The Onay Care Guide: How to Clean and Maintain Your Printed Curtains and Cushion Covers

Welcome to the Onay family! You’ve chosen our printed curtains and cushion covers to bring colour, personality, and unique style into your home, and we couldn't be more thrilled. The vibrant designs and beautiful fabrics are an investment in your home's aesthetic. Like any investment, a little care and attention will ensure it looks its best for years to come. Printed fabrics have their own unique needs, and improper cleaning can lead to fading, shrinking, or damage to the design you fell in love with.

Don't worry, we're here to help. This comprehensive guide provides clear, easy-to-follow instructions specifically for your Onay products. Follow these steps to keep your curtains and cushions looking as fresh and vibrant as the day you bought them.

The Golden Rule: Always Check the Care Label First!

Before you do anything else, locate the care label on your Onay product. This small label is your single most important source of information. It contains specific, tested instructions from our fabric experts tailored to that exact material. This guide provides excellent general advice, but if its recommendations ever differ from the care label, the label is the authority you should follow. It is your personalised roadmap to perfect cleaning.

Routine Maintenance: The Secret to Less Frequent Washing

The best way to keep your printed textiles looking pristine is through gentle, regular maintenance. This reduces the need for deep cleaning and minimises wear and tear over time.

For Your Printed Curtains:

• Gentle Vacuuming: Once a week or fortnight, use the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to gently remove dust and pet hair. Work from the top of the curtain downwards. This prevents dust from embedding into the fibres.
• A Good Shake: When you open your windows for some fresh air, give your curtains a gentle shake. This dislodges surface dust and helps them hang beautifully.
• Airing Out: On a dry, breezy day, leaving the windows open can help to naturally deodorise the fabric, keeping it smelling fresh.

For Your Printed Cushion Covers:

• Daily Plumping: Give your cushions a good 'plump' every day to reshape them, redistribute the filling, and keep them from looking flat and tired.
• Regular Rotation: If you have multiple cushions on a sofa, rotate their positions weekly. This ensures even wear across all covers, especially in the "favourite spot" on the sofa.

How to Wash Your Onay Printed Cushion Covers: A Step-by-Step Guide

When your cushion covers need more than a spot clean, follow this process carefully to protect the print.

1. Remove the Inner Pad: This seems obvious, but it's a critical first step! Never wash the cover with the cushion pad still inside.
2. Pre-Treat Stains (Gently): For any noticeable spots, use a gentle stain remover. Apply a small amount to a clean white cloth and dab the stain – never rub aggressively. Always perform a patch test on an inconspicuous inner seam first to ensure the stain remover doesn't affect the fabric colour.
3. Turn Inside Out: This is the most important step for protecting a printed design. By turning the cover inside out, the printed side is shielded from the abrasive friction of the washing machine drum, which is a primary cause of fading.
4. Select the Right Machine Settings: Choose a cool wash cycle (30°C or lower) and a delicate or gentle setting with a low spin speed. High temperatures can cause colours to bleed and natural fibres to shrink.
5. Use a Mild Detergent: Opt for a pH-neutral, colour-safe liquid detergent. Avoid harsh powder detergents, chlorine bleach, or any products with "whitening" or "brightening" agents, as these will strip the colour from your print.
6. The Drying Process: Do not tumble dry. The high heat is the number one enemy of printed fabrics. Instead, reshape the cushion cover while it's damp and let it air dry flat, away from direct sunlight or intense heat sources like radiators. Direct sun will fade the vibrant colours over time.

How to Clean Your Onay Printed Curtains

Washing curtains is a larger task. Whenever possible, spot cleaning is preferable to a full wash.

Spot Cleaning Spills:

For small spills, act quickly. Blot the spill immediately with a clean, dry, white cloth to absorb as much as possible. Then, use a damp cloth with a tiny amount of mild detergent to dab gently at the stain from the outside in. Blot with a dry cloth to finish.

Machine Washing Your Curtains (Only if the Care Label Permits):

If your curtains require a full wash, check the capacity of your washing machine. Never overload the drum, as this can cause excessive creasing and improper cleaning. It's best to wash large curtain panels one at a time.

• Follow the same steps as for cushion covers: turn inside out if possible (or fold carefully with the printed side inwards).
• Use a cool, gentle cycle (30°C or less).
• Use a mild, colour-safe detergent and avoid fabric softeners.
• Crucially, do not tumble dry. To dry your curtains, the best method is to hang them back on the curtain pole or track while they are still slightly damp. The weight of the fabric will naturally pull out most of the creases as it dries, saving you a significant amount of ironing.

The Art of Ironing Printed Fabrics

If your items need ironing, a little care will ensure a crisp finish without damaging the print.

• Always Iron on the Reverse: Never let a hot iron make direct contact with the printed side of the fabric.
• Use a Low-to-Medium Heat Setting: High heat can scorch the fabric or damage the print. Start low and only increase the heat if necessary.
• Iron While Slightly Damp: Fabrics are much easier to iron when they are still slightly damp from washing. If they are bone dry, use a spray bottle to lightly mist the fabric before ironing.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I tumble dry my Onay printed curtains or cushions?
No. We strongly advise against tumble drying for all our printed products. The high heat can cause significant colour fading, damage the print, and may lead to shrinkage. The safest and best method is to air dry away from direct sunlight.

2. How often should I wash my curtains and cushion covers?
This depends on your home environment. We recommend a full wash only when necessary, perhaps once or twice a year for curtains. Cushion covers might need more frequent washing. Regular vacuuming and spot cleaning can significantly reduce the need for full washes.

3. Why did the colours on my fabric fade?
The most common causes of fading are washing at too high a temperature, using a harsh detergent with bleach or whitening agents, or drying in direct, prolonged sunlight. Following our guide and using a cool wash with a mild detergent will prevent this.

4. Why do you recommend turning items inside out before washing?
Turning a printed fabric inside out protects the design from the friction of the washing machine drum. This constant rubbing during the wash cycle is a major cause of fading and wear to the printed surface. It's the single best thing you can do to preserve the print.

5. Can I use fabric softener on my Onay products?
We recommend avoiding fabric softeners. They can leave a chemical coating on the fabric fibres which can reduce their natural softness over time and potentially affect the vibrancy of the print.

6. How can I get rid of stubborn pet hair?
For stubborn pet hair, the soft brush attachment on your vacuum is the best first step. You can also use a rubber glove; simply put it on and wipe your hand over the fabric, and the hair will stick to the glove through static. A lint roller is also an effective tool.

7. My cushion cover seems to have shrunk. What went wrong?
Shrinkage is almost always caused by exposure to high heat, either from washing in hot water or from using a tumble dryer. By sticking to a cool wash (30°C or below) and always air drying, you can prevent this from happening.

8. Is it safe to dry clean my printed curtains?
You must first check the care label on the product. If the symbol for dry cleaning (a circle) is present, then it is safe to do so. If the symbol has a cross through it, you should not dry clean the item. If in doubt, professional dry cleaners can often offer advice.

9. How should I deal with a tough stain like red wine or coffee?
Act immediately. Blot the stain with a clean white cloth to absorb as much liquid as possible. Do not rub. For red wine, sometimes blotting with a little soda water can help lift the stain. For many tough stains, it is best to consult a professional cleaner who can treat the specific stain without damaging the fabric's print.

10. Why is it better to hang curtains to dry while slightly damp?
Hanging curtains back on the pole or track while still slightly damp is a fantastic tip to minimise creasing. The natural weight of the fabric will gently pull out most wrinkles as it dries, meaning you'll have to do far less ironing, if any at all.