That pleasant smell of washing powder wafting throughout the room; washing your curtains is not only hygienic, reducing dust in the house and preventing dust mites, but it also makes you feel good. Here’s a practical step-by-step guide and lots of tips to make your curtains clean and shiny!

Time Required: 30 minutes

The whole process takes about 30 minutes. It does not take long to take down the curtains, wash them, and hang them up again.

See the Washing Instructions

Ready-made curtains come with a label with washing instructions. It will say whether they can be machine washed or if they should be dry cleaned. No label? Then, check the material. Synthetics, cotton, and linen are machine washable.

Remove the Curtain From the Rail

When removing the curtain from the rail, you can leave the hooks on the curtain. The curtain can be washed with hooks. Try not to shake the curtain while removing it; otherwise, dust will spread all over the room.

Taking Out the Curtain

Take the curtain outside, hold it outside the window or over the balcony railing, and shake it well to remove the dust. A window or balcony is also advantageous in the sense that you can hang the curtain without it touching the floor. Don’t have a convenient window or balcony? Then hang the curtains outside with the help of someone if needed.

Folding and Rolling up the Curtains

Putting folded curtains in the washing machine takes up less space and is less likely to cause wrinkles. The best way to do this is to fold the curtain in half or thirds lengthwise. Fold the side with the hooks inward. Then, roll up the curtain, starting from the side with the hooks.

Put the Curtain in a Laundry Bag

You can prepare a large 50 x 70 cm laundry bag for the curtains to avoid having to stuff them. Place the curtains in the laundry bag and zip it. Please bring one bag for each curtain. Don’t have any at home? Then you can also add pillowcases in the same color as your curtains.

Washing The Curtains

Make sure the drum is not more than half full (about ⅓ of the maximum fill weight) before filling it. For delicate fabric, use 40 ml of detergent. If your curtain fabric has more than one color, add a color-matched cloth. This will help keep the colors clean and won’t clash with each other.

Proper Washing Program

Use a washing program for wool. This washing program will automatically select 40 degrees for most washing machines. However, curtains should be washed in cold water or at 20 degrees. Some washing machines do not offer the option of 20 degrees. In this case, you can use 30 degrees.
Washing windows should be done at the coldest possible temperature. Warm is not necessarily better, nor is it clean.

Even if the care label on your curtains says that they can be washed at 40 degrees Celsius, you should still choose 20 or 30 degrees Celsius. Cotton and linen curtains in particular can shrink by as much as 4%.

Removing the Curtains From the Washing Machine

Once the wash cycle is complete, remove the curtains. Leaving them in the washer for a long time will increase the chances of wrinkling and unpleasant odors. Since you spun on a low setting, the fabric should be relatively damp.

Hanging the Curtains

Hanging them wet will cause the folds to straighten. Never put the curtains in the dryer. Be careful not to drag them on the floor. You don’t want to have to clean a dirty floor with clean curtains. Dry the curtains, preferably as far apart as possible.

Do you have any other tips? Share it with us in the comments below!