[Derek]

Alan

I was interested in your remark that you had steam cleaned curtains and they had shrunk five inches...at least that's how I read it....maybe I have got it wrong

I have used steam for several years now with absolutely no shrinkage..slightly stretched maybe but not shrunk

[Alan Brooker. Aqualink Carpet Care]

Hello Derek,
I was hoping for your contribution, I know you've taught on this subject.
If you recall, I recently posted about this matter 'curtain cleaning lesson' I think.
Cotton moire curtains vacuum cleaned and misted with MS, I didn't notice until I'd started to rinse extract with Drimaster tool that the cutains were slowly climbing the wall . The client was well impressed with the clean and happy to pay the agreed price because a) I'd made such a blindin' job of their suite and b) I held my hand my hand up to the problem straight away and arranged to take the curtains away and be remade. I think the clients bill was around the £180 mark and it cost me £125 to have them remade.

I haven't got a clue why they shrunk like that but I tell you what. I've carried out a shrink test on every pair I've quoted for since

Any idea's?

Alan

[Mark Roberts]

So you didn't steam them you used hwe?

Mark

[Alan Brooker. Aqualink Carpet Care]

MS and HWE to clean and once I'd discovered just how much they'd shrunk I used a prosteam (looks like a henry with an 8' clear hose and a metal vertical steam tool) totry and stretch the fabric out but to no avail.

Derek, how would you 'steam clean' curtains using this piece of equipment?

Alan

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Although I've not done Dereks version of steam cleaning curtains I just have this vision of a wall paper stripper 

anyway I believe that after rigorous tests!! the method is vac, spray MS, then with maybe a few terry towels wrapped around the triangular head of the steam cleaner like a duplex, swift stroked across the fabric.

The heat and moisture (I'll say that again moisture) is picked up on the towel, and then keep chagong the towels.

Shaun

[Fintan_Coll]

I will not now ,under any circumstances use dry cleaning solvents. not even with a respirator. I consider my health to be more important than the amount of money to be made from cleaning a pair of curtains.

[Mark Lane-Matthews]

Hi Calmore
Drycleaners usally have a  5% allowance for shrinkage.

                                                                            Mark