act just like a filter for this floating debris. A few short years of abuse can amount to nasty dry rot.

So, what can you do?

Cursory examination of your drapes monthly, depending on the season, is vital to keeping track of degradation. Make sure to check your windows for moisture during both hot and cold weather, and watch for leaks from your window frame. Vacuuming the drapes can be a very beneficial procedure, but make sure you are using the correct attachment! Also, consider using shears behind your drapes to protect them.

Lastly, the most cost-effective and reliable method of checking your drapes is to smell them for odors and impurities. If what you smell isn’t entirely pleasant, take it to a trusted, local Vancouver, WA dry cleaning service, Custom Care Valet, and we’ll clean them for you.

We promise not to ask how you found out that they needed to be cleaned!