Recommended Curtain / Drape Maintenance
Stage and theatre curtain fabrics do have a limited life, and factors such as UV light exposure, humidity and traffic may further reduce useful life of your stage and theatre curtain fabrics.
To prolong the life of your theatre and stage curtains / drapes we recommend the following:
- Annually vacuum or brush drapes (soft upholstery brush) especially velvet and wool, thus minimising the build up of dust.
- Dry Clean as required – Water free process only. White Spirit or Perchloroethylene Solvent (to AS 2001.5.7 – 1986).
- NDFR curtains should not be wetted, if wetted in any way, it is essential to retreat the fabric to meet flammability requirements. This may also apply after multiple dry cleaning processes or after a period of use in a high humidity atmosphere.
- As required by the Building Code of Australia (BCA) NSW Spec C1.10 6 (b) (ii), the fabric will retained flame retardancy effect after a minimum of 5 commercial dry cleaning operations. It is thus recommended that a log be kept of cleaning.
- Any small tears or holes should be repaired immediately to avoid the damage spreading.
- Do not pin banners etc directly to curtains as this may lead to fabric damage. As an alternative to pins, use light duty spring clamps or bull dog clips.
Expected Life of Stage Curtain Fabrics
As a guide, curtain fabrics should have a useful life of:
| NDFR Cotton Velvet | 12 to 15 years |
| DFR Wool / wool blends | 20 to 25 years |
| NDFR Cotton/Acrylic blockout | 5 to 7 years |
| NDFR Cotton Gauzes | 5 to 7 years |
| IFR Synthetic Fabrics | 20 to 25 years |
Basic Stage Curtain Track Maintenance
- Annually check and tighten all track fasteners.
- 3 monthly – check and adjust draw cord tension.
- Annually wipe down track running surfaces and lubricate running gear – use silicon
spray sparingly, avoid over spraying onto curtains.