Cats and curtains don't mix!

Gingham_Ribbon

My husband had a lovely pair of curtains in the lounge when I moved in...with my 3 cats. It didn't take long until I had to wash them due to the cat hair and general dirt they brush up against them. The hair got matted into the fabric and ruined them.

We bought a very cheap pair while we thought of a solution but they're faded and dirty after a year and will be cut into floor cloths shortly.

It is a huge bay window and we've been quoted £800 for blinds. We can only afford £200 tops.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get cheaper blinds made to fit? Or easier ways to clean fabric as a last resort? (Preferably wipeable.)

Thanks all!

By the way, getting rid of the cats aint an option!

ukbill69

Give http://www.blinds.co.uk/ a call, they arte very cheap and have been in biz from 1970.

HappySad

Hi GinghamRibbon.

Yes cats can really make a mess of curtains. I'm not into curtains and only have them at the front of the house.

You can buy blinds at Ikea at a good price... I think that you cut them to size.

Gingham_Ribbon

It's got even more complicated! Had someone out to measure up for blinds and he said there was nothing that would fit because the strip of wood between the panes is too narrow and nothing would go in without leaving a gap that you could see the window through.

So we're back to curtains. I just need some way of keeping the hair and dirt off the backs - like a strip of fabric that could be easily taken off to wash...?

cattie

To remove the fur have you tried using one of those velcro padded brushes? They are excellent for removing pet hair from furnishings, upholstery etc. They are not very expensive, I paid about £2.99 for mine. My cat leaves a hairy patch on the lining of my patio door curtains as he comes in & out of the cat flap & brushes against the fabric & the velcro brush is great for this. One of the things I've considered for the future if I get new curtains made for this window is to have detachable linings instead, so they can then be easily washed. This may be an idea for you to consider.

Gingham_Ribbon

Great idea! Thanks. Curtains will be much cheaper than blinds too, so I guess we can stretch to a velcro brush!

Gingham_Ribbon

I am considering curtains with removable lining. Does anyone have these? Do they hang okay? Are they easy to take apart for washing? Thanks. I want to get it right. I'm getting tired of everything looking a mess!

tootles_2

Use a marigold glove to remove the cat hair...... cheaper than a velcro brush.... curtains with loose linings are fine, I have used them for years, you can take the linings out and wash them when ever you need to, if you have a problem with draughts look at thermal linings, they are worth the extra and do really work. The linings just hook into the curtain tape with small hooks or onto the sliders depending on what type of curtain fittings you have.

We lived in a cottage for 2 years with no double glazing..... thermal linings in the curtains made the heat loss far more acceptable. I also used them on door curtains too, must admit I had to alter the curtains myself, but it was quite easy to do.

uncle_buck_3

Bin the cats...problem solved!

ginger_nuts

uncle_buck wrote:

Bin the cats...problem solved!

what would you do if your hubby said "its him or the cats something has to go "
would you keep the cats and bin the hubby ?

uncle_buck_3

Don't get me wrong i quite like cats

....but I couldn''t eat a full one...lol

Why not just compromise & keep the cats out of the lounge.