Ditch Your Traditional Outdoor Curtains For This Easier-To-Clean Alternative

Filmy curtains on your deck or balcony bring peaceful resort vibes to your outdoor space. They add a layer of seclusion, offer a bit of sun protection, and just make the space feel cozy. It's not too hard to add this feature to your deck, patio, or balcony. However, maintaining the fabric can be a pain. After a season or two outdoors, your cocoon of drapes will inevitably look less inviting. How can you keep them clean and presentable over time? Metal grommets are pretty standard for outdoor curtains, but they make curtains very difficult to take down once you've hung them. Instead of going for the grommets, let Velcro and a tension rod come to the rescue. With fold-over fastening tabs that you can undo in a flash and a twist-to-fit hanger, it's much easier to take them down for cleaning or protection from bad weather.

You can stitch up your own set of curtains that's a perfect fit for your space, but there are also ready-made options that are affordable and time-saving. TikToker Jacinia from @myuglyapartment touts the virtues of their Velcro-tab curtains hung by tension rod and shares some of their own tips to make curtain life easier.

For this feature that'll add a sense of luxury and privacy to your patio, you can either fire up your sewing machine or your computer for some online shopping. Both options can be affordable. It can be fun to venture into the time-honored tradition of sewing. You can make your own curtains with white batiste outdoor fabric from Michaels ($18.69 per yard). This material is weather-proof, and you can cut and stitch it into a custom fit. Order some more yardage and some Velcro to craft tabs and tie-backs.

However, for not much higher cost if any, you can purchase Velcro-tab outdoor curtains in your choice of sizes. Curtains like these from 3H Linen ($100) feature handy tabs not only for hanging but also for attaching to the floor or ground if you choose. The loops along the bottom of the curtains aren't attached with Velcro, but they can be used to tie the fabric to a railing or other fixture to prevent it from blowing in the wind. Each panel includes a tie-back as well.

Tension rods are lifesavers when it comes to hanging your new patio accessories. You can hang your curtains without drilling, and there's no need to find an exact length for the opening. With just a minute or so of twisting the rod to fit, your outdoor hangout has improved privacy and ambiance. TikToker Jacinia shows the handy Velcro tie-backs that came with the curtains. If your set doesn't come with them, you can find ones online that connect with Velcro, magnets, or buttons.

If your curtains don't have tie-loops at the bottom, keeping your fabric in place while the curtains are closed isn't impossible. Most curtains have a sizable hem at the bottom that is either open or sewn along the edges. You'll need some scrap fabric, a bag of playground sand, and a sewing machine, and after a small time investment, you'll have a weight that you can slide into the curtains' hems. Cut a strip of fabric the length of each curtain panel and about half again as wide as the curtains' bottom seam. Sew it into a tube, fill it with sand, and sew it closed. If your curtains' bottom hem is sewn closed on the sides, remove the stitches with a seam ripper or utility knife. Slide the tube into the hem, and don't resew the hem openings. This will allow you to slide out the tubes when you need to launder the curtains.