mildew on curtain lining - please help

[SarfEasticated]

Dear all,
We have quite bad mildew on the lining of our cream dryclean-only curtains - can I have your best tips for getting rid of it? I have sprayed with diluted oxy-bleach today, but nothing happened, can I use the detol mould removal spray, or will that just bleach the lining? Should i remove the lining and soak over night in a bath full or oxy-bleach?
Have been Googling all day and can't find anything useful really - what would you suggest?

[nextphase]

Do I read that you've got detachable linings? In which case, detaching them, and soaking in bleach (or milton?) seems like a good idea to me. If it all goes horribly wrong, Dunelm mill sell just liners for curtains, so you could replace??

[SarfEasticated]

Hi Nextphase they aren't removable liners I just thought I would unpick them - good to know there are replacements available if my cunning plan doesn't work...

[SarfEasticated]

I have rather rashly just bunged the whole curtain in the washing machine [gulp] wish me luck!

[fussychica]

What happened????

[SarfEasticated]

well - the curtains are clean [hoorah] - but the mildew stains are more or less the same and the curtains are now an inch shorter than the lining [oops]. But then when I had the other set of the same curtains dry-cleaned they shrunk too and cost me £70. The mould stains are annoying but at least the mould is dead.

[nextphase]

and the liners can be re-hemmed by your good self??

[SarfEasticated]

well naturally nextphase

[poozlepants]

I have lined curtains but I also use separate thermal linings which means I can wash the linings with bio powder and/or throw them out if the mould stains are too bad. The linings are cheap if you buy them on ebay but it means the curtains are fine. We have loads of condensation due to our crappy Victorian sash windows.

[SarfEasticated]

that's a really good idea Poozlepants, will look at Dunelm Mill as recommended by Nextphase

[nextphase]

Have a look online first, and check they have liners which will attach to your type of curtains - I've only done it with pleat top curtains with heading tape - as you use curtain hooks to attached the two pieces of material. Other types might be available tho.

[MrsWembley]

Looks like you have this sorted (although not in a good way ) but next time for mildew, coz it's a bugger and keeps cropping up, a dilute peroxide solution applied several times could work. I've just had a stain to remove and my Enquire Within told me that they used soap and sunlight in the olden days (TM), but modern methods could replace this with hydrogen peroxide.

I used my contact lens solution.

[SarfEasticated]

No t'wasn't ideal MrsWembley, but will keep on top of it this time. The curtains are floor length and in our bedroom so not on general display. I can live with it :)