Curtain cleaning

[StopRainingPlease]

Hi All,

Does anyone have their curtains cleaned, and if so, how? My mum gets hers dry-cleaned at intervals, but I've never done this and mine have been up 10 years. Once in a blue moon they get a go-over with the vacuum nozzle, but that's it.

I'm also not sure if the dry-cleaners would take them as I made them myself, so they have no labels, and most of the dry cleaners are very fussy about only taking stuff with the correct dry-cleaning label. Also, my mum has had some shrink at the dry-cleaners in the past.

What to do? Is this a necessary job?

I don't think its a necessary job, all they need is the occasional hoover.

Why not invest in one of those portable steam cleaners....I got one just recently cost about £70 and they can not only clean curtains but rugs and ovens and windows apparently

I'm a bit of a lazy cow when it comes to housework so have only used it on the rugs but may stretch to doing the curtains soon

Beware putting them in the machine they can shrink. Portable steam cleaner or dry cleaners.

Hmm, mixed responses there! I have a George vacuum cleaner that will do wet cleaning of sofas, maybe I should try it on my curtains.

Are they marked? Do they actually need to be 'washed', or could you do the old fashioned thing of hanging them over the washing line and hitting them with a tennis racket?

I agree with everyone else that a steam cleaner is your best bet.

Not marked really. Just wondering if not cleaning them in 10 years is a bit skanky... Don't know if I should hit them with a tennis racket, one set is developing holes down the edge where the light hits them (repairing that set is on my to-do list as well...)

To be honest, if they arn't dirty, then I would leave them be! If you hoover them every now and then that will take out the dust etc. I suppose it depends on how particular you are .

I wash my curtains every few years, but only if they are dirty. The ones that don't get dirty just get a run over with the hoover reguarly every few years