Being a barrier between the inside and outside of your home, curtains are magnets for tons of dirt. When windows in your home are open, moisture and dirt from outside are absorbed by your curtains. If there is a draft in your house while windows are closed, then little particles can still reach through. All the dust that is blown around the house via your ceiling fan or vents like to also settle on your curtains.

Taking down, washing, drying and rehanging your curtains on a weekly basis to keep them clean is a lot of work and will also ruin your curtains. You are able to remove a good portion of dust and dirt off the surfaces of the drapes just by adding them to your weekly cleaning routine.

Here are some tips to remember when cleaning your curtains;

• Work from top to bottom so that particles fall where you have not cleaned
• Concentrate on the folds as most dust collects here
• Dust or vacuum before putting a damp cloth to the curtain
• Do not use a damp cloth on lightly coloured curtains
• Leave your curtains hanging while cleaning
• Clean both sides of the curtains

You should at least be vacuuming drapes once a month. If you have any pets at home you may consider vacuuming weekly because of allergens or dander. Use the soft brush attachment on your vacuum or a hand held one. Be gentle not to pull too hard on the drapes so they don’t pull away from the rods.

If you have blinds there is no need to remove them. Use the soft brush attachment from your vacuum in a left to right direction on the slates. When dusting also follow the same direction. Do not go up and down as this can cause damage to the slates.

If you’ve got vinyl blinds pick up a dry, rubber sponge and remove dust and dirt by putting firm pressure and move across. Wooden blinds should be cleaned with a moist cloth, make sure you are wringing out this cloth as excessive water could soak the wood and cause warping.