1 .Will my curtains shrink?
Many curtain materials will shrink in both hot and cold water. The same materials will also shrink during dry cleaning. At Curtain Clean we measure your long curtains for length when they arrive and once they have been washed and dried we then re-hem the curtains back to the original length provided that there is sufficient hem allowance to do so and the fabric is both clean and not damaged by the sun or by being rubbed on the floor.
2 .Can you get all the mould stain out?
On most fabrics we can, but until we test a piece of the material in the curtain we don’t know if a curtain is made of a colour fast material. Occasionally on thermal backed curtains, some Polyester silks, natural fabrics and some Roman Blinds, because of the dyes used in the fabrics, we will only be able to fade the mould stain, although the curtains will be clean and sanitised. On normal lined curtains the lining will always be clean.
The cleaning process will sanitize the fabric so any bacteria on the fabric will be neutralized.
3. Dry Cleaning or washing? Which is best?
Many fabric labels say dry clean. But, in our experience this means little. We wash all curtain fabrics with care. There is a big difference in the cleaning process. We wash the dirt and grime out of the fabric whereas Dry Cleaning just evens it out. We see many disappointed people who have had their curtains dry cleaned only to find that the result is less than satisfactory. Dry cleaning will not remove the Mould stains on the fabric.
4. Do you clean on site?
No. We clean not steam your curtains. We wash the curtains so that all the curtain including the heads and ruffles are properly cleaned. Steaming the curtains doesn’t remove all the dirt and grime and “cooks” some of that back to the fabric depending on the grime.
5. Does cleaning affect the colours?
We find generally the whites are whiter and colours brighter.
6. How long does it take?
You should allow four to five working days from receipt of the curtains at our workshop. We can advise on timing at the time.
7. Can I use a household cleaner on the mould on my curtains?
There are two major problems with doing that. Many of these sprays contain chemicals that will remove the colour from the material. Long term damage can result from the spray being left to dry and not being washed out of the fabric with the result the fabric can rot. An example of colour loss is here.
8. Can you remove cat spray, dog urine, wine stains, greasy hand marks, nicotine, smoke smell from a fire, road film, and kitchen grease?
Yes. We can also remove many other stains. (please ask) It is helpful to know what has caused the stains. We cannot reinstate patches of colour where the colour has been destroyed by the offending material. We can also deodorize the curtains where they have been tainted by smells such as fire or cooking smells.
9. What curtains should I clean?
Because all curtains gather dust etc. we find it is usual to clean all the curtains in a room. There will be a discernible difference between clean and not clean.
10. How old can the curtains be?
There is no age limit and we have cleaned curtains that were well over 40 years old. Provided the material still has integrity to it then we can wash them.
11. How big can the curtains be?
At Curtain Clean we can handle curtains up to 5.5 meters high and 6.0 meters wide in a normal day. For curtain sizes greater than that please contact us.
12. What causes curtains to go mouldy?
The warmth of the sun causes curtains to warm up and to act like a glass house with the result that any bacteria on the material will thrive in the warmth and humidity around the curtain. Moisture on the window does not cause the mould, although it will contribute to the warmth and humidity around the curtain when the sun heats it up. See here.
13. Can we put something on the curtain to prevent the mould in the future?
No, there are products that claim to do this but they only delay the mould and once it gets into the fabric make it a lot harder to clean. You can help prevent the mould by thoroughly cleaning the windows and frames and then going over the cleaned surfaces with Janola bleach or a similar product. Care should be taken not to get these products on curtains or carpets, as damage may result. See here. Keeping the sun off the curtains and allowing plenty of air space behind the curtains will help.
14. Do you repair curtains?
Yes we do. Minor repairs are taken care of as part of our cleaning and curtain care process. Major repairs are priced separately, please ask. If a curtain is found to be in need of major repair we will always contact you first.
We can also alter your curtains and make replacement linings.
For more information about our Repair and Alteration Service, please go here.
15. Do you restring Roman and Austrian Blinds?
Yes we do. Often when doing this we find it necessary to replace the eyelets that the strings run through as the become rusty and chew the strings out.
16. Do you clean roller blinds, venetian blinds and vertical blinds?
Yes we do.
Venetians Go here for information.
Vertical blinds Go here for information.
Roller Blinds Go here for information.
17. Do you clean Swags and Valances?
Yes we do. Because they vary so much in construction we need to price these separately.
18. Do you clean other types of window treatments?
There is a wide variety of window treatments used and we can clean most of them. If you are unable to find your window treatment on this site then please email us and ask us about the cleaning of the product. Please note we do not give out cleaning advice.
19. Guarantees and Disclaimers.
Because curtains are made with so many and varied fabrics and those fabrics have been exposed to all sorts of environmental situations such as sun damage, handling during use, sometimes for many years, it is not possible to give any guarantees about shrinkage, stretching, dye loss/colour loss, dye run, compromised material and damaged thermal or block-out lining. These things are inherent in the fabric used for the curtains. Most curtains have no care labels and these are often wrong when they do.
We cannot take responsibility for damage caused by prior application of various cleaning products, spillages of drinks or other splashes, nor the damage they may cause. Much of this damage does not become apparent until the curtain is being washed. It is advisable to tell us if you know if something has been on the fabric. We do inspect the curtains looking for possible damage.
We cannot guarantee to remove all stains, especially permanent stains such as paint, but we will do our best to do so.
When shrinkage occurs we will do our best to ensure your curtains are returned to the right length at which we receive them, provided that sufficient hem is available to do so and the material is suitable. We are unable to test for shrinkage but 3-5% is the usual manufacturers warning. Some, such as Naturals can be greater. It is not possible to stop shrinkage but many fabrics have no shrinkage at all, including most linings. It is not possible to fix shrinkage on Roman Blinds.
While we take utmost care we cannot always make your curtains new again. We will give it a good try.
Venetain Blinds: Because the blinds have been in environments outside of our control sometimes for many years we cannot guarantee that some may lose their paint covering. This is caused by cooking fumes, coffee fumes from coffee machines and in some cases poor quality product.
All estimated prices are subject to confirmation of Drape, Curtain or Blind size and Classification on arrival at Curtain Clean
All prices are for standard curtain construction. Unusual features may have extra costs. ( See our website for details)
The prices published on our website are for cleaning your curtains and doing minor repairs. Where a major repair is required such as repairing the sides or replacing rusty pin hooks, tears in linings etc. we reserve the right to charge for that work. The cost will be minor but if it requires more than that if we have your contact details we will talk to you about it.
More information can be found on our website www.curtaincleaning.co.nz
If you have any doubts/questions please ask us either by email or phone. 0800 5790501
While we take utmost care we cannot always make your curtains new again. We will give it a good try.
Our Mission is to clean your curtains and return them to you looking the best we can make them at a reasonable cost.
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If you have other questions not covered here then please contact us by using this contact form or Ph. 0800 5790501
MOB. Click Here To call Curtain Clean on 0800 579 0501 for assistance