Curtains - Dry clean or wash them myself?

zippychick

I have just the thread for you

Curtains - dry clean or wash myself

I would risk it on a very delicate cycle, knowing there is a risk though

Ill merge this later on for you
Zip

JOHNNY_LOVES_JAZZ

I've washed poly cotton curtains before but only on a very cool wash.
One of my pairs shrank an inch but the other two pairs did'nt,it's a bit of a lottery I suppose.
You say you can afford to lose a couple of inches so I guess you should be ok.

superflygal

Hi!

I googled this when I was looking to dry clean my daughter's bridesmaid dress. I found a great american website that said you can pretty much handwash anything thats dry clean only, as long as you use cool temperatures, and a gentle detergent (they sell liquid stuff in ASDA). The result? I gambled and handwashed it. Dry clean would have been £15! I let it drip dry over the bath, and then put it on a hanger over the radiator. It was good as new, and this was a raw silk and tulle dress!

I'd gamble and wash them in the bath with some gentle handwash detergent!

SFG x

bertiebots

I have washed my dry clean only curtains twice now and they havent shrunk at all. I think as others have said a cool wash should be fine!

jacand

Lakeland do a dry clean product that you put in the tumble dryer. You could try this, and do a few items at once. I think it's about £10 for about 4 sheets. Have a look on their site, for more info. Good luck

meritaten

unless I think the fabric may turn into felt I tend to hand wash! usually very successfully. just be careful with that velour/Chenille stuff!!! from bitter experience I can tell you that a velour/chenille throw cannot be washed in a washing machine! I still have nightmares about the way it clogged up my brand new washing machine!

rachbc

the only things I've ruined washing have been viscose - dry clean only viscose seems to shrink on hitting water even on a cold hand wash, however everything else has been fine.

Nicki

My DD decided to spray shaving foam all over the bedroom curtains so I had no choice but to put them in the washing machine, as a dry clean wouldn't have coped with that. I put them on the coolest wash possible and selected the hand wash option and short spin. Dried them naturally, and they shrank by at least 3 inches. I was particularly fed up as I had made them myself and I hate sewing!

That being said, I have dry-cleaned curtains in the past which have also shrunk so I don't think there is a failsafe way of getting them clean without the risk of some shrinkage.

SUESMITH_2

i would stick them in on a cool hand wash cycle. i very rarely send things for dry cleaning as a friend who worked at a fabric research lab said manafacturers put that on the label to cover themselves

littleminx_2

I always wash my dry clean only items on a wool wash, with my usual powder, with no problems at all.