Singapore is a busy, fast-paced country with sultry summers and rainy seasons. Among the things that suffer most in this climate are the curtains in your abode, which can take in dirt, dust, and bacteria thanks to the switches from scorching heat to muggy damp. That’s the reason regular cleaning of your curtains is advised at least once a month—even if they look perfectly clean. Below we outline the harmful effects caused by dirty curtains and what can be done about them!

Allergic Reactions

As curtains act as a barrier to heat, moisture, and wind, they get dirty fast. As such, they have the potential to cause allergic reactions such as itchiness, sneezing, or coughing.

Health experts from the ENT Doctor Singapore say that since these allergic symptoms can get worse, it’s important to get them treated as early as possible to make you feel better.

Bronchitis/Asthma

Along with that, dirty curtains also cause respiratory conditions like asthma and bronchitis, which inflames your mucous membrane and causes continuous coughing. Thicker drapes absorb more grime, dust, and bacteria. These things just love to stick to them, so be warned.

That’s why you generally want lighter or easy-to-wash curtains for a healthier air environment in your home. They’ll be easier to take down, clean, and put back up! 

Early/Delayed Puberty

Mould and mildew produce spores, which can cause coughing, headaches, sore throat, and other respiratory conditions.

In some instances, inhaling these can cause early or delayed puberty for children too, as well as harm pregnant women, and older people.

Mildew and mould commonly grow in moist conditions under the presence of heat. Due to this, make sure you clean your shower curtains at least once or twice a week – they’re most susceptible to mould and mildew.

Mouldy curtains are best treated with antifungal treatments, which are usually offered by curtain cleaning companies. For example, Singapore Curtain Cleaning uses eco-friendly and antifungal chemicals to destroy the fungal organisms living in the curtains. 

Infections

As dirty curtains can trigger allergies and respiratory discomfort, they can just as easily cause infections, especially for hospital curtains where different patients come through.

According to Kevin Shek, who studied the samples in a burnt Canadian hospital, privacy curtains can be a breeding ground for resistant bacteria and can pose a threat to the patient’s health.

To prevent bacteria transmission, hospital curtains need to be cleaned even more frequently than bathroom and home draperies.

Mental and emotional stress

Did you know that bedbugs can lay eggs on dirty and debris-filled curtains? As a consequence, they can spread around your house and give you discomfort and stress.

Furthermore, if you have a dog or cat at home, it may be possible for your curtains to have pet dander. This will cause skin irritation and disturbance to babies while they sleep.

Harmful diseases

Breathing contaminated air can lead to respiratory symptoms and worse, lung or other forms of cancer. Imagine if you’re living in dirty air each day and don’t even know it!

The harmful effects may not be noticeable at first compared to other pathogenic symptoms. This can ultimately lead to death if the disease is not caught or treated early.

And those were just a few of the worst health risks caused by dirty curtains. As you can see, it’s vital to clean your curtains periodically for clean and healthy air at home for everyone, including your pets!