How to Clean Curtains and Drapes in 5 Easy Steps

Refresh your space with clean drapes

A woman admiring a view from a window
Photo: GCShutter / E+ / Getty Images
A woman admiring a view from a window
Photo: GCShutter / E+ / Getty Images
Dan Simms
Written by Dan Simms
Contributing Writer
Updated Sep 14, 2023
SKILL LEVEL
Easy
COMPLETION TIME
20 minutes
COST
Up to $25
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer (optional)
  • Clothesline (optional)
  • Iron
  • Ironing board
SUPPLIES
  • Stain remover
  • Mild laundry detergent

Adding curtains or drapes to your windows pulls all of your home decor together. It’s safe to say that window treatments are must-have accent pieces. But like anything in your home, window treatments collect dirt and dust over time, which can exacerbate allergies and make your home look drab. Learn how to clean curtains in this easy DIY guide to refresh your dirty curtains and drapes.

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Prepping to Wash Your Curtains

Your first step to cleaning your curtains is to take them down and make sure none of the hardware—curtain rods, caps, or hooks—are caught up in fabric. If you or someone in your home is sensitive to dust or other allergens that might be hanging out in the curtains, consider giving them a quick vacuum before taking them down to reduce how much dust and dirt are released in the air.

Once you have your curtains down, check the tags to make sure the material is safe to wash. The manufacturer may recommend dry cleaning, hand-washing, steaming, or tossing in the washer at home. It’s always best to follow these instructions to keep your curtains and drapes in good shape. If the tags are missing or you’re unsure if your particular detergent is safe to use on your curtains, test a small, inconspicuous section of the curtain before washing the entire thing in your washing machine.

  1. Shake Off the Dust

    Yellow cloth blowing in the wind
    Photo: Westend61 / Getty Images

    Curtains get first-row access to the best views, but they can accumulate quite a bit of dust. Once you remove them from your curtain rods, make sure to take your curtains outside and shake them before you start the washing process. If you expect that the curtains are full of dust, dirt, pet hair, or pet dander, you can even vacuum them briefly before taking this step.

  2. Spot-Treat Stains

    Dirty fingers, greasy food, and accidental juice spills tend to leave visible stains on curtains and drapes. Before washing them, spot-treat each individual mark using these stain removal tips to get rid of them once and for all. Or consider taking delicates to a drapery cleaner near you to remove stains without damaging what might be delicate fabric.

  3. Wash on the Gentle Setting in Cool Water

    A woman putting drapes in the washing machine
    Photo: LaylaBird / E+ / Getty Images

    Once you’ve treated the stains, it’s time to wash your window treatments. Again, follow the care instructions on your item. The most common curtain and drape materials are cotton, polyester, linen, rayon, and silk. You can usually safely machine-wash cotton, polyester, linen, and rayon, but you may need to dry clean or hand-wash silk and other delicates.

    If your curtains or drapes are suitable for machine washing, wash them on a gentle cycle and only use cool water. Use a small amount of mild laundry detergent and wash your window treatments by themselves, not with the rest of your laundry. You want to give them plenty of room to tumble and agitate in the washing machine and get thoroughly clean.

  4. Tumble-Dry on Low

    Depending on what fabric they’re made from, you may need to hang your curtains to dry after cleaning them. If that’s the case, hang them on a clothesline outside on a sunny day for a few hours, or hang them over your shower rod with the bathroom fan on overnight or until they’re completely dry.

    If the item’s care instructions say they can handle a machine dryer, you can toss them in on low heat to speed up the process. Take them out when they’re mostly (but not completely dry) to prevent wrinkles.

  5. Iron and Hang

    Woman ironing white cloth
    Photo: Michael H /DigitalVision / Getty Images

    It’s almost impossible to completely avoid wrinkles when cleaning your curtains and drapes. Set an iron to the appropriate setting for the type of fabric you’re ironing, and carefully slide it along the window treatment to smooth out any wrinkles. They’ll still likely be slightly damp at this stage, which is what you want.

    Once you’re done ironing, hang the curtains or drapes up and allow them to dry completely. You’ll be left with fresh, wrinkle-free window treatments.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

Ultimately, the difficulty of cleaning your window treatments and whether you should DIY the cleaning depends on their material. Cotton and synthetic curtains are generally easy to clean because they can stand up to machine washers and dryers in most cases, meaning little effort is required on your part.

On the other hand, curtains or drapes made from silk, chenille, or velvet need some extra attention and may require hand-washing or dry cleaning. In that case, we recommend you hire a drapery cleaning service or pay for the cost of a house cleaning service to take care of it.

Additionally, if you don’t have time or don’t want to risk damaging materials that don’t have clear how-to-wash instructions, hiring a pro is always a good option and will save you time in the long run. Drapery cleaning costs around $100 per set—or a bit more if you also need to clean blinds—but it’s worth it if the alternative means you might ruin your curtains and have to buy and hang new curtains.

Lauren Murphy contributed to this piece.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the type of curtain material you’re working with, as cotton, cotton blends, polyester, burlap, and linen can usually stand up well to machine washing, while silk, velvet, sateen, and lace curtains are typically too delicate for washing machines. Check the tags on your curtains and follow the directions for the best results. If you’re unsure of the material, are missing a how-to-wash tag, or have older curtains that might get damaged in the machine, take them to a dry cleaner to be on the safe side.

It’s a good idea to wash curtains every six months or so to avoid allergens from building up in them and to get rid of any odors from cooking, exercising, or pets. You might want to wash your curtains as often as every three months if you have multiple pets, someone in your family is highly allergic to dust or pet dander, or you cook often with aromatic spices or oils. You might consider a standalone cleaning if you get stains on your curtains or they are visibly soiled.

You can clean curtains without washing them by vacuuming them and then steam cleaning or having them dry cleaned. When vacuuming, use a soft brush attachment if you’re working with a heartier material, like cotton or polyester. You can spot-treat stains with a stain remover after vacuuming, and then use a steam cleaner to clean the curtains from top to bottom. You can also bring them to a dry cleaner to have odors, dirt, stains, and allergens removed without washing them.

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Learn more about our contributor
Dan Simms
Written by Dan Simms
Contributing Writer
Dan is a writer and property manager and can be found sharing his home improvement tips on sites like EcoWatch and Today’s Homeowner. He loves sharing his years of hands-on experience and love of DIY to help homeowners bring their visions to life.

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