Can I Dry Clean Dirty Curtains and Drapes

When it comes to dry cleaning only curtains. A common rule of thumb is to only dry-clean them. However, there are times when taking your curtains to the dry cleaners isn’t feasible, whether due to cost or time constraints.

Perhaps you’ve contemplated changing your dry-clean-only curtains with self-cleaning curtains and are willing to take a chance. Whatever the reason for your desire to clean the curtains yourself.

The Basics of Cleaning Lined Drapes and Curtains

First, if your curtains are lined, regular washing may cause creases and distortion of the lining. The simplest approach to avoid this situation is to use the gentlest option available on your washing machine. According to Prime Curtain Cleaning, you should not use too much soap in any form.

Due to the interactions of the cleaning solution and the threads, using too much solvent could destroy the fabric of your curtains.

Apply a small amount of soap to the clothes and wash them in cold water. Because of the shrinking caused by direct heat exposure, warm and hot fluids tend to shift, tug, and deform materials.

Coldwater will guarantee that your curtains are kept in the best possible condition. If you do clean your curtains in the washing machine, be sure to remove them as soon as they are finished and hang or lay them out to dry; this is the safest approach to keep your curtains in good condition.

If you’re ever in doubt, give us a call for professional curtain or drapes cleaning.

Regardless, be prepared for a poor result, as the curtains might go awry in a variety of ways, depending on the material. If you’re going to do something on your own, attentiveness and caution are essential.

When Should You Wash Your Hands?

Hand washing your curtains depends on the material, maybe a preferable option. If your curtains are made of delicate lace or sheer fabric, handwashing them may be preferable.

These fabrics should, at the very least, be placed in a mesh bag before being placed in the washing machine. Whatever you do, do not wash the curtains with other clothes or fabrics because they may bleed or be color-changed by other bleeding materials.

Furthermore, we strongly advise against washing more than one curtain at a time in the washing machine to avoid cramming of material. Which could result in increasing, wrinkling, and even fraying.

If you don’t want to use the washing machine but still want to do the cleaning yourself, consider hand-washing in the tub. To begin, soak the curtains in cool or cold water for a few minutes. Gently massage the cleaning solution into the curtain with a light detergent or the highly recommended biological washing powder.

Stomping the curtains as if they were grapes is one way to ensure that the cleaning chemical is working through them.

Also, make sure the tub’s water level is high enough to completely cover the curtain, as the more water that surrounds it. The more the soap, or detergent, has a chance to penetrate the fabric.

Drain the water after rubbing or stomping the curtains out to clean them. The curtains should be hung to dry as soon as possible after being withdrawn from the water.

What Should You Do If Your Curtains Shrink?

If your lined curtains shrink during the washing process. It’s a good idea to cut the lining a few inches shorter to match the new size of your curtain.

Also, if your curtains are made of cotton, expect them to shrink. Cotton curtains are very sensitive to shrinking, no matter how careful you are with them.

Also, if your curtains are velvet, avoid washing them at all costs. These curtains should surely be sent to the dry cleaners, as washing them will compromise the velvet’s integrity and result in a shedding curtain.

Final Thoughts on Cleaning Dirty Drapes and Curtains

In general, there are techniques to clean your dry-clean only curtains, but you must be prepared to risk their damage or distortion.

The “Dry Clean Only” label is there for a purpose.

Cleaning curtains entails a significant amount of risk. You’re more than likely to wind up with curtains that are different from their original state in some way, or worse, generate a foul odor. This can be done in a low-risk manner.

Be delicate, cautious, and most importantly, knowledgeable about your curtains. Only you can determine whether the risk of closing the curtains is worth the chance of full devastation.

If your curtains are fresh new, we recommend against self-cleaning because just washing dry clean curtains might cause irreversible damage. It’s important to make your new home feel like home, but risking a brand new set of curtains going to waste isn’t worth it.

Regardless of your choice, best of luck in getting your curtains and, by extension, your home clean again.