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How often do you change your curtains?

(32 Posts)
suzied Sun 10-Jan-16 19:25:12

Following on from the spring clean thread - my mother used to have winter and summer curtains. A thick velvet for the winter and some lighter chintzy ones for the summer which she swapped round every year. I have some really nice Sanderson curtains which I have had for about 4 years, I have cleaned them once in that time, and I do like them. But I would like a change. I can make curtains so can save some money there. My OH thinks the curtains are fine and don't need changing( but he says that about any household item). Does anyone change their curtains around?

jeanie99 Sat 31-Mar-18 09:09:03

I always thought the reason years ago people had winter and summer curtains was because there wasn't double glazing. There would be a need then to have a thicker curtain in the winter.
The last pr of curtains I bought was 2 years ago, two prs on opposite sides of the room, my goodness they made such a difference and brightened the room up no end I was well pleased.
I really do need to replace a number of curtains after washing so many times and with the sun they have faded down the edge it's time.

tassiegran Fri 30-Mar-18 02:17:32

I have curtains that are many years old and I like them. They have faded on the edges but occasionally we swap them around - the curtains are all the same width - so that they get even wear. I would not really like to change them.Besides it would be very expensive! We do have venetian blinds in some rooms.

varian Thu 29-Mar-18 19:41:07

We have several sets of curtains dating from when we moved into our house in 1981. There's nothing wrong with them so why should we change them?

GrandmaMoira Thu 29-Mar-18 18:54:08

I wouldn't want to change my curtains summer and winter - it's too difficult getting up and down ladders with long curtains. I can manage upstairs but not downstairs, it's just too high.

emily393 Thu 29-Mar-18 14:57:55

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granjura Sat 30-Jan-16 15:08:34

ninathenana, agreed re each to their own. We have excellent modern double glazed and some triple glazed windows with traditional wooden shutters and a gorgeous view. I love light and curtains would cut some of that light away- so we decided not to have any.

suzied Sat 30-Jan-16 13:28:32

I guess in the days of open fires and draughty windows thick curtains were a must and would have got sooty and dusty so it made sense to take them down and wash them in the spring.

Jalima Sat 30-Jan-16 11:45:24

We had no neighbours behind us in our first house and didn't put anything up at the window or glass door in the kitchen - until MIL mentioned that it made her nervous at night if she came because she worried in case a face appeared at the window! So we put up blinds and it did feel more cosy in the winter.

Rhonab Sat 30-Jan-16 11:20:22

We have curtains at all the windows and also (inherited with the house) vertical blinds which I'm not overly keen on but don't want to bother dismantling. We have lived here almost 2 years now, so I'll probably wash or dry clean during the summer.
Otherwise, only change with the decor. ?

Ariadne Sat 30-Jan-16 11:02:05

I just have plain, white, floor length linen curtains (seldom drawn) either side of blinds. I hate all those frills and pelmets and fussy tie back things. And they change when I wash them. Which is when I have to....?

ninathenana Sat 30-Jan-16 10:52:12

granjura I'm not over looked at all but I have curtains in my lounge/dinner that are there purely for aesthetics.
Each to their own of course but personally I feel the need to dress a window.

Anya Sat 30-Jan-16 10:30:43

Yes, winter and summer ones. Warm cosy brocade type for those dark winter evenings; light airy ones for summer.

granjura Sat 30-Jan-16 09:55:58

No curtains (no neighbours) - no change. Simple.

ninathenana Sat 30-Jan-16 08:56:59

Mum didn't have summer and winter curtains. I suspect she couldn't afford to until she was older.
I've only ever had one pair for each room. All my curtains come from Dunelm, I don't do sewing.

Auntieflo Sat 30-Jan-16 08:31:05

DM used to have summer/winter curtains. I made some curtains about 20 years ago for our lounge. Had the bolt of material delivered from John Lewis and had nerves about the first cut. When I was ready to have new ones, I was going to make them again, but found some ready mades in the material I wanted, great. Now we have the decorators in and I took my ' new' ones down to wash and put up the old ones, they still look good, so may just wheel them out for autum/winter next year.

Badenkate Sat 30-Jan-16 08:10:56

We used to rent a flat which had venetian blinds at all the windows - and I hated the things. Cleaning them was such a long job, especially the ones at the full length french windows. I swore never again!

tiredoldwoman Sat 30-Jan-16 07:46:49

My Mum used to have curtains for the different seasons , winter ones were really heavy and lined with a thick wadding , probably essential in the days prior to central heating ! I've only got one set of curtains for each room - I wash and iron them and wheech them back up all in the same day .

Wilmaknickersfit - I would like shutters , too !

loopylou Sat 30-Jan-16 07:17:38

It's never crossed my mind to have summer/winter curtains!
I haven't made curtains for years, not sure if I could do it now, the fabric is so expensive as we'd need interlining as well.

Jalima Fri 29-Jan-16 19:27:43

The curtains I ordered from a picture online had to go back - a bit of a hassle.
I have just ordered some new ones and hope they will be OK. The old ones are faded down the sides and won't match the new decor but I still like them so they may end up being transferred to another room (or the attic hmm)

Synonymous Fri 29-Jan-16 19:05:38

I rarely change my curtains and have never had summer and winter curtains and while it sounds a nice idea the work and energy involved makes it unlikely that I will do that. I tend to clean mine in situ as required.

We have always brought our curtains with us when we moved so some of ours go a long way back and the reason we have done that is really because of the cost and the hassles of making new ones. However, sadly I think I am going to have to bite the bullet and replace some as they are a tad faded in places.
I have bought blinds for the first time ever and have even ordered some wooden venetians blinds for the kitchen which I hope will go nicely with the new kitchen units. The trouble is that you don't get to see more than just a slat and that is all you have to base your decision on. It could be an expensive mistake but I am really hoping it will be ok.

Jalima Sun 10-Jan-16 22:50:10

DM used to have winter and summer curtains and they were changed and washed every six months.
Funnily enough, I was chatting about this today to a friend as we are re-decorating and I would like new curtains just for a change; I made ours about 15 years ago (never again, too big and heavy to struggle with) but I still like them.
Why not change them? Well, they are so expensive for a start, and I have lots of other sets of curtains stored in the attic for no reason whatsoever.

WilmaKnickersfit Sun 10-Jan-16 22:44:08

I've always fancied shutters, but my DH isn't keen. I used to have winter and summer curtains simply because I liked a change for the seasons. Now we're blinds in all rooms, with viole curtains in the living room to go with the voile blinds. The voile curtains get washed when they need it and I rehang them as soon as they come out of the machine.

I was just thinking about buying new voiles for a change. Curtains and blinds are more part of the decor than insulation these days in our house.

tanith Sun 10-Jan-16 22:19:09

I love plantation shutters sadly my windows setup isn't suitable for them..

M0nica Sun 10-Jan-16 22:17:25

Plantation shutters are not suitable for every house. They would certainly not work in mine. I only have one pair of curtains per window. I make my own curtains and always ensure that the fabric is cotton and washable because the cost of having curtains dry cleaned is so expensive particularly as many of the rooms in the house have multiple windows. Four in the living room, for example.

Chewbacca Sun 10-Jan-16 20:59:33

Never! I got rid of curtains and had plantation shutters installed. So much better heat insulation and privacy but still allows light in. And you only need to wipe them over with a damp cloth once a week.