As a homeowner or a renter, it can be easy to overlook some aspects of your home that need to be updated. Home textiles, specifically your rugs and curtains, are often not prioritized as needing to be replaced. Over time, rugs and curtains can become dust and allergen traps and contribute to poor air quality in your home.
Read along for signs it’s time to replace these in your home.
Out With the Old, In With the New
The most obvious sign that it is time for new rugs and curtains is general or excessive wear. Rugs or carpets may have visible signs of wearing in the areas that are most walked through. Even an area rug can show signs of excessive wear by having tattered edges or fraying from one too many pulls from the vacuum. With over-laundering or incorrectly laundering, your home’s textiles can also lead to the appearance of excessive wear, making your curtains and rugs less vibrant and aesthetically pleasing.
Both your rugs and curtains can end up with stains and marks. If you have pets or children, you know all too well about spills, accidents, and dirty handprints on the curtains. There are a lot of tips and tricks for managing different types of stains, you can even use common household items to help tackle stains. Sometimes you have exhausted all methods and the stain is too stubborn so you look past it or forget that it is even there! At that point, it is probably a good idea to consider searching for replacements.
Update Your Home
If you are choosing to redecorate or do home renovations, that’s another great time and excuse to update your home’s textiles. When it comes to redecorating your home, you may choose to incorporate a new style which can make it hard to replace just the curtains or rugs. You may want to learn the best way to pair your curtains with your rugs to create a cohesive design flow in your space.
Another benefit of changing your curtains is added insulation in your home. Swapping out your curtains seasonally can offer better heat retention during the cool months and light filtering during the warm month. It helps to keep multiple sets on hand and to rotate them seasonally. This can help improve the longevity of the textiles and you will not have to replace them as frequently.
Improve Air Quality
A big indication that it is time for new rugs, carpets, or curtains is the air quality in your home. Without proper care, these home textiles can collect dust, dander, odor, and allergens. Laundering or replacing older curtains and rugs is both an easy and effective way to improve indoor air quality. When you consider cleaning your home textiles, do not forget about furniture and bedding, these can also contribute to the air quality in your home.
Understanding what dust is and why you should do something about it may inspire you to scale back the number of rugs in your home. Replace carpeted areas in your home with hardwood floors and use area rugs instead. Having fewer carpeted areas will also reduce the frequency of having to replace them. It may also be beneficial to look into having home air purifiers to help maintain the air quality after replacing the old rugs and drapes.
Think Ahead
Your redecorating plan can easily turn into updating furnishings, painting, decorating, and more. As with any project, it’s important to take some time to plan for the financial aspects.
You may discover that a personal line of credit or personal loan may be an option for more expensive home projects. These financial offerings allow you a set amount of time to pay off the home improvements. If you receive estimates and the projects are more financially doable, a credit card or cash upfront from your savings may be sufficient. Plan ahead to ensure your financial preparedness for the project at hand.
Final Thoughts
As you take the time to assess your rugs and curtains, and potentially other home textiles or furnishings, decide the best plan of action for your home. If you decide it is time to replace these items, you may want to choose home textiles that are washable for easier home maintenance. There are curtains and even area rugs available that are machine washable for added ease of care, whether you launder at home or at your local commercial cleaner and dry cleaners.
Apply the same attention to your home all year round that you would for seasonal spring cleaning and maintenance. Prioritizing home cleaning, dusting, and vacuuming especially, will give longevity to your interior decor and maintain better air quality for you and your family.