Cleaning curtains?

emsi_b

Hello old stylers, I'm looking for some tips on cleaning curtains. We were very lucky that when we moved in, the old owners left the curtains. However, I am not at all confident on cleaning wool and velvet curtains!! Only one set is long enough that I'd be happy to risk putting in the washing machine, and it's not a fancy fabric either so less concerned.

Aside from hoovering, hanging outside, and spot cleaning, do you have any tips for how to give them a general spruce up?

Mrmitko_77

Hi emsi_b. From my experience, putting the curtains in the washing mashine is too risky, even for sturdy fabrics, so I wouldn't recommend that even if you're okay with the risk of shrinking. What I generally do is I hoover them up to get rid of the surface level dust, and then use a portable steamer, which does a great job in removing musky smells and light dirt.

However, I do wish to warn you that high quality curtains, such as wool, velvet and silk curtains, do not react well to high temperatures. I have a set of silk curtains in my daughter's bedroom, which I did try to clean with my portable steamer a while ago. To my surprise back then, they shrunk. So what do you do in a situation like this? My advice would be to get professional help. Problem is, most companies charge a fortune for curtain cleaning, so you'd really have to dig deep to find someone who is experienced and has reasonable prices. ProLux was the company I found which did have okay prices, but they also had a referal system. Through it, I was able to gain some credits and reduce the curtain cleaning cost in half. Essentially, I got 2 full length silk curtains cleaned for 50 quid instead of the 100 that they normally charge. Guys was polite, explained what he did (cold water cleaning with a machine, eco-friendly product), and the curtains were dry in no time. 

Give them a go and let me know what you think.

Cheers!