Care and Cleaning Tips

Adrette wants to assist you to maintain your fine fabrics, which are an important investment in your home. Please feel free to read through our Care and Cleaning Tips and e-mail us additional questions you may have. caretips@adrette.com

You may also contact the On-Site Corporation at 1-800-598-9043 to locate the nearest On-Site certified technician in your area. These independent fabric cleaning specialists usually perform injection/extraction cleaning services in your home. We feel it is always beneficial to consult with a local cleaning professional you trust.

• We inherited beautiful 20+ year old lined silk drapery panels that have been very well cared for, but the fabric seems to be a bit fragile. Is it still safe to have them cleaned?
  The (on-site) injection/extraction method is very gentle and perfect for fragile fabrics. The cleaning specialist you hire should pre-inspect your silk drapery panels to determine if they can be cleaned safely.
  
• Can you please explain the difference between dry cleaning and wet cleaning fabrics?
  When dry cleaning, a waterless solvent is used to prevent shrinkage of the fabric (e.g. cotton). Wet cleaning involves a waterbased cleaning solution, when shrinkage of the fabric is normally not an issue (e.g. polyester). Generally one can clean with more heat and achieve better results using waterbased cleaning solutions. A professional cleaner will also consider colorfastness and other fabric-related issues.
  
• Is it true that Hunter Douglas Fabricators recommend the (on-site) injection/extraction cleaning process for their fabric shades?
  Injection/extraction cleaning is one of the recommended methods for many of their fabric products. An important question is: Can the shades be wet cleaned (water), or do they have to be dry cleaned (no water)? The On-Site system can do either one. If in doubt ask your Hunter Douglas dealer to check the current Reference Guide for the appropriate cleaning process.
  
• Should we take our Hunter Douglas Luminette sheers down to protect them from paint splashes, when we have our interior walls painted?
  Great idea, since it is often impossible to completely remove paint from fabrics! Proper handling of Luminette sheers is very important, or they may show permanent wrinkles and puckers. Find an experienced drapery installer who can assist you, and store your Luminettes on cardboard rolls (like the ones they came on) without them getting wrinkled or creased.
  
• How often should we have our draperies and upholstered furniture professionally cleaned?
  The frequency depends on your lifestyle. If you want to maintain your investment you should gently vacuum your fabrics at least monthly (more frequently is better) with a soft brush attachment. Then have your drapery fabrics cleaned by a professional every 3 years and your upholstery fabrics every 18 months. Remember that window coverings also act as airfilters, so don't wait until they look dingy.
  
• We purchased custom draperies and fabric shades last year and would like to find a qualified cleaner to maintain them in our home. Any suggestions?
  You may want to consider the gentle injection/extraction cleaning method, if you have an On-Site certified cleaner in your area. These independent fabric specialists go through training and recertification every 2 years. Ask for references and also meet them for a pre-cleaning inspection in your home.
  
• Do you recommend protecting fabrics with a fabric protector, and how often should it be re-applied?
  To repell spills and to make cleaning easier we recommend application of a name brand fabric protector (e.g. DuPont or Scotchgard) to newly upholstered furniture. Any fabric protector will eventually wear off and should be re-applied after cleaning approximately every 18 months in a well ventilated area. Make sure to follow the application instructions or have a professional cleaner take care of this for you.
  
• How can we remove wrinkles from our curtains?
  In many cases wrinkles will hang out - meaning the weight of the curtain will remove the wrinkles. If that does not happen you or a drapery installer may carefully use a steamer. Try steaming out the wrinkles from behind the curtains without wetting the fabric.
  
• What qualifications do you have to give fabric care and cleaning tips, and are you affiliated with On-Site cleaners?
  Adrette offers these tips as a service and a starting point for you to become more informed about how to properly care for your fabrics. We encourage you to ask questions before you entrust your custom draperies, shades or fabric creations to a cleaning professional. Although we no longer offer cleaning services, we have an IICRC certified technician with 8 years of fine fabric cleaning experience on staff. Adrette believes in the On-Site cleaning process, and we receive no compensation for this endorsement.
  

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