Curtains - Dry clean or wash them myself?

Gingernutmeg

Unfortunately there's no local launderette near to me, it closed down fairly recently. I'm going to give some other less local dry-cleaners a call on Monday and see if I can find anywhere cheaper, it seems so expensive when they're really the most bog-standard of curtains, no cardboard, weights, tiebacks, frills etc, just ordinary plain pencil pleat curtains. Replacing them would be a major hassle so I'll just try to find the cheapest dry-cleaning I can. Thanks for all of the advice though!

Emma37

Do you have any Tesco vouchers? You could use them to have the curtains dry-cleaned.


http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals/search.aspx?Ntt=Dry+Cleaning&VSI=17&Ntk=primary&Nty=1&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchall&Nr=NOT%28P_Product_TypeID%3A5%29

anguk

I've never dry cleaned any of my curtains, I just stick them in the washing machine on a gentle wash and slow spin then hang them on the line to dry.

krishna

If the curtains say they are machine washable, then a gentle wash with slow spin should be fine. Things will only get badly creased in a machine if:
a. the wash isn't gentle enough OR
b. the spin speed is too high OR
c. you overload the machine OR
d. you leave stuff in the machine for a while after the washing is finished.

Mrs_Flittersnoop

If you decide to wash them (and I would, personally), then be sure to use a cool wash - the fabric may very likely not have been prewashed and it may shrink. A cool wash will minimise this risk. Good luck!

Mrs F x

grunnie

First of all Do you smoke? If not then hang the curtains one at a time out on a windy day and just air them. When we did the huge curtains in the church hall we just laid them one at a time out on the floor and very carefully hoovered ( with the little attachment ) the dust out of them. Then we rehung them and they looked like new. They don't come back from the cleaners with a wee note saying I have been drycleaned - but they might come back with the ironing creases in them. So I wouldn't bother spending so much money. I won't tell if you don't:rotfl:

peachespeaches

I have always washed our curtains, but I usually have ones with loose linings i.e. detachable, which I wash separately. It does depend what they are made of though. If they are velvet dont even think about it! But the stuff that looks like cotton etc.

You could give them a vacuum, wipe down and spray with febreeze?

Or just try one pair first: the least conspicuous. If anything happens to them go to a charity shop and buy another pair!

boybeck

Hi all!

I have a pair of lined curtains (5ft x 6ft).

Can I wash them myself or do I have to get them dry cleaned?

They are not overly dirty but they've never been cleaned since I had them made at John Lewis about 9 years ago. I've decided to put them back up after they spent a while in the loft and they are a bit creased.

Many thanks

Jason

absfabs

A word of warning: I recently washed some ready made lined curtains - the label actually said machine washable!- , left them to drip dry (as I detest ironing), and the curtain bit shrunk while the lining didn't, so now the lining shows a good 1-2 inches at the bottom.

Wished I spent the money on dry cleaning!!

skintmostofthetime

Hi. If they're really heavy don't waste energy washing 'em but if not - try hanging 'em first to get creases out then try to wash on coldest you can get if they still need it.