I Hate Drapes..............

But will still clean them when the price is right.


I've never been big into cleaning them, but do on occasion when I'm being paid well. But I'm curious how others feel about them, and if you do them??

My problem with them is, it usually seems to turn into some kind of real PITA, shrinking, shredding, or a problem with rehanging them. I have a specialized drapery plant I take them to for the cleaning, but it still seems like more times than not it's a PITA.

I just got a call to clean some for a customer that I did for about 4 years ago, and excepted because I didn't have a problem with her's lasts time I did them, and there's good money in it, but I still have the thought of all the other bad experiences in my head. lool

So how do you feel about them, and do you clean them....got any tips??

Yeah, make them sign a waiver because I tend to shrink them, lol, I usually don't clean them unless if they agreed to my price and willing to assume any damage risk, including shrinking, fraying, browning, burning, or all of the above

Run them between a couple of soot sponges instead of wet cleaning. It doesn't work all the time, but will not cause any damage either.

milspec6 wrote:Run them between a couple of soot sponges instead of wet cleaning.  It doesn't work all the time, but will not cause any damage either.

You mean, like the chem sponges?....and just wipe them down while hanging??

I have never cleaned drapes before. I remember the lodge asking me about cleaning them. My thinking was to dust and vac them real good and use some sort of a steamer.

Davey Cracker wrote:

milspec6 wrote:Run them between a couple of soot sponges instead of wet cleaning.  It doesn't work all the time, but will not cause any damage either.

You mean, like the chem sponges?....and just wipe them down while hanging??

That is what I mean. It removes the dust, smoke odors, water staining, and sometimes even reduces yellowing.

Those sponges basically hold a dry cleaning solvent....close to sending them to the dry cleaners, but not as effective. Still, it improves the look and smell of the drapes.

As always, test in a hidden spot first, but it works.

Good to know, thanks!!

messed with them in the past but to me its like some of the other side services, it can pay well but theres so much carpet to be cleaned I just prefer to stick with whats easy and streamlined

I save those type of jobs for the slow season, right now is all about production production production

was reading a thread on another forum about a guy doing shower restoration, sawing out grout on the hands and knees scraping mildew out of someones shower in the middle of the busy carpet season.. looked like a huge pita

Showers are another PITA one........but that's why I charge so much to do them, and also, like AC blow them out, if I'm busy with other easier work. I just blew one out yesterday.

I have plunty of other work right now that doesn't require me to be cramped up on my knees in a tight space......that in addition to not knowing how to make them look better is why no one around here does them.

Ive done them at several theaters...I did one and word got out. Charge a bunch and its not bad....I used a different method though...I did a dryclean method and used equipment just for it. First one I did they were on the fence to get new ones....12 years later they are still there.