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Curtain careThe short answer
In-place vacuuming and steam avoids shrinkage and re-hanging; laundering only makes sense for unlined, pre-shrunk, washable fabric where the heading can survive it.
Taking curtains down is where the risk sits. Lined curtains shrink unevenly because the face fabric and the lining move at different rates, and a heading that has hung for five years rarely re-hangs the same way.
How it is done
- In place: vacuum, then steam with a moving head, then dry hanging open
- Laundering: only for unlined, washable, pre-shrunk fabric
- Never launder blackout, interlined, silk or pinch-pleat curtains at home
- If a curtain must come down, photograph the heading and the drop first
Why it matters
Almost every ruined curtain we are shown was ruined by washing rather than by dirt. Shrinkage is not reversible, and a lining that has drawn up by five centimetres is a re-make, not a repair.
questions
Asked about this
On a vertical fabric that is dusty rather than soiled, vacuuming removes the bulk and steam deals with what remains, including odour. For a heavily stained curtain, neither will do the whole job, and we will say so.
Not with a moving head at the right distance. Held still, steam can leave a water mark on some fabrics, which is why we test a hidden section first.
references
Background reading
- Steam cleaning — Wikipedia
- Textile — Wikipedia