Can You Wash Curtains or Should You Dry Clean Them?

Curtains are easy to forget about. They hang there quietly for months, slowly collecting dust, cooking smells and allergens, until one day you take them down to clean them and hit the real question: can you just put them in the washing machine, or will they come out two sizes smaller?

It is a fair worry, because the wrong answer can genuinely ruin a good set of curtains. Washing is fine for some, and a disaster for others. Here is how to tell which is which, so you do not end up with curtains that no longer reach the window sill.

Some curtains can be washed at home, and some should always be dry cleaned. It comes down to the fabric and whether they are lined:

• Cotton, polyester and sheer curtains can usually be washed at home, with care.
• Lined, velvet, silk and heavily pleated curtains should be dry cleaned.

If you only remember one thing: when in doubt, dry clean. Washing is the riskier option, and with curtains there is often no going back.

Why curtains shrink in the wash

Shrinking is the number one thing that goes wrong, and there is a good reason it happens so often with curtains.

Many curtains are lined, and the outer fabric and the lining are usually two different materials. In a warm wash they shrink at different rates, which leaves the curtain puckered, uneven and shorter than it was. Heat makes it worse, which is why hot water and the tumble dryer are the two biggest enemies of a curtain. Even curtains made of a single fabric can shrink if washed too warm.

A simple tip the professionals use: measure your curtains before you wash them. If they do come up short, you will at least know by how much.

Curtains you can usually wash at home

If your curtains are unlined cotton, polyester or a lightweight sheer, and the care label allows it, you can normally wash them yourself. Keep the routine gentle:

• Take them down and give them a good shake or vacuum first to remove loose dust.
• Wash on a cold, delicate cycle with a mild detergent, one panel or pair at a time so they have room.
• Never use the tumble dryer. Take them out while still slightly damp and hang them to dry, or rehang them straight away so they drop back into shape.
• Iron on a low setting if needed while slightly damp.

Taking them out damp and rehanging is the trick that keeps creasing and shrinking to a minimum.

Curtains you should dry clean

Some curtains should never go near water, because washing them causes damage that cannot be undone:

• Lined curtains, where the fabric and lining shrink differently and leave the curtain misshapen.
• Velvet, where water flattens and marks the pile, leaving it looking crushed and patchy.
• Silk, which can water-stain, lose its colour and lose its sheen.
• Heavily pleated or pinch-pleat curtains, where washing distorts the tailored shape.
• Blackout curtains with a coated lining, where the backing can crack, peel or come away in the wash.

For all of these, professional cleaning uses a gentle, controlled process that lifts the dust and smells without the water damage, and the curtains come back pressed and ready to hang.

What about taking them down and rehanging?

Honestly, getting heavy curtains down and back up is the part most people dread, especially with tall or bay windows. It is worth factoring in when you decide. If the thought of balancing on a ladder with an armful of wet velvet does not appeal, a professional curtain cleaning service takes the whole job off your hands.

And if your curtains have come up slightly too long, or you have moved into a home where they do not quite fit the windows, they can be shortened and re-hemmed. Our alterations and repairs service handles curtains as well as clothing, so they hang exactly right.

How often should you clean curtains?

As a general guide, curtains benefit from a proper clean every one to two years. Clean them more often if you have pets, if anyone in the home has allergies, or in rooms like the kitchen where curtains soak up grease and cooking smells. In between, a quick going-over with the vacuum’s upholstery attachment every few weeks keeps the dust down.

Not worth the risk? Leave it to us

If your curtains are lined, delicate, or simply too much hassle to wrestle with, bring them to Ilford Dry Cleaners. We clean curtains of every fabric without the shrinking or fading, and return them fresh and pressed. Pop into 85 Ilford Hill or call 07774 694552, and ask about free collection and delivery on orders over £100 across Ilford and the surrounding areas, so you do not have to carry heavy curtains anywhere.