Washing interlined curtains

[NeverTalksToStrangers]

I have a pair of nice, expensive, interlined large curtains (window 3m wide) I'd like to sell but they are quite dirty, particularly at the bottom due to me never cleaning them .

It'll probably cost me £60 to get them dry cleaned... if I stick them in the washing machine (a big one), what will go wrong??

Anyone?

Hopefully nothing.

I have machine washed expensive fully lined curtains before and they were fine. Just did on 40deg, 2 rinses and a 1200 spin.

If you can afford to lose them, then do it, if not, get them done professionally

If one of the linings or the main fabric shrink or shrink to differing degrees they will not hang straight. I may have done this.

Check they haven't got a blackout backing. We had ours cleaned professionally and they melted the backing! We weren't able to get any money back and they were large, expensive made to measure curtains.

Haha! I have also melted the thermal lining of a pair of curtains, I think it was the whitening powder I used (a cheaper brand vanish oxy action). I would put them on a delicates 20 or 30 degree wash with a low spin. There is a risk of shrinkage if the original fabric was not pre-washed beforehand

DON'T DO IT!

It will shrink. Bump interlining isn't meant for machine washing.

I did mine and the curtain shrank but not the lining! If the lining is removable you could just wash the curtain?

I did mine and they were fine (did shrink a bit but were overlong to start with). The lining still hung properly.

I think you do have to accept that it's quite a big risk though, particularly if you're looking to sell them.

Thanks folks. Still not sure what to do. Bugger.