How to wash curtains without damaging them

Wash curtains by hand, at the water temperature their care instructions allow, and dry them by hanging in the shade. That is the short answer to how to wash curtains without shrinking, fading or stripping a coating. A domestic washing machine is not suitable for our sheers or our coated blockouts, and a tumble dryer is not suitable for any curtain.

Our care instructions for sheer and blockout curtains

These are the same care instructions shown in the fabric details on our product pages for sheer curtains, blockout curtains and lined curtains. They come first, and everything below builds on them. For a curtain from another supplier, the label sewn into its seam or hem is the rule. If you cannot find it or it has faded, treat the curtain as hand wash only, and try a hidden area first.

Sheers: Cassis, Cassis Volume and Bali

• Vacuum gently and regularly with a soft brush attachment.
• Take off hooks, rings and trims before cleaning.
• Hand wash only, in warm water. Do not bleach, rub or wring.
• Hang the curtains by their hooks straight away to drip dry in the shade.
• Warm iron, no hotter than 150°C.

Blockouts: Galaxy and Epic

• Spot clean with care, and test it on a hidden part first.
• Do not use a washing machine. Professional wet cleaning with a mild detergent, such as a wool wash, is recommended.
• If you hand wash, use cool to warm water (40°C at most). Curtains are heavy when wet.
• Do not bleach, soak, rub or wring, and do not tumble dry.
• Hang the curtains by their hooks to drip dry in the shade, so the coated sides do not touch. Do not use pegs or fold them over a clothes line.
• Iron the fabric side only, never the coated side.

Lined curtains are cleaned as one piece, following the blockout list for the coated lining. Fabrics can shrink by up to 3 per cent after cleaning.

If your curtains are our sheers, the details are in how to wash sheer curtains. For blockouts and lined curtains, read how to clean blockout curtains at home. The broader routine is in our curtain cleaning guide.

Can you wash curtains in a washing machine?

Not ours. Our sheers are hand wash only, and our blockouts and lined curtains must never go in a domestic machine. A washing machine combines the three things that damage curtains: agitation, heat and a long spin. On a coated blockout that can crack or peel the coating, and on a sheer it can distort the weave and stretch the hem.

Only a curtain whose own care label allows a machine wash should go in one. If you own curtains from elsewhere with that label, the safest approach is:

1. Remove hooks, rings and trims, and put a lightweight curtain into a large mesh bag or a zipped pillowcase.
2. Wash it on its own, on a gentle cycle, in cool water with a mild detergent and no bleach, with a small load and the lowest spin speed.
3. Take it out as soon as the cycle ends and hang it up damp.

Get the curtains ready

Ten minutes of preparation prevents most washing mishaps:

1. Take a photo of the curtains hanging on the track so you can copy the hook spacing and drop later.
2. Label left and right panels with masking tape on the hem.
3. Take the curtains down carefully, supporting the weight as you lift them off the gliders.
4. Remove hooks, rings and trims and keep them in a labelled bag. They can snag the fabric and mark the bath or basin.
5. Vacuum both sides with a soft brush attachment so the water is not carrying loose dust.
6. Test a hidden area with a little of your chosen detergent and a damp white cloth. If colour lifts onto the cloth, stop and use a professional.
7. Choose the drying spot now: somewhere shaded, airy and high enough that the hem stays off the ground.

How to hand wash curtains, step by step

The method below suits our sheers. Coated blockouts follow the same steps with two changes, explained after the list.

1. Fill a clean bath, laundry tub or large basin with warm water. Warm means comfortable to the wrist, not hot.
2. Add a small amount of mild detergent and swirl to mix. A mild detergent suits both fabrics, and a wool wash is a good choice for blockouts.
3. Lower the curtain in, panel by panel, and press it down so it is wet through.
4. Move it gently through the water with your hands for a few minutes. Do not rub, scrub or twist.
5. Drain the bath and refill with clean water of the same temperature. Repeat until there are no suds and the water runs clear. Leftover soap can leave stiff patches and attract dust.
6. Lift the curtain out supported with both hands, not by one corner, and let the water run off. Do not wring it.
7. Hang it straight away by its hooks to drip dry in the shade.

For coated blockouts: do not soak, rub or wring, so do not leave the curtain sitting in a full tub. Use cool to warm water at 40°C at most, and wash in sections on a clean, flat surface with a soft sponge, then rinse the same way with clean water. Because they are heavy when wet, ask someone to help you lift and hang them. Professional wet cleaning is usually less work and lower risk.

How to dry curtains without damage

Drying is where most damage happens.

• No tumble dryer. Heat can shrink the fabric and harm a coating.
• Hang by the hooks on a rail, an outdoor line or a shower rail, so the curtain hangs open.
• Keep coated sides apart. Do not fold coated curtains over a line, and do not use pegs. The coated surfaces can stick and mark when they press together.
• Choose shade. Direct sun can fade colour and is harder on fabric than steady airflow.
• Give it time. Coated blockouts should be completely dry before they go back on the track. Sheers dry quickly, and most creases drop out under their own weight once they are back on the track.

How to get creases out of curtains and how to iron curtains

Creases come from folding, storage or an untidy wash. Start with the gentlest option and move on only if it is needed.

Work in sections and let the pressed part hang off the board so it never drags on the floor. Press coated fabric only once it is completely dry.

Allow for shrinkage

Fabrics can shrink by up to 3 per cent after cleaning. On a 2.4 m drop that is roughly 70 mm, which can be the difference between a hem that skims the floor and one that hangs visibly short.

• Measure the gap from hem to floor before you wash, so you know what has changed.
• Rehang using the same hook positions, so the heading sits the way it did. Our curtain installation guide covers refitting.
• If a curtain has come up shorter than you like, wash the other panel the same way so the pair stays matched.

Mistakes that ruin curtains

• Washing in hot water because it feels more thorough.
• Rubbing at marks, which can lift a coating or roughen a sheer.
• Leaving a coated curtain soaking in a tub.
• Hanging coated fabric over a line with the coated sides touching.
• Drying in direct sun, or near a heater.
• Putting a hot iron on the coated side.

Questions

How often should curtains be washed?

Vacuum them regularly and wash only when they look dull, feel grimy or smell stale. For many homes that means sheers about once a year, and coated blockouts only when needed.

Can you put curtains in the tumble dryer?

No. Tumble drying is out for both our sheers and our blockouts. Heat and tumbling can shrink the fabric and damage a coating, so hang curtains to drip dry in the shade.

What water temperature should I use to wash curtains?

Use warm water for our sheers. For coated blockouts use cool to warm water, no hotter than 40°C. With any other curtain, follow its label.

Do I need to wash curtains before I hang them?

Not usually. If new curtains have fold lines, hang them and let the creases drop out, or press them following the fabric's ironing instructions rather than washing them.

What are the care instructions for sheer and blockout curtains?

Our sheers are hand wash only in warm water, with no bleach, rubbing or wringing, and they drip dry by their hooks in the shade. Our blockouts must not go in a washing machine: choose professional wet cleaning, or hand wash at 40°C at most, and never bleach, soak, rub, wring or tumble dry.