How to wash sheer curtains (and when not to use the machine)

Here is how to wash sheer curtains: take them down, remove the hooks, and wash them by hand in warm water with a mild detergent. Our sheers (Cassis, Cassis Volume and Bali) are hand wash only, so they should not go in the washing machine, and they should not be bleached, rubbed or wrung. If they are only dusty, you can clean them while they hang.

Our care instructions for sheer curtains

Yes, you can wash sheer curtains, by hand. They are among the easiest curtains to wash, because they are light and polyester dries quickly. These are the same care instructions shown in the fabric details for Cassis, Cassis Volume and Bali on our product pages, and everything else in this guide sits under them:

• 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.

All three of our sheers are linen-look polyester. Lift a wet curtain with two hands so its weight is supported along the whole width, rather than dragging on the seams.

If your sheer has a blockout lining sewn behind it, the curtain is cleaned as one piece by the coated-lining rules in how to clean blockout curtains at home. For sheers from another supplier, the label is the rule.

Should you wash sheer curtains in the washing machine?

For ours, no: our sheers are hand wash only. A machine can snag the open weave on the drum or on other items, stretch the hem and pull the seams, and a hot or fast spin can set creases that are hard to remove. A hand wash gives you control at every step, and it is quick for a light fabric.

Only a fabric whose own care label allows machine washing goes in a machine. If you have one and want to know how to wash sheer curtains in a washing machine with the least risk:

1. Shake the curtain outdoors or vacuum it first, and remove hooks, rings and trims.
2. Put each panel loosely into its own large mesh bag or zipped pillowcase, and wash it alone.
3. Use a delicate or gentle cycle in cool water with a mild detergent and no bleach, add an extra rinse if your machine has the option, and choose the lowest spin speed or none.
4. Remove the curtains the moment the cycle ends and hang them up damp.

How to wash sheer curtains by hand

Set aside about 30 minutes, not counting drying time. A bath, a laundry tub or a large clean basin all work.

1. Prepare the curtains. Remove the hooks, rings and trims, then vacuum or shake the curtain outdoors to shift dust and cobwebs.
2. Treat marks. Blot any marks with a drop of mild detergent on a damp cloth, after testing a hidden area. Work from the edge of the mark inwards.
3. Fill the water. Use warm water, comfortable to the wrist but not hot. Mix in a small amount of mild detergent.
4. Wash. Lower the curtain in and press it gently under the surface. Move it through the water with open hands for a few minutes. Do not rub, twist or scrub.
5. Rinse. Drain the water and refill with clean water at the same temperature. Repeat until there are no suds and the water runs clear.
6. Lift. Raise the curtain supported with both hands and let the water run off. Do not wring it.
7. Hang. Hang it straight away by its hooks on a rail or line in the shade, with an old towel underneath to catch drips.

How to clean sheer curtains while hanging

You do not always need to take sheers down. If they are dusty rather than dirty, cleaning them in place is quicker, and it means fewer full washes over the years.

Wipe the track, the sill and the glass while the curtains are open. Dust and condensation on the sill are a common source of grey marks at the bottom of a sheer.

Marks, dinginess and yellowing

Sheers show what other fabrics hide. A white sheer such as Bali Snow or Cassis Volume Snow picks up grey dust and greasy film faster than a darker one, and the light passing through it makes any mark visible.

• Dinginess is usually dust and airborne grease. A regular vacuum plus a wash with a proper rinse fixes it. Do not use bleach.
• Yellow or brown patches near cooking areas are often grease. Blot with a mild detergent solution after testing a hidden area, then hand wash.
• Grey or black speckles at the hem or folds may be mould, especially if the curtain has rested against wet glass. Do not brush them off dry. Read how to remove mould from blinds and curtains.
• Water rings appear when a small patch is wetted and dries on its own. Damp the whole area evenly and dry it with airflow.

Drying, ironing and rehanging sheer curtains

Sheers dry quickly. In the shade, on a mild day, many are ready to rehang within a few hours.

• Never tumble dry. Heat can shrink polyester and set creases.
• Drip dry by the hooks. Hang sheers straight away, in the shade. They dry quickly, and most creases drop out under their own weight once the curtain is back on the track.
• Press if needed. Use a warm iron no hotter than 150°C, on the reverse or under a thin cotton cloth, and keep it moving.
• Allow for shrinkage. Fabrics can shrink by up to 3 per cent after cleaning, which on a 2.4 m drop is roughly 70 mm. Measure the hem-to-floor gap before you wash.
• Dress the folds. Draw the curtain fully open, then shape the folds by hand. Our curtain installation guide shows how the heading should sit.

How often should you wash sheer curtains?

There is no fixed timetable. Look at the fabric in daylight, and wash when it looks dull, feels grimy or smells stale. As a rough guide:

• Vacuum every month or so.
• Wash by hand about once a year for a typical home.
• Wash more often near a kitchen, a busy road, a smoker or a window you open often.

For the wider routine, including blockouts and lined curtains, read how to clean curtains the right way, and for drying, ironing and shrinkage across every fabric see how to wash curtains without damaging them.

If you are planning a new set, our sheer curtains come in warm neutrals (Cassis), whites and greys (Cassis Volume) and the lightest weave (Bali).

Questions

Can you wash sheer curtains?

Yes, by hand. Our sheers are hand wash only, in warm water, with no bleach and no rubbing or wringing. Then hang them by their hooks to drip dry in the shade.

Can I put sheer curtains in the washing machine?

Not ours, because our sheers are hand wash only. Only a fabric whose own care label allows machine washing goes in a machine, with a mesh bag, a gentle cycle and a low spin, and the curtains hung up damp.

How do I get creases out of sheer curtains?

Drip dry them by their hooks in the shade, and most creases drop out under their own weight once they are back on the track. If any remain, press with a warm iron no hotter than 150°C, or test a handheld steamer on a hidden hem first.

How do I stop white sheer curtains looking dingy?

Vacuum them regularly so dust does not work into the weave, wash before they look grey, and rinse until the water runs clear so no detergent is left behind. Do not use bleach.

How often should I wash sheer curtains?

For many homes about once a year is enough, with a gentle vacuum every month or so in between. Wash sooner if they are near a busy road, a kitchen or an open window.