How to Clean Curtains and Blinds Without Damaging Them
The short answer: Vacuum curtains on a low setting every week or month and wash them every 6 to 12 months (every 3 to 6 with pets or lots of dust). Machine-wash unlined cotton and polyester cold on a gentle cycle and air-dry them; dry-clean silk, wool, velvet and lined curtains. Never tumble-dry blackout curtains, and never soak wooden blinds.
Curtains and blinds quietly collect dust, cooking smells and — in a damp winter — mould. Cleaning them is easy to get wrong, though: the wrong water temperature can shrink a curtain, and the wrong product can ruin a blackout coating. Here is how to clean every common type safely.
How often to clean curtains and blinds
Give curtains a light vacuum with an upholstery attachment on a low setting every week to month, working from the top down. Wash them every 6 to 12 months, or every 3 to 6 months if you have pets or live somewhere dusty. Blinds benefit from a weekly dust.
Wash or dry-clean? A fabric-by-fabric guide
Always check the care label first. As a general guide:
Usually machine-washable: unlined cotton and polyester. Nylon and polyester should be washed rather than dry-cleaned, as dry-cleaning solvents can degrade them.
Hand-wash or dry-clean: silk, wool, velvet, lined or interlined curtains, and anything beaded or embellished.
The lining rule: a lined curtain is only washable if both the face fabric and the lining are washable. If they shrink at different rates, the curtain will pucker and never hang properly again — so if in doubt, treat lined curtains as dry-clean only.
How to wash curtains without shrinking them
Use cold water, a gentle or low-spin cycle and a mild detergent, and put lighter curtains in a mesh laundry bag. Then air-dry — heat is what shrinks curtains, so avoid hot tumble-drying, especially with linen. To refresh curtains without taking them down, use a handheld steamer a few centimetres from the fabric, working top to bottom, then let them air-dry on the track.
On stains, be cautious with bleach: use a mild detergent, white vinegar or an oxygen (colour-safe) bleach instead. Only consider chlorine bleach on white or very light fabrics, and always patch-test first.
Cleaning blackout, thermal and rubber-backed curtains
The coating on blackout, thermal and rubber-backed curtains is damaged by heat, bleach, vinegar and fabric softener. Wash them cold on a gentle cycle or by hand, don’t wring them out, and never tumble-dry them — hang them to dry instead. (Note that vinegar, which is useful against mould on ordinary washable fabrics, is one of the things to keep away from these coatings.)
How to clean every type of blind
Roller and Roman blinds: extend the blind fully and vacuum it on a low setting, then spot-clean marks from top to bottom — dab, don’t rub.
Venetian and vertical blinds: dust weekly and wipe the slats gently without bending them.
Wooden blinds: dust or wipe with a barely damp cloth, but never soak them — water makes timber swell and warp.
Beating mould and mildew
Damp winters, condensation on the glass and curtains pressed against cold windows are a recipe for mould — something we cover in curtains and condensation in a Cape winter. If you spot it, take the curtain outside and brush off the loose mould while wearing a mask. Then treat it with a mix of white vinegar and water, or wash it if the fabric is washable, and dry it in the sun.
To stop it coming back, ventilate the room, consider a dehumidifier to keep humidity at around 30 to 50%, and hang curtains so they sit slightly off the glass. And because sunlight also weakens fabric over time, it’s worth reading why the sun destroys curtains for the other half of curtain care.
Cape Curtains makes and fits curtains and blinds across Cape Town and the wider Western Cape. If a curtain is past saving, we can make a replacement to measure.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I wash my curtains?
Every 6 to 12 months for most homes, or every 3 to 6 months if you have pets or a lot of dust. Vacuum them on a low setting every week to month in between.
Can I machine-wash my curtains?
Unlined cotton and polyester curtains can usually be machine-washed cold on a gentle cycle. Silk, wool, velvet, lined, interlined and embellished curtains should be hand-washed or dry-cleaned. Always check the care label first.
Why do curtains shrink, and how do I prevent it?
Heat is the main cause. Wash in cold water on a gentle, low-spin cycle with a mild detergent and air-dry; avoid hot tumble-drying, especially with linen.
Should lined curtains be dry-cleaned?
Usually, yes. A lined curtain is only washable if both the face fabric and the lining are washable; if they shrink differently the curtain will pucker, so treat lined curtains as dry-clean only when in doubt.
Can I wash blackout or thermal curtains?
Yes, carefully. Wash them cold on a gentle cycle or by hand, don’t wring them, and never tumble-dry. Avoid bleach, vinegar and fabric softener, which damage the coating.
How do I clean venetian and wooden blinds?
Dust venetian blinds weekly and wipe the slats gently without bending them. Wooden blinds should only be dusted or wiped with a barely damp cloth — never soaked, because water warps timber.
How do I get mould out of curtains and stop it returning?
Brush off loose mould outdoors while wearing a mask, then treat the fabric with white vinegar and water or wash it if it is washable, and dry it in the sun. Prevent it with ventilation, a dehumidifier keeping humidity around 30 to 50%, and by keeping curtains slightly off the glass.