Curtains have come a long way. In fact long before the discovery of cotton or the invention of synthetic textiles, prehistoric man used animal hides as a way to block out sunlight and adorn their caves. These days manufacturers offer many different fabrics, colours and patterns to choose from when purchasing or making your own curtains. Nevertheless a tight budget may cause you to consider bleaching your curtains to lighten the colour or remove stains. In fact ordinary household bleach or 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide can do the job in minutes flat.

  • Curtains have come a long way.
  • Nevertheless a tight budget may cause you to consider bleaching your curtains to lighten the colour or remove stains.

Remove minor stains from white curtains by hanging them out in the sun. After washing the curtains in the washing machine with a cup of household bleach and a mild detergent, remove them and hang them on a clothesline outside. The sun has a tendency to make things fade, including stains.

Fill your bathtub halfway with hot water, and add one cup of household bleach. Allow your shower curtain to soak in the tub for approximately 20 minutes. Soaking will whiten and brighten your shower curtain, freeing it from mould and mildew stains. Rinse the shower curtain in warm water, and hang it out in the sun to dry.

Lighten dark coloured curtains by filling your washer and adding one cup of bleach. Allow the washing machine to agitate, but stop the machine before it rinses. Soak the curtains in the bleach, and monitor the colour change. Resume the rinse cycle when the curtains bleach out to the desired lightened colour. Allow the curtains to drip-dry out in the sun.

  • Fill your bathtub halfway with hot water, and add one cup of household bleach.
  • Resume the rinse cycle when the curtains bleach out to the desired lightened colour.

Open your tap, plug the drain, and fill your kitchen sink halfway with hot water. Add a cup of household bleach. Soak the curtains in the sink for several hours to remove colour. Allow darker coloured curtains to soak in the sink overnight. Rinse the bleached curtains in warm water and drip dry.

  • Open your tap, plug the drain, and fill your kitchen sink halfway with hot water.
  • Soak the curtains in the sink for several hours to remove colour.

Bleach lace curtains to remove yellowing using a hydrogen peroxide solution. Place the curtains in a sink of cold water, and add two cups of 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide to the water. Allow the curtains to soak for one hour, rinse and drip dry.

TIP

Consider spraying lemon juice on white curtains to bleach a stain. Hang the curtains out to dry in the sun afterward. The combination of the lemon juice and the sun will help to bleach the stain.

WARNING

Do not put 100 per cent cotton curtains in the dryer. Cotton shrinks and so will your curtains. Be careful when using household bleach. Not only will it bleach your curtains, it will also bleach anything else it comes in contact with.