How Do You Steam Clean Curtains?

How Do You Steam Clean Curtains? Cleaning the curtains regularly is a must, as they accumulate dirt and odors over time. Luckily, there are 3 ways you can clean your curtains. While some drapes feel ok being machine washed or dry cleaned, others require something different.

Steam is a revolutionary type of curtain cleaning, which is safer, as it doesn’t use harsh chemicals. The only drapes that don’t tolerate steam are velvet and dralon. Other materials are great friends with steam.

All you need is a steam cleaner with appropriate attachment, water, and a heating source. Here is a step-by-step guideline on how to steam clean curtains.

1. Heat up the water

First and foremost, you need to put fuel in the tank of your steam cleaner. In this case, the fuel will be water, which has to get hot in order to generate steam. Pour some tap water in the tank. Don’t fill the container to the brim, as the boiling water bubbling may lead to spills.

Once the water is in the tank, turn the heating system on and wait for the water to boil. Depending on the steam cleaner’s power, the healing process may take several minutes on average. So make patience your best friend.

2. Test the curtain

Before proceeding with steam cleaning, sacrifice 10 more minutes to test the curtain fabric for its steam tolerance. Apply steam on an area of the curtain that is not visible, such as the bottom corner. Let the fabric dry and then look for damage and discoloration.

If the drape looks unspoiled, you can move on to steam clean it all.

3. Spray the steam

Before jumping into action, don’t forget that steam is hot. Put on protective gloves to prevent skin burns. As you do so, attach the nozzle jet to the hose. This application tool delivers a powerful blast that helps release tough debris and stubborn stains.

Make a point of holding the nozzle attachment 6 inches away from the curtain. This will ensure that the forceful blast doesn’t damage the fabric and it doesn’t get too wet. Spray the steam on one section at a time, moving steadily down, up until you reach the bottom.

4. Attach the drape tool

Remove the nozzle jet tool and attach the drape or fabric tool to the hose. This aims at removing the remained residue and making the drape good-looking and spotlessly clean.

As there is no powerful blast anymore, you can move the tool closer to the curtain, up until it touches it. Spray steam top to bottom, gently touching the fabric with the brush and releasing all leftovers. Don’t forget to treat with steam both the front and the back side of the drape.

If you feel the steam is too weak, consider turning on the heating system to get the water hot enough. Steam will not only remove visible stains but will also disinfect the fabric. The hot jet kills even the most resistant bacteria, keeping your room free of allergens.

5. Air dry

The last step is air drying. Let the curtain air dry by itself. Eventually, it should look spotlessly clean, appealing and free of stinky odors.

Removing drape wrinkles

Aside from steam clean curtains, you can also use a steam cleaner to rid the drape of wrinkles. This is especially useful with unpackaged and new curtains as well as with recently washed ones.

Instead of struggling to remove wrinkles with an iron, you can choose a portable steam cleaner. For this, you will need to hang the curtain over, which makes it much easier to notice wrinkles and remove them.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get the device ready to do its job. You are better off closing the curtains and spreading them all over the width of the curtain rod. This will allow you to see all creases and wrinkles and get the drape perfectly ironed.

How Do You Steam Clean Curtains? – Conclusion

To sum up, steam cleaning is a great way you can clean, iron, and disinfect your curtains without removing them. This task takes less time than machine washing and dry cleaning and it’s extremely easy to do.

However, you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions on using the device to ensure you cause no damage to the drape fabric.