James Cummings, general manager of Arizona’s Servpro of Ahwatukee & South Tempe, a local branch of Servpro, the national fire and water cleanup and restoration company, has a lot of experience restoring different materials after emergencies — including draperies. Here, Cummings explains how to care for your draperies, including professional cleaning.
Common Types of Drapery Damage
1. Stretching. As your draperies are used, they are stretched from hanging and/or being stretched out across the windows. Plus, the heat created from sunlight causes the fabric to relax. When this occurs, it is not uncommon to have several inches of stretching. This can be remedied by having the hem of the drapery shortened.
2. Shrinkage. You may notice just the opposite of stretching occurring from time to time. On a humid day, homeowners may find their draperies have shrunk. Certain fibers have a tendency to absorb moisture, shrinking the fabric. If your draperies shrink, allow ample time before having them lengthened to make sure they don’t shrink more.
3. Discoloration. Advancements have been made in recent years in the dyes used in manufacturing drapery materials. Over time, however, expect some color change from the sun’s ultraviolet rays and soil in the atmosphere. When this happens, professional cleaning will restore the color.
Day-to-Day Drapery Care
Routinely caring for your draperies is relatively easy since they do not receive the same amount of foot and body traffic as your carpets and furniture. Vacuuming the draperies on a scheduled basis is the most important job you can perform. Dust particles in the air adhere to the drapery material more rapidly than sometimes meets the eye. On days when the air is dry, a static charge will build up in your draperies, which attracts dust particles at a considerably higher rate.
Professional Cleaning
A good rule of thumb is to have your draperies cleaned approximately every two years. A Servpro survey revealed that the average customer believes draperies should be cleaned only when they look dirty. But depending on your heating system, the amount of smokers in the home, and other factors, draperies may not show soil for two to six years. But oily atmospheric soil will gradually cause the fabric to deteriorate, though direct sunlight is often unjustly blamed for this. You could triple the life of your draperies through professional cleaning, which is relatively inexpensive compared to replacement costs.
When your draperies need professional cleaning, make sure they are dry cleaned only. Only a small percentage of materials can be laundered. If in doubt, call your local Servpro franchise professional for advice. Be discriminating in your choice of professional dry cleaners. Some cleaners only have equipment designed for cleaning clothes, while others have equipment specifically designed for draperies.
The Servpro Method
Servpro franchise professionals use an exclusive process of dry cleaning draperies right in your home. There’s no need to have your home or office exposed while your draperies are out being cleaned. We inject a specially formulated solvent into your draperies under pressure and extract the chemical, leaving your draperies clean. This special process results in no damage or shrinkage to the material. And most importantly, you will get quality cleaning at a reasonable price. Call your local Servpro franchise professional for a free survey of your drapery cleaning needs.
