Plastic curtains and window shades also require attention. They need to be clean periodically to prevent dust. These are some tips on cleaning the Venetian blinds.



BEIGE AND ECRU CURTAINS can be re-tinted with a strong solution of coffee or tea, or with dyes such as Tintex or Rit (follow instructions on the package). Add the coloring to hot water slowly and test for the shade you want on a sample of material before immersing the curtains. Remember that the color will be lighter when the fabric is ironed dry.

COTTON OR LINEN NET OR LACE CURTAINS are not ironed; they are dried on stretchers made for this purpose. Using measurements taken before washing the curtains, set them for one half inch less to allow for the slight stretching that takes place after they have been rehung.

WASH PLASTIC CURTAINS with a mild soap or detergent and warm water, unless you have specific directions from the manufacturer. You can spread them flat and go over them with a cloth or sponge. Paper curtains can be used as throwaways, or cleaned according to the directions given by the manufacturer. And while we are at the windows, what about the shades? Or have you Venetian blinds?

DUST WINDOW SHADES PERIODICALLY. They should seldom need more than dusting with a brush or the dust brush from your vacuum cleaner.

TO CLEAN WASHABLE SHADES, however, lift the slotted end of the roller, take the shade down and unroll it on a flat surface. Using a stiff lather of soap or detergent and a brush, scrub a small surface at a time until one side has been finished. Rinse the lather off with a cloth squeezed nearly dry out of clear water, taking care not to get the shade too wet Turn it over and do the other side. Non-washable shades can be cleaned with art gum, commercial wallpaper cleaner, or with cornmeal inside a gauze cloth. If the bottom of the shade is dingy the shade can be taken off the roller and the top and bottom reversed. Or you can have a new shade put on the roller, which costs less than buying a new one.

W THE SHADE IS LOOSE ON THE ROLLER, after it has dried completely and been replaced, lift the slotted end and roll it up by hand. This is easier than trying to rewind the spring by hand and amounts to the same thing.

VENETIAN BLINDS ARE EASILY DUSTED with lambs-wool brushes made with "fingers" especially for this task. Or you can close the blinds and dust the slats with the dusting brush of your vacuum cleaner. Reverse the slats and dust the other side.

TO WASH VENETIAN BLINDS use a sponge and warm water, with a detergent or paint-cleaning solution, and clean one at a time, on both sides, rinsing as you go. Cleaning waxes are often used on painted Venetian blinds as well as on blinds of natural wood. Change cloths as they become soiled and give each slat a rub with a clean soft cloth. The tapes can be cleaned with a dry cleaning fluid, or scrubbed with upholstery shampoo.

Remember that we need to wash the rayon curtain using mild detergent or pure white soap flakes. Do not soak the curtain before washing and do not hang them with the pin as they are weak when they are wet. If you prefer to wash the lace and net curtains, handle them carefully as the lace curtains are easily pulled or broken. You can wash plastic curtains with mild soap or detergent. You can dust the window shades using brush or vacuum cleaner. Washable shades can be washed with soap or detergent, while non-washable shades can be cleaned with art gum or paper cleaner. Venetian blinds are easily dusted. Wash the Venetian blinds using the sponge and warm water, with detergent or paint cleaning solution. If we can follow these methods, surely we can get a better results and the materials become last longer.