The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the air inside your home is 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside. Dust mites, pollens, pet dander, mould, and fungi build up on your home fabrics and reduce the indoor air quality. Poor air quality can lead to emphysema, asthma and severe allergies. Regular professional cleaning of your home fabrics will help you keep a healthy home.

We recommend that you clean your …

Drapes – every 2-3 years

Blinds – every 1-3 years

Area rugs – every 1-2 years

Broadloom carpets – every 1-2 years

Upholstery – 1-3 years

Time periods can vary by the environment in and around your home.

For tips on the air quality of your home from the Canadian lung association visit www.yourhealthyhome.ca

We know you want your home fabric to look clean and bright, but sometimes things just happen. If you have a spill on your home fabrics STOP! Don’t panic, and follow these instructions to get you through it.

• Act quickly. Fresh spills/stains are easier to remove than old set in stains
• Always blot and never scrub. Scrubbing can spread the stain and damage the fabric
• Use a spatula or blunt knife to scrape up dry messes
• Test your spotting solution in a non-visible area to make sure it doesn’t damage your fabric
• Spot the stain working from the outside in
• Soak up residual moisture from carpets and upholstery by leaving clean white towels weighed down by books on the spotted area overnight

Every stain is different so here is a helpful guide to mixing and using stain spotting solutions at home.

Solutions

1. Water – luke warm water is often the first step to stain removal
2. Detergent – mix 1 cup of warm water with 1 tsp of dish detergent
3. Ammonia – mix 1/2 cup of warm water with 1 tbsp of ammonia
4. Vinegar – mix 2/3 cup of warm water with 1/3 cup of vinegar
5. Remover – any acetone based nail polish remover
6. Alcohol – 70% alcohol available in most drug stores
7. Enzyme – mix 1 cup of warm water with enzyme laundry soap
8. P.O.G. – Paint, oil and grease remover available in hardware stores

Follow the code

Now to remove specific stains just use the solutions in the order given.

Download & Print our helpful Spotting Guide in PDF format

Or you can skip the hassle and bring it in to us.

Apart from the regular recommended cleanings you can take steps to maintain your home fabrics. To make sure that they have the longest life possible, follow these easy tips.

• Vacuum your drapes regularly (every 3-4 months)
• Rotate your drapes once a year to vary sun exposure
• Protect your drapes from direct air from heating vents to prevent dust accumulation and discolouration by installing air deflectors
• Deal with stains immediately. Stains can set in over time and be difficult or impossible to remove.
• Vacuum carpets and rugs weekly to remove dust and dirt
• Vacuum upholstery on a weekly basis to remove dust and soil particles
• Rotate seat cushions to even out wear on your upholstery
• Read and follow all manufacturers care labels carefully

For more tips on drapery and curtain care visit:

Better Homes and Gardens’ Drapery and Curtain Care

We know the names of the treatments on your windows but do you? Increase your window coverings IQ by looking through our window coverings guide or give us a call and we’ll be happy to answer any questions.

Venetian Blinds

A perfect idea for privacy and light control, venetian blinds are great to have underneath curtains and draperies. For a more contemporary look, blinds are available in many colours and finishes and can be used as a stand alone window covering.

Venetian blinds are metal slats, often 1″ wide, held together by a draw cord in a horizontal position. Blinds can be raised or lowered by a pull cord and their angle can be adjusted by a tilter rod.

Wood Venetians

Like their metal counterparts, wood or foux wood venetians are slats held together horizontally by a draw cord. Their wood finish available in various shades can be used to add warmth to any window while still being great for privacy and light control. As an added bonus, wood blinds also help you save money on energy by keeping the rooms cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Vertical Blinds

As the name suggests, these are slats held together by a draw cord in a vertical position. This versatile window covering can be found in a variety of colours in plastic and fabric as well as being available with printed patterns to help you create just the right look for your home.

Pleated Shade

This accordion style shade is usually made of fabric but can be made of paper. Designed to be raised and lowered like a venetian blind, the shades are a great way to reduce glare and light while allowing you to control visibility into your home.

Roll Shades

Roll shades are a wonderful and often inexpensive window treatment. They are made of vinyl or fabric in various colours spring-wound onto a rod making them easy to customize to match your decor. Their ability to be adjusted in length means that they can be made virtually invisible when they are retracted and almost completely block out the sun and provide privacy when they are pulled down.

Roman Blinds

This elegant alternative to venetian blinds consists of fabric, often lined, with draw cords running at regular intervals to wood slats at the back of the blind. When the blinds are raised the fabric is raised in folds giving a beautiful cascading look to the blind.

Sheer drapery

These see through fabric panels are compatible with almost any decorating style. Available in a wide range of colours as well as trims and embroidery, the sheer fabric allows for a light open feeling in the room while providing some privacy.

Lined Drapery

Pinch pleated lined draperies bring a rich traditional look to any home. Lining fabric panels protects them from sun damage giving them a longer life as well as providing greater privacy and insulation. For more casual or contemporary looks, lined draperies can be sewn out of many different fabrics with a wide range of pleating styles to match the look of your home.

Swag Valance

This classic valance style can be used in almost any setting depending on the fabrics and patterns used to frame the top of a window. The valance consists has a horizontal section or sections of fabric arranged into pleated half moons called the swag. Jabots, vertical panels of fabric, hang on either side of the swag to a quarter of the way to half way down the length of a window to complete the treatment.

Balloon Valance

Balloon valances are named so because of their body appearing ballooned of puffed up.

This tailored valance consists of a panel of fabric pulled up by strings tied to metal rings at the back of the valance to provide the balloon appearance at a set length. The valances can be made to look elegant by using heavier lined fabrics or more contemporary and light by using lighter or unlined fabrics.

Austrian Drapery

Austrian draperies bring a feminine look to any window. This drapery has cords running vertically along the back which allows them to be raised and lowed like a blind. These drapes are usually made using sheer fabric and bunched at regular intervals to give a rouched appearance when they are lowered.

Tips on buying new window coverings

Before you buy new window coverings make sure you ask the right questions to get the full value of your dollar.

• Ask if the fabric was pre-shrunk. Some fabrics can shrink in the home due to the humidity
• Ask if the prints or designs are coulourfast. Some colours can fade or bleed when cleaned.
• Ask for care instructions. The manufacturer can recommended the best care method for the fabric
• Ask about which fabrics are suitable to specific areas in your home. Drapes for your kitchen will likely be made of a different fabric than the drapes for your bedroom. Drapes to be hung in highly sunny windows should be lined to prolong their life