A white curtain is a symbol of comfort, the most popular element of window decoration.
Its susceptibility to stains provided the housewife with an arsenal of stain removal and whitening products. Among them are folk remedies available in most households, originally purchased for other purposes. There are a large number of bleaches with different principles of action on offer in stores.
When choosing a whitening method, you need to determine your priorities: immaculate white color or maximum preservation of the fabric structure. The simultaneous achievement of both indicators is possible only with light contamination and not on all tissues.
Important! It is much easier to preserve the white color of a curtain with careful treatment, including gentle washing, than to return it after ingrained dirt and yellowing.
Simple "folk remedies"
We inherited “folk remedies” from older generations. It is important to remember that the vast majority of their textiles were pure cotton.Accordingly, the methods are designed primarily for fabrics made from natural fibers.
Removing yellowness from synthetic curtains completely and completely contradicts the laws of chemistry and, unfortunately, is not possible. However, there are surefire ways to refresh the appearance of the canvas and extend its life by several years.
Salt
prepare a saline solution: 3-4 tablespoons per 10 liters of lukewarm water, you can add washing powder;
Attention! The more the dirt and yellowness are ingrained, the greater the amount of salt it is recommended to add, up to half a kilogram per basin of water.
- soak the curtain overnight; the difference will be noticeable after 30 minutes, but for deep cleansing it is recommended to leave it for several hours or overnight;
- wash carefully;
- lightly squeeze;
- hang it on the curtain rod so that the curtain hangs down when drying without ironing.
Way:
- harmless and hypoallergenic;
- cheap.
Important! For bleaching, only coarse rock salt without iodine is suitable.
Ammonia
- pour warm water into the basin (about 60 °C);
- add 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and 1 tablespoon of ammonia, mix thoroughly;
Attention! Depending on the degree of contamination, the concentration of ammonia can be increased to 7 tablespoons per 10 liters of water, and hydrogen peroxide can be discarded.
- soak the curtain for half an hour;
- rinse, you can squeeze a little or hang to drain;
- hang to dry or directly on a cornice.
Way:
- cheap;
- takes little time;
- valid only for 100% cotton.
Zelenka
pre-wash and rinse the curtain so that no dirt remains on it;- the amount of greenery depends on the volume of the basin in which we will soak; at the rate of 1 drop of greenery per liter of water, dilute the required amount of greenery in a cup of warm water;
- leave the solution in the cup until completely dissolved, as a rule, this takes no more than 5–10 minutes;
- in case of incomplete dissolution, the solution can be filtered;
- pour the homogeneous solution into a bowl of warm water;
- soak the curtain for about 5 minutes, during which time we turn it over 2-3 times;
- After 5 minutes, hang it on the dryer or directly on the curtain rod.
Way:
- fast;
- cheap.
Potassium permangantsovka
- Grate 100 grams of 72% laundry soap;
- pour the soap into a bowl of warm water and stir thoroughly until completely dissolved;
- dilute the pale pink solution of potassium permanganate in a glass until smooth;
- pour the potassium permanganate solution into a bowl of soapy water; the water in the basin should have a barely noticeable pink tint;
- soak the curtain for 30 minutes;
- After that, we wash it at 30 degrees, rinse it, and hang it up.
Way:
- fast;
- cheap.
Digestion
into a container (tank, bucket or pan) that can accommodate a curtain, pour washing powder and dissolve it;- put the curtain in a container with soapy water;
- put the container on low heat;
- bring to a boil and simmer for an hour, during this time stir several times;
- After an hour, rinse in lukewarm water and hang.
Way:
- cheap;
- time consuming;
- accelerates fabric wear.
How to remove yellowness from curtains
For severely yellowed curtains, a combination of several of the listed methods will be required. You should start by boiling for an hour. Then soak in ammonia and hydrogen peroxide for half an hour. Then half an hour in salt.Finally, rinse in cool water, lightly wring out and hang to dry.
White
Contains chlorine, has a destructive effect on the fibers of any fabric, and sharply reduces the service life of any textile products. Effective only after the first use. Later it gives a yellowish tint, which is practically not removed by anything.
Store products
In any store with household chemicals, bleaching products occupy at least an entire large shelf. They all belong to one of the following types:
- chemical bleaches – especially chlorine-containing ones, are effective after the first use; subsequent applications give a yellowish tint;
Attention! When using chemical bleaches, you must carefully study the accompanying instructions and strictly follow them.
- oxygen bleaches carefully remove stains and yellowness, offer, perhaps, the optimal combination of whitening and careful treatment of curtains during the procedure;
- optical brighteners are part of washing powder and are luminescent dyes. Particles of optical brightener settle on the fabric without harming its structure and reflect a large amount of light. This optical phenomenon creates the appearance of a lighter, brighter white color.
The price of oxygen and optical bleaches is higher than that of folk remedies and chemical bleaches. However, the quality of whitening also differs significantly for the better.
Alternative methods
Professional dry cleaning has a large number of special products and technologies for each type of stain and will flawlessly handle almost any stain.
Contacting dry cleaning is rational in the following cases:
- based on personal beliefs that professionals will provide the most effective cleaning;
- when gentle means such as oxygen bleach, rock salt and laundry soap do not help cope with contamination, and other folk remedies raise doubts (for example, will potassium permanganate or brilliant green dissolve until smooth, or will stains remain);
- the curtain is expensive, and experiments are not appropriate.
Tips and tricks for bleaching curtains
With the exception of ammonia bleaching and boiling, water for washing and bleaching curtains should be around 30°C. Excessively exceeding the temperature will worsen the problem of stains and yellowing, rather than solve it.
The effectiveness of folk remedies is many times higher for recently formed stains; stubborn stains are difficult to remove at home, and sometimes impossible. Therefore, use gentle folk remedies, such as table salt and laundry soap, every time you wash.
A tablespoon of vinegar with a concentration of no more than 9% during washing will add shine to the curtains, visually refreshing them.
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