It’s such a pain having curtains that just won’t smoothly slide open. This is often caused by a couple of things, some of which include: the connector joint on your metal curtain rod sticking out, the paint job of your curtain job being worn out and no longer providing a smooth surface for the curtains to slide, the wood on your wood rod is chipped and has become jagged, or there is a lot of grease and dirt build-up on curtain rods, and they won’t slide easily.
Here are a few suggestions for how to make sure your curtains always slide smoothly whenever you need them to.
How Do You Make Rod Pocket Curtains Slide Easier?
Rod pockets are a classic method of putting up curtains; they are also the most common. With rod pockets, you sew in a pocket at the top of your curtain that can easily fit your rod and conceal it.
People love rod pockets for their simple and casual look; they require nothing else but rods and curtains. Curtains hung on rod pockets bunch together properly. The pockets are sewn to fit snugly around the rod. Interestingly, rod pocket curtains aren’t designed to constantly open and close. Once you put up your curtain and make sure the gathers are uniformly distributed, they are meant to stay that way every day. So if you need a curtain that would open and close easily, avoid getting rod pockets.
A lot of people attempt to open and close these curtains by just pulling an edge back and forth across the rod, but this hardly works. Constant opening of rod pocket curtains disrupts the gathers and messes up the curtain’s designs. The constant tugging and pulling would also destroy the curtain.
If you must slide and open your rod pocket curtains, here are a few ways to make it easier.
- Enlarge the pockets of your curtains so that they don’t fit too snugly on your curtain rods.
- Coat your curtain rod with silicone spray to reduce friction on the rod. Some people have tried coating with other substances like wax or even oil, but these are messy and might end up running your curtains.
- Install some hold-backs so that you can neatly part your curtains and pin them at the wall without having to tug at the curtains daily.
- If you’ve got wooden rods, get some waxed paper and rub it down your rod.
- Some hair shampoos and conditioners have been known to make rods smoother
- WD40 does a great job reducing the friction of rods, though it will often wear off and need to be reapplied.
How Do You Make Tab Top Curtains Slide Easier?
Tab top curtains sometimes get very sticky when you’re trying to open or close them. A quick and ingenious way to fix this is to get a multi-surface cleaning polish; you can buy any brand available at your local store.
Next, spray this onto the curtain rail. Then get a soft white rag and smooth the polish all over the rail. This makes it super shiny and slippery. The difference is simply unbelievable.
How Do I Keep My Curtain Rings from Catching?
If you’ve got curtain rings that always snag, stick, scratch, or catch on the joints of your extendable metal poles, curtain slide tapes would be a quick fix for this problem.
The tape is specially designed to solve the problem of curtain rings catching on curtain poles as it helps the rings slide smoothly. Some curtain slide tapes are extra thick and heavy-duty, so they work well with both light and heavy curtains.
One major benefit of this method is that, unlike lubricants, curtain slide tapes are not messy. They are transparent once used, which means no need for any extra cleaning.
These kinds of tapes are made with a hard-wearing Teflon-like finish that won’t peel and could last for several years even when the curtains are used every day. They are nothing like wax, sprays, or soap; rather, they are long-term and require little or no maintenance.
Most curtain slide tapes can stick to metal, plastic, wood, and many other materials due to their extra-strong and durable adhesive. They also work great on all kinds of curtain rods. Curtain slide tapes are easy to apply. First, clean your curtain rod, then pull off the back of the tape and press on the top of the curtain rod, and apply it to the entire length of the rod.
When curtain slide tape is used, curtain rings begin to draw quietly and cease to catch on the joining of your extendable curtain poles.
An alternative solution is to wrap some tin aluminum around the joining of your extendable pole, then put some tape around it to bridge the gap in the rod and help the curtains slide around more smoothly.
How Do You Lubricate a Curtain Pole?
Have you ever heard of furniture polish for lubricating a curtain pole? It works wonders. You can get any brand of furniture polish from your local store. The silicon content in them means they are an excellent lubricant. To lubricate your curtain pole, you’ll need a furniture polish and a duster. Spray a liberal amount of furniture polish on your duster, then run it down the length of your pole; this would considerably improve the sliding action on your pole.
Some women swear by their hair spray too. So, you can lubricate your pole with whatever lubricating spray works. Just avoid anything extra messy, so you don’t damage your curtains permanently.
Note that some specially formulated silicones are neither greasy nor oily. These sprays are safe for lubricating wood, metal, plastics, and even fabric. They prevent corrosion without damaging any components. To be safe, you could look out for these kinds of sprays when shopping for silicon spray for curtain rods.
Do Grommet Curtains Slide Easily?
They’re easy to slide back and front; their pleats are always in place. What’s not to love about grommet curtains? These curtains always look neat and evenly spaced, and when their rods encounter any friction, this could easily be fixed with furniture polish. Unlike rod pockets, you don’t have to adjust grommet curtains anytime you open or close them; they’re that user-friendly. They can also be easily installed and removed by just about anyone.
Asides from being extremely functional, here are a few other benefits of grommet curtains:
- Neat Folds– Grommet curtains are traditionally designed to fold naturally. If you are looking for a natural look with your curtains, then a grommet is the way to go.
- Installation– Installation is extremely easy with these curtains. The metal rings in the curtain are built in to enable you to slide them through your curtain rods with minimal problems. Anyone can install a grommet curtain.
- Easy to Clean– While many curtains are to be exclusively dry cleaned, grommet curtains are not. They cannot be easily damaged when washed and are a lot more durable than some other kinds of curtains.
- They’re Affordable– You don’t have to break the bank to get them.
- Variety of Sizes– You can get small, medium-sized, or large grommet curtains depending on your needs. Getting the exact size of curtain you need ensures that your curtains have a neater, more elegant, and more fashionable look.
Finally
When thinking of the kind of curtains you need for your space, consider if you’ll be opening and closing your curtains every single day. If you plan on opening and closing your curtains daily, then you’re better off hanging your curtains on ring clips or hanging clips.
These clips make it possible for you to move your curtains back and forth effortlessly so that you can easily control the sunlight or prying eyes that come into your space at any time. Alternatively, you can get grommet curtains; these curtains are made to effortlessly slide back and forth while still looking pretty at all times.
Tabs and rod pockets, on the other hand, are a lot harder to slide back and forth on a pole. These options are for people who need a curtain for just aesthetics and who have no intentions of opening and closing their curtains daily. Whatever kind of curtains you use, it is necessary to maintain and lubricate your pole occasionally to avoid permanent damage from wear and tear.
