Curtain cleaning: on the rail or taken down?

Should curtains be cleaned on the rail or taken down?

Both methods are sound. The choice rests on three things: what the curtain is made of, how dirty it is, and how hard it is to remove and hang again.

Cleaning in place suits curtains that are dusty and dull but carry no deep stains. It is the safer route for lined and interlined drapes, blackout fabric, anything with a stiffened heading, and curtains on motorised or very high tracks. Nothing is unhooked, so pleats keep their set and the hem stays where the fitter put it.

Taking curtains down is right when the dirt is through the cloth: mould spots on the lining, smoke or cooking smell, water marks, or stains from hands and pets along the leading edge. It is also the simplest answer for unlined sheers, which are light, washable and hold more dust than any other fabric in the room.

How are curtains cleaned while they hang?

The fabric is first vacuumed dry on both faces, top to bottom, with a HEPA vacuum and a soft brush head on reduced suction. Headers, pleats and the top hem get the most attention, since dust settles there and the AC grille above many windows blows straight onto them.

Steam or a fine spray of cleaning solution is then applied with a hand tool that vacuums the moisture back out as it moves. The cleaner works in vertical strips from the heading down, holding the fabric taut with the other hand, and keeps the cloth damp and never wet. The pelmet, track, gliders and wands are wiped, and the floor below is protected throughout.

With the AC running the curtains dry on the rail in two to four hours, and their own weight pulls out most creases. This method freshens the fabric and removes dust and light soiling. It will not lift a stain that has dyed the fibre, and it cannot wash a lining that has gone mouldy.

What happens when curtains are taken down for cleaning?

• Each panel is photographed and labelled by room and window, and the hooks are counted and bagged.
• The fabric and lining are checked against the care label, and a hidden corner is tested for colour run.
• The drop is measured before cleaning so that any shrinkage can be seen afterwards.
• Panels are washed on a cool gentle programme or dry cleaned, as the label directs, then pressed.
• They are hung again and dressed into their folds, and the hem is checked against the floor.

Shrinkage is the main risk. Cotton, linen and viscose can draw up enough to lift a hem clear of the floor, and a face fabric and its lining rarely shrink by the same amount, which makes the curtain pucker. Allow for the windows being bare for several days, and think about privacy and sun in the rooms affected.

Why do curtains in Dubai get dirty so quickly?

Curtains hang exactly where outdoor dust enters a home. Fine sand passes through the gaps around sliding doors and windows and lands on the first fabric it meets. On the room side, the AC keeps air moving across the cloth for most of the day, and the curtain acts as a filter.

Sun does a different kind of damage. Strong light through the glass fades the leading edges and weakens the fibres, so old curtains sometimes tear in a wash that newer ones would survive. In the humid months, chilled glass can run with condensation, and a lining that rests against it stays damp and grows black mould spots.

Open plan apartments add cooking vapour, which makes dust stick and turns sheers grey or yellow.

What can I do myself, and how often?

• Vacuum curtains once a month with a soft brush on low suction, working downwards.
• Wash unlined sheers every three to six months on a cool, gentle cycle and hang them back slightly damp so that they drop straight.
• Keep fabric from touching the glass, and wipe condensation off the frame when you see it.
• Wipe tracks and poles, and vacuum the sliding door channels where sand collects.
• Have lined curtains deep cleaned about once a year, and sooner in a home with smokers, pets or allergy.

Leave the washing machine out of it for anything lined, stiffened with buckram, coated or labelled dry clean only. The MELLS looks at each curtain during a site visit, states in the written quotation which will be cleaned in place and which removed, and has a supervisor check them once they are back up.