Do curtains need to be fire retardant?
Firstly, there are two terms commonly used when talking about fire and curtains, Those are fire resistant and fire retardant and it is importnat to under stand the difference between the two.
Fire Resistant
Fire resistant materials, are those which have been designed not to catch fire and which does not melt or drip when exposed to a naked flame. Generally speaking, washing the material does not affect the materials fire resistance.
Fire Retardant
Fire retardant materials tend to be treated with chemicals and those chemicals are activated by fire to self-extinguish. These materials fire retardant capabilities will dimiosh with wash cycles so becoming less effective.
Domestic curtains do not, by law, need to be fire retardant however curtains need to be fire retardant if used in commercial premises such as :-
- Care Homes
- Hospitals
- Theatres
- Hotels
- Golf Clubs
- Restaurants
The good news is that you can have your curtains treated to become fire retardant, which is much cheaper and less hassle than buying new, fire retardant curtains.
If you are going to treat your curtains, you must ensure that they are clean first before applying the treatment or you can have us clean and treat your curtains for you.
Call Andy on 0800 092 9294 for a no obligation quote for cleaning and fire retardant treatment.