Is dry cleaning or washing better for made to order curtains?
Updated
Whether a made to order curtain can be dry cleaned or washed depends on its fabric, lining and construction, so there is no single answer for every curtain. The care instructions for your fabric decide, and your retailer can give you these. The wrong method can shrink or damage a curtain, and coated blockout fabrics need particular care.
Made to order curtains vary a great deal in construction, from a simple unlined fabric to a fully lined curtain with a pleated heading, and this variety is exactly why there is no single right answer to whether dry cleaning or washing is better.
Why the wrong method can cause damage
A curtain with a lining or a stiffened pleat heading can shrink unevenly or lose its shape if the face fabric and lining react differently to water and agitation in a washing machine. Natural fibres such as linen and cotton can shrink when washed, and a made to order curtain is made to the millimetre, so a small change shows at the floor. Dry cleaning is not automatically the safe choice either. Many coated or self lined blockout fabrics must not be machine washed, tumble dried or ironed on the coated side, because the coating can crack or stick, and whether a blockout curtain can be dry cleaned depends on the coating.
Where home washing can be suitable
- Simple, unlined fabrics in a washable fibre, where the care instructions or your retailer confirm washing is suitable.
- Sheer or voile curtains, only if the care instructions say washing is suitable, and checking first is worth doing given how delicate some sheers are.
- Removable items such as tiebacks, if the care instructions allow it, which may be easier to wash separately than the whole curtain.
What to check before either method
Check the care instructions before using either method, since assuming a curtain can be washed, or assuming it must be dry cleaned, without checking can lead to an avoidable problem. Weight and size are also practical considerations, since a large, heavy curtain can be awkward to wash and dry evenly at home even if the fabric itself is technically washable. For a mark that has set in, ask a professional curtain cleaner.
What to ask your retailer
Ask your retailer for the specific care instructions for the fabric and lining combination used in your curtains at the time of order, and keep this information somewhere easy to find later. If a curtain needs cleaning and you are unsure which method suits it, checking with your retailer first is safer than guessing, particularly for an expensive or heavily pleated curtain. Keeping a note of the fabric name and any care advice given at the time of order is a small step that can save a lot of guesswork years later.
Other ways people ask this
Can all made to order curtains be machine washed?
No. Only if the care instructions for that fabric say so. Many coated blockout fabrics must not be machine washed, and whether a lined or pleated curtain can be washed depends on its fibre, lining and construction.
Does washing a lined curtain risk the lining and face fabric shrinking differently?
It can. The two layers can react differently to water and heat, which can lead to puckering or distortion, so check the care instructions first.
Where can I find the care instructions for my curtains?
Ask your retailer. Care instructions depend on the fabric and lining in your curtains, and they can give you them.
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.