Do you know the difference between Blackout curtains and Thermal curtains?
Curtains do act as window coverings. They also add colour and style, and curtains can do so much more than just a window cover!
Blackout curtains
Blackout curtains are a tightly woven, layered or a dense fabric, often a suede, velvet or a felt fabric. Ultimately the purpose of a blackout curtain is to keep the sunlight from streaming into a room that its not needed. A blackout curtains can also act as insulating the room by blocking out direct sunlight.
We at Farthings can replace or add a blackout lining to any curtain. We have an amazing and very talented tailor, who would be more than happy to add or replace the fabric to make your loved curtains blackout.
How to take care of your blackout curtains?
They should never be ironed, put into a washing machine or bleached. Mainly because they often have a synthetic lining which would perish the lining using any of the above cleaning methods. However, you can spot clean with a damp cloth or steaming the curtains can give good results.
We at Farthing clean blackout curtains in a softer specialist way of cleaning so the lining is less likely to delaminate or peal compare to using the normal dry cleaning way (P Clean). The blackout curtain will then last a lot longer. Please note that this specialist way is still not 100% and even if it is less risky, we cannot guarantee 100% that the lining will not get damage during the cleaning. I also need to point out that marks are difficult to removed with this specialist cleaning method.
Thermal curtains
Windows can be one of the biggest ways to lose heat out of our homes. Thermal curtains would also block out any unwanted sunlight, being a great way of keeping your home insulated. Your thermal curtain can also be blackout.
Thermal curtains are made of 100% polyester, wool or cotton, doubled or triples-layered heavy fabric, with a thick backing of insulate material, most of the time they would have a polyester-film vapour barrier.
Thermal curtains can also act as a sound barrier, muffling out any loud noises or heavy traffic that is unwanted in your home.
How to care of your thermal curtains?
Always follow the care label instructions on your curtains. You should clean your thermal curtains at least once a year. Generally, they would need to be dry cleaned. You should always follow the recommendations from the care labels.
You can keep them looking fresh throughout the year by regularly dusting and hoovering, and treat any small marks by spot cleaning with a soft damp cloth.
Which type of curtains would be suitable for your own home needs? You need to determine what your biggest problem is. If you have draughty windows but sunlight isn’t a problem the thermal curtains would be more suitable for you. If you have a home that is already well insulated and the natural sunlight is more of an issue, you would be more suited to opt for the blackout curtain.
Both thermal and blackout curtains can be found at most major retail stores, available in many colours, patterns or styles.
A bonus of having either of these specialised curtains are great for the environment, reducing your own carbon foot print, creating a more sustainable and energy efficient home.
If you would like anymore information on how to clean your curtains, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at Farthings, or pop in to see us on 141 Milton Road Cambridge CB4 1XE
Emma
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