Spring cleaning is right around the corner. It's a great time to also tend to your curtains, which usually hang in front of the window all year long, barely noticed.
We have compiled the most important Tips for all topics related to washing curtains.
- How to prepare your curtains for washing
- What to pay attention to when doing laundry
- How to properly dry your curtains
- What you can do about persistent Stains and discoloration
- How often you should wash your curtains
Before Laundry
You've decided to wash your curtains. Wonderful!
No extensive preparation is required.
- Take down your curtains only shortly before Laundry. If they are left lying around for too long, they will wrinkle unnecessarily.
- Shake them out thoroughly before Laundry. This already removes a lot of dust and dirt.
- Remove any metal parts that may be present. If the curtain hangs from metal rings or has other metal parts attached, you should remove these before Laundry. They could rust and discolor your curtains, or pull unsightly threads in the fabric.
- Plastic parts are okay, the does not need to be removed. Just to be safe however, place the curtain in a laundry net to protect the fabric in this step as well.
Laundry
If your curtain has a care label, the first thing you should do is take a look at it: it states exactly what your curtains can and cannot tolerate. Otherwise, you can keep the following points in mind.
- Wash your curtains at maximum 30 degrees.
- Choose a Delicate wash program, at maximum 800 revolutions.
- Take no savings program. Low water supply causes the curtains to become wrinkled.
- The bluu Laundry Detergent Sheets, and especially the bluu Nordic Breeze Laundry Detergent Sheets, are perfectly suited for washing your curtains. They are particularly gentle on sensitive fabrics and deliver thorough cleanliness even at low temperatures.
Extra care is required for lace curtains. They are particularly delicate.
- Only wash them separately, not together with other curtains, to prevent them from getting tangled.
- If they are stained, soak them in the bathtub with a gentle detergent overnight, such as with our bluu Laundry Detergent Sheets.
After Laundry
Curtains belong do not tumble dry. There is not only a risk that they could shrink, they would also come out completely crumpled and full of creases.
The best thing you can do: Shake the curtains out briefly, rehang them on the window while damp, and smooth them flat. They dry quickly, are exceptionally gentle, and leave behind the fresh scent of freshly washed laundry.
What you can do about persistent Stains and discoloration
Even when curtains are just hanging undisturbed, they develop a yellow tinge or grey haze over time — this is especially true for white curtains. That's why you should toss them in the washing machine every once in a while, or if they have other Stains on them. Tips and tricks for clean curtains:
- Radiant White: Oxygen bleach is used to bleach Stains, and naturally also helps restore the original bright white finish. What also works, and is even more environmentally friendly, is baking powderDissolve baking powder in warm water (approximately two packets per five liters of water) and soak the curtain overnight. Rinse it out then put it in the washing machine.
- Removing Stains: If you notice a stain on your curtains, you can pre-treat the spot with plain bar soap. Alternatively, take a small amount of baking powder or baking soda and add it directly into the washing machine.
How often you should wash your curtains
It's enough if you your curtains twice a year you wash.
Exceptions: If they are kept in the kitchen or a smoker's household, they will absorb all kinds of odors and start to smell. In that case, you should wash them more frequently.
More Tips on all things Laundry and care can be found on our Blog.
