Maintain the quality of your curtains and drapes with these cleaning and care tips.

Caring for Your Window Treatments 

Both the selection and care of window treatments are important for the protection of your home furnishings as well as for your privacy, comfort, and personal preference. Care depends on the construction and fabric of your window treatments.

Sunlight Considerations 

Sun, as well as dust and grime, is destructive to fabrics. Light-colored fabrics generally reflect sunlight and resist fading. Dark colors absorb light and fade. To protect fabrics from the sun, use lined window treatments, blinds, or shades.

Drapery Care Tips 

Daily care of lined draperies or drapery panels is simple. Give them a gentle shaking as they are drawn closed at night. This will prevent dust and dirt from lodging in the fibers. Every month or so, vacuum with a handheld vacuum and soft brush attachment. Use the low-section setting if your vacuum has one. Always make sure that trims, buttons, and other embellishments are secure before vacuuming.

Tips for Washing Draperies 

Wash plain panel or simply constructed draperies only when they are labeled washable. 

Hand or machine wash window treatments on the gentle cycle, using cool water and mild detergent.

Don't overload the washing machine. Rinse gently and thoroughly.

Tumble dry on the low or air setting, or line dry.

Iron the window treatments on the reverse side.

When Not to Wash 

Do not wash draperies under the following circumstances:

If the drapery or lining isn't washable.

If the drapery and lining are made of different fibers. (One may shrink, causing the other to pucker and hang poorly.)

If sunlight has weakened the fabric.

If the draperies are constructed with pleats, which may not hold their shape during machine washing.

If the draperies are too large for your washing machine.

If the trims and embellishments aren't washable or colorfast.

Washing Curtains 

Check the label before laundering ready made curtains. If your curtains are washable, remove hooks, rings, and hardware. Check that the trims are tightly attached. Unless the directions instruct otherwise, machine-wash on a short gentle cycle, using cool water and mild detergent. Tumble dry on low and remove immediately, or line dry.

Ironing Curtains 

If necessary, iron on the reverse side. If seams have puckered, spritz lightly with plain water. Pull the seams to stretch back to size, taking care not to break the stitching. Reattach metal hardware only after the curtains are dry.

Caring for Lace 

Remove dust from lace curtains by tumbling in the dryer on the air cycle. Many new lace curtains are hand- or machine-washable. Follow the label directions or gently wash in cool water. Use detergent made for fine washables. For extra body, dip freshly washed lace curtains in a light starch solution. For a soft look, re-hang the curtains without starching while they are slightly damp. If you use metals hooks, temporarily place a piece of tissue paper under each hook where it comes in contact with the damp lace. This will prevent the hook from rusting onto the fabric.

Caring for Sheers 

Most sheers are washable synthetics; unless the label states otherwise, wash in the same manner as lace curtains. Dry-clean organdy sheers, which are fragile and prone to sun damage.

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Living with limited space can be a challenge. See how these homeowners streamlines and uses smart storage to make tight rooms livable.

Even small homes can live large, thanks to smart furniture choices and use of space. When space is limited, keep scale in mind and find furniture that isn't oversize. A glass coffee table and sofa and chairs with exposed legs do the trick in this tight living room.

Mirrors reflect light, which will make a space feel larger than it is. This living room is filled with dark, rich finishes, but the space is anything but cavelike thanks to large windows which let in lots of natural light and plenty of reflective surfaces, such as this mirror above the fireplace.

Creating storage in a small kitchen can be tricky. Designing a storage smart island such as this one is the perfect way to maximize a tight space. And the centered pulls add a nice personal touch by making the cabinet doors look like old fashioned bins.

When space is at a premium, turn seating into storage. Here, a banquette located across from the kitchen island houses small appliances and dog food beneath the cushioned seats.

Round tables are great for eking out a bit of extra space. They provide a better flow throughout the room and can seat more people. The exposed table base and thin chair legs also take up less space and make the room appear more open.

The amount of light is always important in a small space. In the dining room, shades that close from either the bottom up or top down allow flexibility in both light control and privacy. The padded window seat offers another comfy spot to read or relax.

A dining room hutch can hold storage overflow from the kitchen. Items not used every day, such as serving dishes and linens, can be housed in a dining room hutch to make space for kitchen essentials in cabinets. Glass doors provide depth and allow you to display your finest dishware. Also, the all-white walls of the dining room reflect sunlight and make the space appear larger.

The same principles used in the living room are applied in the narrow den to create an inviting space. Shades of white and gray, plus a mirror above the sofa, reflect light, and appropriately scaled furniture comfortably fills the space. Consider placing a sleeper sofa in a den so it can double as a guest room.

When wall space is limited, even books can serve as artwork. Here, stacked rather than upright books serve as pedestals and artful backdrops for a few favorite pieces in the den. Also, the light color painted trim and ceiling create the illusion of height in a tiny room.

Window seats maximize the functionality of small or awkward nooks. The bed and dresser in this bedroom take up most of the floor space, but a window seat tucked into a narrow nook adds a comfy seating area. Topped with a thick cushion and soft pillows, the master bedroom window seat becomes the perfect place to read and relax. And the pop of bright pink upholstery adds a nice contrast to the subtle hues of the rest of the room.

Give kids plenty of play space in their bedrooms by pushing beds against the wall. An upholstered queen-size headboard along the side creates the look of a daybed and keeps kids safe from bumping the wall while they sleep.

Bins, buckets, and shoe organizers give kids visual cues to remind them where everything belongs. When they see that there's a place for everything, they're more likely to put things away on their own. Here, books and toys are easy to grab and put away with this kid-size bookshelf.

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