Would you machine-wash ‘dry clean only’ curtains?

[BellissimoGecko]

Polyester curtains and lining. Worth risking it?

I’ll pop them on a delicate cool wash.

See here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Laundry-Book-Definitive-Caring-Clothes/dp/1577154495

Yes, same here. Hand cool wash cycle, hung up to dry. They were in a house I rented. The curtains in that room weren't on the Inventory as they were late back from the dry cleaners when we moved in.

I took a risk to wash them, which I regretted as they shrank.. I took up the long linings to match the new shorter length. Luckily the landlord didn't notice/ couldn't prove that they were a couple of inches shorter than before.

After this failed attempt at cleaning them myself, I had all of the other curtains cleaned by the carpet cleaning guy, as they were more expensive, matched and were floor length. He didn't even charge me much, so now I know better!

I'd be very wary of doing this if they're lined. This means 2 different types of fabric stitched together when there's likely to be some shrinkage. What happens then is you get really annoying gathers all along the side seams which can't be ironed out.
I know because 1) I tried this and was very sad about it and had to unlock and remake the curtains and 2) because I used to work in a fabric shop where we made curtains and always advised against.

So I should have known better 😆

I tried this on some John Lewis off the peg ones. Just plain cotton type ones. The shrunk about 5 inches in length. I managed to stretch them back a bit, but not fully. I regret it!

Hmm. Still swithering…

Unlined yes. Lined no. I have done it twice with lined and the linings shrunk terribly. I did it only because I was prepared to bin them if it failed. Which is did!

But there were unlined in my rental
house that have been washed a lot and are perfectly fine.

Ok do people wash curtains?? (This is a serious question- i had neglectful parents and I have had to learn all housekeeping from scratch) Is this something people do? How often?

A lot of cheaper ones have cardboard in the top to stiffen them/make them hang better. So nope, I wouldn’t.

I’d try a delicates wash with 400 spin speed and line dry in summer.

Annually, as part of a deep clean. Or never. You don’t wash them once a week like towels or sheets.

Yes they usually do. The frequency depends on many things. I am not houseproud and would only do it every few years unless they got visibly marked by my child or animals.

If you have floor length billowy ivory ones, 3 cats and a toddler they will need doing more
often than dark green windowsill length in a house with no animals and kids.

Thank you. I can probably manage once a year from now on- anything more than that would probably be too much for my laundry pile to cope with anyway!

I am ashamed to say when I had floor length cream curtains and a toddler i threw them out when they got handprints because washing them did not even cross my mind!

Wow! 😮

I have always taken the view in those circumstances that there is nothing to be lost by chucking them in the machine. But my expensive curtains have been dry cleaned occasionally to remove toddler prints. It was worth the cleaning fee (£90) because they were £600 to replace.

@BellissimoGecko
Put them on the scales - the laundrette I worked in 15 ish years ago, did them on weight £2.50 per Kg unlined and £3.50 per Kg lined or something like that.

Ring a few dry cleaners and see what they qoute. If you can replace for less than the cost of cleaning, wash them if you can't have them dry cleaned.
If your good with a sewing machine and can lose some length wash them.

I’m just washing them because they look a little dusty. I might hoover them first/instead…

I have just washed some other curtains I’ve had for 20 years, and this is the first time I’ve washed them…

Sensible, @itsmeits! Thanks.

I fo all the time. Mine are very long dunelm ones. Line dry until just damp then rehang to finish drying.

I washed blackout ones. It didn't go well. The blackout lining stuff kind of went like chewing gum and rucked up, dragging the material into scrunches. I had to bin them.

I've never washed a curtain. I have vacuumed them and about every nine years or so, had them dry cleaned. Our main curtains are big and interlined, they'd never fit into a washing machine, even one at a time.

Polyester ones from Dunelm, I'd give a wash.

Bedroom curtains I've never washed them, but living room I do every couple of years

I wash cheap ones, but wouldn't do the expensive ones. I took a chance on some huge ones that come with the house when we bought it on the basis that I wasn't sure whether I wanted to keep them. They came out fine, and we still have them 18 years later. My tip is to hang them straight out of the washing machine, still wet; the weight stretches them back into shape.

I’ve just washed my Dunelm lined chenille curtains. They’d been hanging for 22 years 🫣 so I thought if it goes wrong, they don’t owe me anything.
Washed on ‘delicates’ , one at a time as they’re heavy, dried outside for a few hours and hung while still damp. They look like new!! Didn’t even have to iron them.

Once in a blue moon.
My bedroom ones get bunged in the machine once a year or every other year. Always in summer when I can hang them out.

Living room ones haven't been washed but I hoover them occasionally using the hose attachment. Although I am wonder if I can get away with doing them in the machine.

I've also had the experience of curtain and lining shrinking differently and took the lining up to match the curtain

I’ve got some in the washer right now. I enjoy this sort of jepordy.