How to whiten curtains at home

White curtain - a symbol of comfort, the most popular element of window decoration.

Its susceptibility to pollution provided the housewife with a whole arsenal of stain and whitening products. Among them are folk remedies available in most households, originally purchased for other purposes. In stores, a large number of bleaches with different principles of exposure.

Choosing a bleaching method, you have to determine for yourself priorities: an impeccable white color or maximum preservation of the fabric structure. The simultaneous achievement of both indicators is possible only with light pollution and by no means on all tissues.

Important! The white color of curtains is much easier to maintain with a gentle attitude, including gentle washing, than returning it after stubborn dirt and yellowing.

Simple "folk remedies"

“Folk remedies” were inherited 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.

The removal of yellowness from synthetic curtains completely and without a trace contradicts the laws of chemistry and, unfortunately, is not possible. However, there are certain ways to refresh the appearance of the canvas and extend its life for several years.

Salt

  • we prepare a saline solution: 3-4 tablespoons per 10 liters of slightly warm water, you can add washing powder;

Attention! The more dirt and yellowness is eaten, the more salt is recommended to be added, up to half a kilogram per basin of water.

  • soak the curtain at night; the difference will be noticeable after 30 minutes, but for deep cleansing, it is recommended to leave it for several hours or all night;
  • gently wash;
  • slightly wring out;
  • we hang it on the ledge so that the curtain hangs when drying without ironing.

Method:

  • harmless and hypoallergenic;
  • cheap.

Important! In order to bleach suitable rock salt only coarse grinding without iodine.

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;
  • with a rinse, you can squeeze a little or hang a drain;
  • We hang on drying or immediately on the cornice.

Method:

  • cheap;
  • takes a little time;
  • valid for 100% cotton only.

Zelenka

  • pre-wash the curtain and rinse so that it does not remain contaminants;
  • the amount of green stuff depends on the volume of the basin in which we will soak; at the rate of 1 drop of broth per liter of water, we dilute the desired amount of broth in a cup with 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 a homogeneous solution into a basin with warm water;
  • soak the curtain for about 5 minutes, during which time we turn it 2-3 times;
  • after 5 minutes we hang it on the dryer or immediately on the ledge.

Method:

  • quick;
  • cheap.

Potassium permanganate

  • 100 grams of household 72% soap rub on a grater;
  • pour the soap into a basin with warm water and mix thoroughly until completely dissolved;
  • we dilute a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate in a glass until smooth;
  • pour potassium permanganate solution into a basin with soapy water; water in the basin should have a subtle pink hue;
  • soak the curtain for 30 minutes;
  • after that we erase it at a temperature of 30 degrees, rinse, hang.

Method:

  • quick;
  • cheap.

Digestion

  • in a container (tank, bucket or pan) that can accommodate a curtain, pour washing powder, dissolve it;
  • put the curtain in a container with soapy water;
  • put the container on a slow fire;
  • bring to a boil and boil for an hour, during which time we stir several times;
  • an hour later, rinse in slightly warm water and hang.

Method:

  • cheap;
  • time consuming;
  • accelerates blade wear.

How to remove yellowness from curtains

For highly yellowed curtains, a combination of several of the above methods will be required. Start by boiling for an hour. After soaking in ammonia with hydrogen peroxide for half an hour. Then half an hour in salt. Finally, rinse in cool water, squeeze slightly and hang to dry.

White

Contains chlorine, has a destructive effect on the fibers of any fabric, dramatically reduces the service life of any textile products. Effective only after the first application. In the future, it gives a yellowish tint, which is practically not displayed.

Shop Facilities

In any store with household chemicals, bleaching agents occupy no less than a whole large shelf. All of them belong to one of the following types:

  • chemical bleaches - especially chlorine-based, effective after first use; subsequent applications give a yellowish tint;

Attention! When using chemical bleaches, it is necessary to carefully study the accompanying instruction and strictly follow it.

  • oxygen bleaches carefully remove stains and yellowness, offer, perhaps, the optimal combination of whitening and a gentle attitude to the curtain during the procedure;
  • optical brighteners are part of the washing powder, are luminescent dyes. Particles of optical brightener settle on the tissue without harming its structure, reflect a large amount of light. Such an optical phenomenon creates the appearance of a lighter and brighter white color.

The price of oxygen and optical brighteners is higher than that of folk remedies and chemical brighteners. However, the quality of whitening is also significantly different for the better.

Alternative methods

Professional dry cleaning has a large number of special tools and technologies for each type of pollution and will perfectly cope with almost any stain.

Dry cleaning is rational in the following cases:

  • 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 to cope with pollution, and other folk remedies raise doubts (for example, will potassium permanganate or brilliant green dissolve to homogeneity, or stains remain);
  • the curtain is expensive, and experiments are not appropriate.

Tips and tricks for whitening curtains

With the exception of ammonia and boiling, the water for washing and bleaching curtains should be around 30 ° C. Excessive temperature increase will aggravate the problem of spots and yellowness, but will not solve it.

The effectiveness of folk remedies is many times higher for recently formed spots, it is difficult to remove stubborn ones at home, and sometimes it is impossible. Therefore, use gentle folk remedies, such as table salt and laundry soap, with each wash.

A tablespoon of vinegar with a concentration of not more than 9% during washing will add gloss to the curtains, visually refreshing them.