Has anyone washed dry clean curtains successfully?

[olivo]

We have 3 pairs to clean and it will cost almost the same as replacing them, so I wondered about trying to wash them. They are about 4 years old and smell of digestives.

Any tips/warnings/success stories please?

I tried to hand wash mine in the bath. It didn't go well. The lining shrunk a bit so they hung funny and they developed an odd tidemark as they dried.

Any idea what the material is? I've machine washed a number of dry clean only chrtains, including velvet and they came out fine.

I had since very expensive dry clean only John Lewis curtains which shrunk when I washed them.

Have you been mashing digestives into your curtains? Why?!

I wash ours, but they are cotton - like a heavy texture twill. The only thing is they need drying flat and then a lot of ironing to hang nicely again.

I had cheap kitchen curtains that had been up for 14 years. I wasn’t paying £60 to dry clean when they cost me half that. I put in washing machine and they cane out great. Was prepared to replace if it hadn’t gone well though!

Mine shrunk but the lining didn't and so the lining then also needed taking up. Fortunately my curtain was already too long (it was a cast off from my mum which I dyed and used in the utility room) but Im now wary of washing any other curtains. I have cream curtains in the hallway which really need doing but I'm a bit nervous about it.

I wouldn't.

The lining shrinks at different rate than the main fabric and there is also all the pleats, ruffles and so on to consider.

Try hoovering on the curtain setting.

I washed mine on a silks setting and slow spin. Put outside to dry and didn't even need ironed.

Try hoovering on the curtain setting.
Hmm, I might try washing mine with the carpet cleaner

My old Siemens washing machine had a "curtains" setting which I used regularly.

Now I have an LG and I wash all dry clean products on the delicate setting. It is low temperature and low spin. All my products (silk, wool, sofa covers) come out fine.

Thank you. They are 100% polyester, the kind that have the black out lining on the back, as opposed to a separate lining, if you see what I mean!

I know, why digestives? Don't even like them Now, if they smelled of bourbons, I might. Just keep them......

Not sure my hood has a curtains setting. I did wonder about fabreezing them but if smells just about as bad as digestives.

Have decided to try one pair....wish me luck....

Good luck, come back and let us know how it went.

Result! First pair done and no evident disaste( though they are very wet and hanging on the line outside, now in the rain . Used a 15 min wash 800 spin and some non bio. At the very least, they don't smell of digestive anymore!

Thanks for your words of wisdom!