How to Maintain Curtains and Drapes?

Curtains and drapes enhances your home interior. These are used for decoration as well as it blocks light, air, water entering into the house. It gives aesthetic beauty to your home. These curtains protect your furniture from sun rays and gives you comfort and privacy. The difference between the curtains and drapes is both are same. Curtains are lighter in weight and unlined whereas draperies are heavier and lined fabric that extends to or close to the floor. Even though these curtains and drapes look clean but it collects dust, oil, pollution, smoke, pollen, heating fumes and bacterial etc. So, it is necessary to clean curtains and drapes regularly.

You can help eliminate dust from your curtains and drapes by following these helpful tips:

• Daily at the end of the day, shake your curtains or draperies so that some of the dust particles come out of the fabric. Here daily care is required.
• Always remember to clean the curtains and draperies from top to bottom (including window coverings) with the vacuum cleaner by simply attaching a brush at the end of the accessory hose whenever you sweep and dust your home. At least once in a week you have to clean with the vacuum.
• If you want to wash the curtains or draperies, you have to wash according to the washing instructions written on the label. If it is a normal wash, you can wash it in a washing machine. If your curtain needs dry cleaning, then give your curtains to the dry cleaner for efficient maintenance and cleaning.
• For washable curtains, use soapy detergent in machine and set the water temperature to hot and use short or gentle cycle for washing. And, then rinse for number of times. Then put in the dryer for drying or dry them in the shady place in the reverse side to avoid fading.

Maintain your curtains and drapes occasionally to avoid the dust.

Steps to Make a Grommet Drape

A grommet is a ring which is inserted into a hole through a thin material, such as fabric. The drapes made with grommet can be easily opened and closed. These have a contemporary look. The grommets can be attached by hand or with the help of special tool kit.

Here are the steps to make grommet drapes easily:

• First step in making grommet drapes is to measure the drapes. The width of the drapes should be twice the width of the window. Add a total of 10 to 12 inches to the length for hems at top and bottom.
• Lay the fabric on the ironing board, cut a piece of drapery header tape, line it up with the top of the fabric, fold it and iron. Fold the fabric with the header tape inside once again and iron. Sew along the bottom edge.
• Create hems for the drapery the same way and if the sides of the fabric need to be finished, sew narrow seams. Lay the fabric flat and then insert grommets along the top.
• With the help of a grommet tool, trace inner circle of each grommet and then cut out the circle of fabric.
• Place one half of the grommet on top of the circle and another on the bottom. They are snapped together and the each grommet should face the same direction.
• Repeat with the other drape. Pass a drapery rod through these grommets and then hang the drapes.

Now you are done with the making of the grommet drape which is ready to use. Use them to decorate your home and see the difference.

What are Grommet Drapes and Know About Their Advantages

The art of interior designing is ever changing with the introduction of new materials, most offices and homes use drapes to create a modern and airy look. Grommet drapes are made up of different materials like cotton, polyester, wool and silk. Though the above said materials are used for making grommet drapes, silk is best suited as it gives a more natural flow of the material and it looks chic. These are ideal for casual rooms. Following are the advantages of grommet drapes:

Functionality: They are easily opened and closed, as they come in metal rings surrounding a hole to reinforce the fabric. This kind of design makes it to move across the rod smoothly.

Natural Folds: Windows have the natural folds and flow that is given by the grommets. In the traditional drapes the users need to decorate and manage the folds as well as the flow of the drapes. To bring more attractiveness make sure that the grommet drapes matches with elegant rods.

Easy To Attach: The metal rings present in the grommet helps can be easily attached and they can be attached manually.

Easy Cleaning: The grommet drapes are generally made from washable material and these materials can be washed through dry cleaning or wet cleaning.

Price: Depending on the materials used and the design the prices of these drapes ranges from $20 to $50. If the customer has low budget he can buy the grommet and create the material on his own.

Size: Grommet drapes comes in variety of sizes like small, medium and large. The customer can choose best size of the drapes which suits his needs.

Grommet drapes are not only a fashion statement, but they are also very convenient to use.

Know About Different Designs of Curtains

Curtains are useful in protecting the interiors in the room. They are also used to provide privacy from the neighbors. Curtains can also dictate the style of a room. Curtains are available in various styles and designs depending on the length and weight of the fabric used. Some curtain designs are more suited to certain rooms of the house. Several curtain designs are easily identified and are given below:

Rod Pocket:
It is the most widely used design and is also referred as pole top. It has an opening for the curtains rod at the top. This type of curtains are best in a fixed position and the design of the rod pocket curtain can either be flat or have pleats across the top of it.

Tab Top:
This design of the curtain is simple and has modern look, they are usually inexpensive than other type of curtain designs. A variation of this design is the tie top, in which the strips of fabric from the curtain tie around the rod.

Pleated:
Pleats give formal appearance for the curtains and are found at the top of the curtain. Pinch, French pleats, pencil, box and goblet pleats are the types of pleats which are most labor intensive and formal because of the tailored fabric. Pleated curtains require more fabric to achieve a gathered look and they are normally expensive.

Cafe Curtains:
They are short and cover only the bottom half of the window and they let the sun light in to the room through uncovered portion. This curtain design consists of two panels hung from a rod across the middle of the window.

Different designs give different look to the room. It is best to choose a curtain based on the interiors and color of the room.

Different Types of Window Curtains

Curtains are no more confined to just block the sunlight or provide privacy from the neighbors. They are now mere decorative items. They are available in different colors which adds to the beauty of any room. There are many types of window curtains available in the market and those are here under:

Tab Top Curtains: This design of the curtain is simple and has modern look, they are usually inexpensive than any other type of curtain designs. A variation of this design is the tie top, in which the strips of fabric from the curtain tie around the rod.

Box Pleated Curtains: This type of the curtains are made up of a wide, rectangular pleat across the top of the curtain. It gives formal look to the room's decor. Box pleats are normally made with a medium to heavy fabric.

Pencil Pleat Curtains: These are pleated curtains that have very tightly packed pleats across the top of the curtain. This curtain gives a very neat, orderly finish to the window.

Pinch Pleated Curtains: These are also called as French pleated curtains and these have pleats arranged in a group of three across the top of the curtain and the areas between the pleats are flat and large.

Cafe Curtains:
They are short and cover only the bottom half of the window and they let the sun light in to the room through uncovered portion. It consists of two panels which are hung from a rod across the middle of the window.

These different types of window curtains, add a new and elegant look to the room.

Thick Curtains Vs Thin Curtains For Hotels

Curtains should be able to block the sunlight and control the climate in hotel rooms. Curtains are also used as decorative items as they come in a variety of shapes, materials, sizes, colors and patterns.

One of the types of curtains generally used in hotel rooms is thick curtain which almost blocks the sunlight entering the room in the summer. It also insulates the hotel rooms and prevent the heat from escaping outside in winter season so that it provides warmth for the guests in the hotel rooms. They also provide privacy for the guests. Thick curtains are much heavier but hang easily. Thick curtains are available in different styles, designs, colors and patters, when used in the hotel rooms they increase the attractiveness of the hotel room. They also save energy costs for the hotel management as they insulate the hotel room. The only disadvantage of using thick curtains is that they are more expensive than the thin curtains but if you want to satisfy your guest it is necessary to use thick curtains in the hotel rooms.

Thin curtains have their aesthetic and functional value and application, so they can serve to increase the attractiveness of interior decoration and provide freshness and warmth for the guests in the hotel. They are also made up of different materials like cotton, lint, wool, silk, polyester and available in different sizes and designs. They are less expensive and are also less efficient than the thick curtains.

Fabrics Used in Making Different Types of Curtains

Today many people are buying the fabric for the curtains and then tailoring them according to their taste with the help of a professional. This gives an advantage of having a curtain design customized according to their tastes and nobody else can have the same design. There are many fabrics used for making the curtains and these fabrics are given below:

Silk: Silk is one of the most luxuriant fabric used for making the curtains. It is expensive than the other fabrics, it has tendency to rot in direct sunlight and this fabric needs more care including ironing, hand washing and dry cleaning than other fabric types. Curtains made with silk comes in different styles, shades and patterns. Silk can be used in full length panel curtains, roman shades or even balloon shades.

Wool: Wool insulates the rooms in the hotel effectively, hangs effortlessly and provides an elegant look to the hotel rooms. Wool is easily dyed and cost of the curtains made up of wool varies depending upon the type of wool used. 3

Cotton: Cotton is a cheaper fabric when compared to others. It is available in different effects such as satin weave or plain weave. Curtains made with cotton requires low maintenance as they can be easily washed.

Rayon: Rayon is a fiber which is made up of regenerated cellulose, or wood pulp and it is available in two forms one is cuprammonium rayon, and the other is viscose rayon. It has the characters like natural luster, pleasant hand or feel, good draping qualities, and the ability to take dyes.

Linen: Linen is one of the oldest fabric and it is derived from the fibers of the flax plant, it is the expensive fabric to manufacture. The quality of linen is dependent on the flax plant, as it is temperamental to grow. Linen textile is famous for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather. Linen curtains are best suited for humid curtains as they have the property of wrinkling. To clean linen curtains, dry cleaning services should be used.

Based on the design of the curtain, different fabrics can be used. However, based on the weather conditions too, one can select the fabrics for curtains.

Know About Advantages of Curtains

In earlier days curtains are used to block the sunlight entering the home and also to provide privacy from the neighbors. But today they are used as decorative items and the hotel owners should take care in selecting the curtains which suits their hotel rooms best. There are different kinds of curtains available in terms of size, design, color and patterns.

Advantages of using curtains are given below:

• Curtains comes in a wide variety of styles, from simple metal curtain poles to wood effect ones. They also come in different sizes and shapes and add a certain style to the hotel room.
• Curtain tracks that are small and can even be recess fixed into a ceiling leaves plenty of room for a window or door to open inwards.
• Curtains which are thick can insulate the room in a better way and when they combines with a thick material gives extra heat insulation.
• Curtains requires little maintenance and they are easy to clean, they also protect the guests in the hotel who are suffering from asthma and allergies.
• Electric curtains gives the guests a comfort to operate from the place they are sitting as they can be set to open and close with the help of the remote control.
• The hotel staff can change the curtains easily by simple unhooking the curtains from the poles and attaching these hooks to new curtains.
• The curtains are also reliable and they are available at low costs with the introduction of ready made curtains.

Curtains apart from adding beauty to the rooms, also provide protection from different weather conditions.