Chapter 7. WINDOWS, DRAPERIES, AND CURTAINS

A logical time to tackle the job of washing the windows is right after you have taken down your curtains and draperies for washing or dry cleaning. Give the screens a brushoff first so that rain won't drive dust from them against your nice clean windowpanes. Dusty screens shut out a lot of sunlight too.

IF YOU WASH YOUR OWN WINDOWS it might be a good idea to make a round of some of the stores to see what is available in the way of laborsaving equipment. This will include long handled brushes-some with hollow handles into which you pour your favorite cleaner-squeegees of various sizes, with or without builtin cellulose sponges, and long handled brushes for the outside, that can be attached to a garden hose. You will also have your choice of a number of special cleaning preparations that are either sprayed on or spread on.

PLAIN WATER will, of course, do the job very nicely and that is what professional window cleaners use-nothing added. If, however, you feel better putting something in it, you can choose one of the following: vinegar, ammonia, washing soda, trisodium phosphate, alcohol, kerosene, or borax. All of these aids have their enthusiastic backers. But never, never use soap. It leaves smears on the glass that are very hard to rub off.

IF YOU USE VINEGAR OR AMMONIA add about a tablespoonful to one quart of cool water; or use one to two teaspoons of borax, TSP, or kerosene.

ALCOHOL IS RECOMMENDED for cold weather use to keep the water from freezing on the panes. About a quarter of a cup in a pail of water is right. Alcohol, the various sodas, and ammonia are damaging to painted surfaces and to varnishes so be careful not to spatter the furniture or woodwork if you are using them. Available also for cleaning windows are mild scouring powders in convenient cake form.

TO CLEAN WINDOWS WITH A WATER MIXTURE, squeeze your sponge, soft lintless cloth, or chamois as dry as you can. Wash the top, bottom, then the middle of the pane and polish it immediately with a clean dry cloth (old linen is tops for this), chamois, or a crumpled paper towel. Wipe cake powders on with a damp cloth to coat the window with a thin film and wipe it away with another cloth when it is almost dry. A vacuum cleaner dusting brush can be used for this. If you use one of the commercial preparations for win-down cleaning be sure to read the directions and to follow them, for best results.

THE TECHNIQUE OF USING A SQUEEGEE after washing the pane, is to apply it firmly downward, wiping the moisture from the edge of the rubber blade after each stroke. Squeegees and chamois leathers have the advantage of leaving no lint.

STRONG CLEANING SOLUTIONS ARE NOT NECESSARY to clean windows, since dirt cannot penetrate glass. Paint stains and putty smears, however, frequently cloud the issue. A little ammonia on a damp cloth will take care of the putty, and fresh blobs of paint can be wiped off with cleaning fluid or turpentine. Old paint stains can be softened with turpentine, then carefully scraped off with a razor blade. Be careful not to scratch the glass-hold the blade perfectly flat.

AND NOW FOR THE CURTAINS AND DRAPERIES that are to go up all nice and clean. Very heavy lined ones and the non-washables will go to a good dry cleaner. The others can be handled at home.

IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT THE COLOR of cotton or linen draperies, test a scrap of the material or a small part of a corner by squeezing it in a basin of warm water. If the water becomes discolored the dyes are not completely fast. If only a little color seems to come out you can still wash the draperies if you are careful. Wash each piece separately in lukewarm suds made with pure white soap flakes, or a mild detergent, rinse it carefully, then spread it flat on an old turkish towel. Roll it up so that most of the water is absorbed, then immediately unroll it and hang the piece to dry in an airy place, preferably indoors. Hang it straight and be careful not to let the surfaces of the material touch.

LINED DRAPERIES. Light washable draperies, even when lined, can be home laundered with a little extra trouble. Snip the linings loose on all but one side to make ironing easier.

COMPLETELY COLORFAST MATERIALS can be washed with abandon and dispatch in your washing machine, in good stiff soapsuds. Hang them indoors or in the shade to dry-straight on the line, for easy ironing.

DRAPERIES SHOULD BE IRONED LENGTHWISE with the thread of the material, to avoid losing length by side-wise stretching. Iron them on the wrong side, excepting glazed chintz, which will keep a better gloss if ironed on the right side.

GLAZED CHINTZ, even if it has a permanent finish, ultimately loses some of its gloss. It can be revived somewhat with a light starch solution containing wax. Use a piece of wax about the size of a walnut for each pair of curtains. Either paraffin or candlewax will do. Stir the wax into a boiling starch solution until it is completely melted. When the mixture has cooled enough, immerse the draperies, then hang them to dry. When they are nearly dry iron them on the right side.

GLASS FIBER DRAPERIES can be washed in hot soapsuds or with a detergent, by hand or in a washer, but be sure to remove all hooks and other attachments that might snag them. Rehang them while they are still wet (but not dripping) and straighten the hems gently with your fingers. Glass fiber materials should never be scrubbed during washing, squeezed in a mangle, or twisted. They are never ironed.

SHEER COTTON WINDOW CURTAINS should be handled gently when they are washed, especially if they are old, because the threads become increasingly weak through constant weathering. If your curtains are very delicate, wash them in a nylon net bag or a muslin bag-an old pillow case will do. Curtains in good condition can go into the washing machine. Those that are old, or especially delicate, are best done by hand. You will have to be the judge.

TO HANDWASH WHITE COTTON CURTAINS, the first step is to shake them out gently to get rid of as much dust as you can. Then let them soak for ten or fifteen minutes in lukewarm suds to loosen the soil. Without twisting or wringing them, lift them from the water and drain it away. Then wash the curtains carefully in lukewarm suds made with pure white soap flakes or a mild detergent. Squeeze the suds through them; don't rub or scrub. If they still look dingy give them a second washing with fresh suds. Think twice before adding household bleach to your first rinse. It will weaken the fibers a little even when it is used carefully and rinsed thoroughly. Most sheer cottons need to be starched to look their best, excepting organdy with a permanent finish, and even this material loses its crispness after a number of washings and needs starch or some other finish. Use blued starch or add bluing to your own starch mixture, taking care that it is evenly distributed.

MACHINE WASHING WHITE COTTON CURTAINS. Soak them briefly then give them two short washings. Run the machine three to five minutes for the first wash and about two (with fresh suds, of course) for the second. Rinse carefully, blue, and starch. Hang them straight for easier ironing.

TO IRON CURTAINS fold them lengthwise down the middle and iron them double, with a lengthwise stroke. If the curtain is ruffled first iron the main part, doubled to the edge of the ruffle, then iron the heading and the top and bottom ruffles. Iron the side ruffle last and touch up the body of the curtain. By this method the main part of the curtain is finished before it has a chance to dry out. The ruffles usually remain damp enough to be ironed without constant rewetting and it is much easier to touch up the curtain proper if it accumulates wrinkles than to re-do mussed ruffles. Do not iron sheer starched curtains when they are too wet. The iron will pick up starch and stick to the material, often scorching or tearing it.

COLORED COTTON CURTAINS are handled much the same way, provided they are colorfast, but test them if you are not sure of their reaction, and always dry them indoors or in the shade. Some cottons that are fast to water are not fast to light, and fade more quickly if exposed to the sun when wet. Very sheer curtains can be rolled almost dry in a turkish towel, then ironed.

ORLON, NYLON AND DACRON CURTAINS are in the easy-care bracket. These are sturdy fibers and if the curtains are well stitched, they can go into the washing machine and be laundered with heavy duty soaps or detergents in warm water. If they are delicate or poorly seamed (can you pull out loose threads?) you had better do them by hand. Pat a little detergent into any especially soiled areas before you begin.

IF YOU LAUNDER SYNTHETICS BY HAND, you will find it easy because these curtains are not often heavily soiled. They usually do not require soaking, but it will not harm them.

Simply fold them into suds made with lukewarm water and a detergent, and gently press the suds through them until they are clean. Do not wring or twist. Rinse thoroughly and then hang them over a line to drip dry. Dripping gives synthetics the greatest freedom from wrinkling.

IF YOU MACHINE WASH SYNTHETIC CURTAINS you may need to smooth them quickly with an iron set for "nylon" or "rayon." Tumbling them at low temperature in a home dryer may leave them comparatively wrinkle-free. Orion, nylon, and dacron curtains do not need to be starched or blued. Properly washed, they should not need bleaching ever. But if they are old and a shade or two off-white you can bleach them as you would white cotton fabrics. This treatment is described in the chapter Fabrics and Finishes.

SHEER GLASS FIBER CURTAINS should be hand washed in hot suds and, like glass fiber draperies, they most not be ironed. They should be handled very gently during washing-like all curtains-but in this case it is especially important not to wring or twist them. Hard rubbing and rough treatment distort the weave and may break threads. Dirt slides right off glass fibers anyway, so slap-dash methods are totally unnecessary. These curtains are a wash, rinse, and rehang proposition-no bluing, no starch. Roll them in a towel or let them drip for a while, then rehang them and smooth the seams and hems with your fingers.

SILK CURTAINS have moved into the luxury class and it is unlikely that many of us will have them, but the directions for handling them are also applicable to other articles such as summer dresses and scarves.

WASHABLE SILKS SHOULD BE HAND LAUNDERED in lukewarm-to-cool suds made with a mild detergent which is better for silks than the mildest soap. Handle silks gently, squeezing the suds through the fabric. Rough treatment damages the fibers. After rinsing put them between turkish towels to remove excess moisture, and hang them to dry indoors, away from any source of heat such as a radiator.

IRON SILK when it has dried to a uniform dampness, with your iron set for it. Silk that has dried completely and has then been sprinkled for ironing is likely to show water marks when it is pressed. This is especially true of pongee, which is ironed either uniformly damp or when it is completely dry. Iron silk on the wrong side, preferably with a piece of cheesecloth over it as a protection, since silk scorches very easily.

Rayon Curtains / Blinds.

If the silk is too wet when it is ironed it will emerge stiff and papery, and too hot an iron will turn white silk yellow.

SHEER WASHABLE RAYON CURTAINS are handled like silk but can be washed equally well with mild detergents or pure white soap flakes and warm water. Rayon fibers tend to be weak when they are wet and should therefore not be soaked before washing or hung with clothes pins. Roll them in a turkish towel to remove most of the moisture. Rayons differ widely in the amount of heat they will stand and if you have the manufacturer's directions for ironing, be sure to follow them. Otherwise start with a warm iron, dialed for rayon, and raise it if more heat is needed. Iron the top and bottom hems first, then iron the curtains lengthwise with the threads, on the reverse side.

LACE AND NET CURTAINS are often dry cleaned. If they are to be washed, measure them first so that they can be stretched to the right dimensions afterwards. Handle them like cotton curtains, using a nylon mesh or muslin bag if they are delicate. The threads of lace curtains are easily pulled or broken. These curtains can be stiffened with gelatin or gum arabic, which is better for them than starch. To make such a finish add an ounce of gelatin or powdered gum arabic to a pint of cold water, then heat the mixture until the powder is completely dissolved. Add from eight to fifteen parts of hot water to the gelatin mixture, and from five to ten parts to the gum arabic solution, depending upon the stiffness you want to give the curtains. The gum arabic solution is also good for silks and rayons. The gelatin mixture is often used in preference to starch for sheer cottons. Grocery store gelatin is what you use. The gum arabic powder can be purchased at a drug store.

BEIGE AND ECRU CURTAINS can be retinted 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.

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.