Short answer: measure curtains before you wash them, write the numbers down, and wash them cold on a gentle cycle, then hang them damp so their own weight pulls them back to length. The reason curtains go wrong is not the washing, it is that the face fabric and the lining shrink by different amounts and nothing ever hangs straight again. Unlined cotton and linen curtains wash well. Lined, interlined, blackout and anything with a stiffened heading go to a specialist or get vacuumed instead.
What can go in a machine
| Item | Verdict | How |
|---|---|---|
| Unlined cotton or linen curtains | Yes | Cold, gentle, low spin, hang damp |
| Voile and net curtains | Yes | Cold, delicate, mesh bag, hang wet straight back up |
| Lined curtains | No | Two fabrics, two shrink rates. Specialist clean or vacuum |
| Interlined or blackout curtains | No | The interlining distorts and the blackout coating cracks |
| Removable cushion covers | Usually yes | Cold, gentle, zip closed, inside out |
| Cushion inners, polyester | Yes | Cold, two at a time, tumble low with dryer balls |
| Cushion inners, feather | Carefully | As for pillows, in washing duvets and pillows |
| Loose sofa covers | Usually yes | Cold, gentle, and put them back on slightly damp |
| Throws and blankets | Yes, by fibre | Wool cold and flat-dried; acrylic and cotton normally |
| Roman and roller blinds | No | Stiffeners and battens. Vacuum and spot-clean only |
| Fixed upholstery | No | Vacuum, spot-clean, or have it professionally cleaned |
Curtains, step by step
- Measure first and write it down. Width and drop, both curtains. Without this you have no target to pull them back to.
- Take the hooks out and loosen the heading tape cords, or they knot and tear.
- Vacuum them on the rail first, top to bottom, with the upholstery brush. Curtains hold a great deal of dust and washing it in makes a muddy mess.
- Shake them outdoors. Five minutes here saves a cycle.
- Wash cold, gentle, one pair at a time, with a reduced dose because there is a lot of fabric and not much soil.
- Spin low, 400 to 600 rpm. High spin presses creases into heavy fabric that will never come out.
- Hang them back up damp. Their own weight is the best way to pull them back to length, and it is far better than ironing.
- Check against your measurements while still damp and ease gently if they are short. Open the window; they dry quickly in moving air.
If the care label says dry clean, believe it on anything lined. A lined curtain is two or three fabrics sewn together, and they will not shrink at the same rate. The result is a wavy hem and a curtain that hangs crooked, and there is no fixing it afterwards.
Cushions and covers
- Close the zip before washing. An open zip is abrasive and it catches on everything in the drum.
- Turn covers inside out, which protects piping, printed fronts and any trim.
- Wash cold on a gentle cycle. Heat is what shrinks a cover so it no longer fits its inner.
- Put covers back on while slightly damp. They stretch into shape and dry taut, which removes the need to iron them.
- Wash velvet and chenille covers inside out, cold, and never tumble. The pile crushes permanently.
- For feather inners, wash two at a time for balance, with dryer balls, and dry them completely. A damp feather inner goes musty within days.
- Replace polyester inners rather than washing them repeatedly; they flatten and never recover the loft.
What you cannot put in a machine
| Item | Routine | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed upholstery | Vacuum with the brush head, including under the cushions | Weekly |
| Fabric headboards | Vacuum, then spot-clean with a barely damp cloth | Monthly |
| Roman blinds | Vacuum lowered, spot-clean marks immediately | Monthly |
| Lined curtains | Vacuum on the rail; air outdoors on a dry, breezy day | Quarterly |
| Lampshades | Soft brush or a lint roller | Monthly |
| Mattress | Vacuum, then air uncovered for a few hours | Quarterly |
| Rugs | Vacuum both sides; rotate 180 degrees | Weekly, rotate quarterly |
Spot-cleaning upholstery without leaving a ring
Rings form when you wet one small area and the edge dries at a different rate, carrying soil to the perimeter. Work from the outside of the mark inwards, use as little moisture as possible, blot rather than rub, and dry the area quickly with a hairdryer on cool or a fan. On anything valuable, test on a hidden section first, and if the label carries an S rather than a W, it means solvent only and water will mark it.
Keeping a room smelling clean
Soft furnishings hold far more odour than hard surfaces, which is why a room can smell of last night's cooking when every surface is clean. Curtains and upholstery are what absorbed it. Airing does most of the work: open windows properly for twenty minutes rather than leaving them ajar all day, and the moving air clears the volatile compounds. Beyond that, washing what can be washed on a schedule does more than any spray, and the same principle that applies to a wardrobe applies here, as set out in making a closet smell good: fix the source, then build scent on fabric that is already clean. Covers and throws washed with a pod and finished on the dry load carry the scent far longer than anything sprayed into the air.
Frequently asked questions
Can you wash curtains in a washing machine?
Unlined cotton, linen and voile curtains, yes: cold, gentle cycle, low spin. Lined, interlined and blackout curtains should not go in, because the face fabric and lining shrink at different rates and the curtain never hangs straight again. Measure before washing anything.
How do you stop curtains shrinking?
Wash cold, never warm, spin low and hang them back up while still damp so their own weight pulls them back to length. Write down the width and drop before you start so you have a target. Most of what people call shrinkage is a curtain that was tumble dried or hung only once dry.
How often should you wash curtains?
Wash washable curtains once or twice a year, and vacuum them on the rail every few months in between. Lined curtains that cannot be washed should be vacuumed quarterly and aired outdoors on a dry, breezy day. Kitchen curtains need it more often because they absorb cooking grease.
Can you machine wash cushion covers?
Most removable covers, yes. Close the zip, turn them inside out and wash cold on a gentle cycle, then put them back on while slightly damp so they dry taut and need no ironing. Velvet and chenille go inside out, cold, and never in the dryer.
How do you clean upholstery you cannot remove?
Vacuum weekly with the brush head, including under the cushions, and spot-clean marks immediately. Work from the outside of the mark inwards with as little moisture as possible, blot rather than rub, and dry the area quickly with a fan to avoid a ring. A label marked S means solvent only, so water will mark it.
Why does my living room smell even when it is clean?
Because soft furnishings hold odour far better than hard surfaces do. Curtains, upholstery and rugs absorb cooking, smoke and damp, and no amount of wiping surfaces reaches them. Open the windows wide for twenty minutes, which clears most of it, then wash what can be washed on a schedule.
Should you iron curtains?
Rarely, and hanging them damp is better. Gravity does a cleaner job than an iron on a long drop, and ironing heavy fabric tends to leave shine and pressed-in fold lines. If a hem needs it, press it on the reverse under a cloth while the fabric is still slightly damp.
