Wash or dry clean?

[wrenkins]

A couple of years ago I went mad and bought ready mades for my sunroom. I hate ready mades but I needed too many so hey ho...I have them now. Seven pairs of 90x90in to be precise (about an acre). The outer is 100% polyester and so is the lining 
Here is the rub. They say dry clean only. (Are they really? What's the worst that could happen if I put them in for a few minutes at 20 degrees just to freshen 'em up a wee bit??? Hmmmh?  )

[Sandra]

Good question.

Curtains are well known for shrinking...either when Dry Cleaned or washed. They're quite big aren't they? Will they be badly creased when you get them out of the machine? Perhaps not if you get 'em out quickly...and of course they're not cotton, which would crease much worse.

I used to work at a Dry Cleaners and I've seen wedding dresses squished up and put in the washing machine. Just a normal washing machine.... They came out beautifully....(polyester ones, not sure of other fabrics although I gently washed my silk one in the bath and it was fine).

Plus, Dry Cleaning all that lot would be expensive  ....I'd be very tempted to wash them and see what happens.

Good luck.

Sandra.
xxx

[Efemera]

I had my huge curtains dry cleaned...they shrank by about 3 inches but they were cotton... and it cost £120!

[Surest1tch]

A lot of manufacturers put dry clean only usually followed by a T or P in a circle as a cop out. I can't remember the last time I took anything to the dry cleaners and that includes a huge pair of velvet curtains (when they were in fashion) if I'm in doubt about anything I put it in the washer on a delicate program, turn the temperature to 0 and slow the spin speed down. Try 1 pair and see how it goes, if they are heavy curtains and look as though they have shrunk don't forget curtains usually drop when they've been hung for a few days.

[wrenkins]

There's a pair in on a veh veh delicate wash right now. As you say dry cleaning would cost a fortune. I'll let you know what happens. 
(You're reading the wisdom of a woman who put a real sheepskin jacket in the washing machine!!!!)  Took it days to dry but it was absolutely fine!

[arrow]

They should in theory handle regular washing powder and a 40C long cycle in the washing machine, and it should not differ from a short cycle 20C. A longer cycle would get more dirt off. A lot of powders need time to disolve and during low temperature short cycles, the powder often ends up under the drum and get's pumped out with the water still in powder form.

I know a lot of "dry clean only" marked fabrics can be washed, but be a bit careful with temperature, color combinations, prints, and things like that. Shrinking can often be reduced by stretching when wet and ironing before it's completely dry. It depends upon your machine, but I would have maximum two pairs of curtains (90x90 cm) in the machine, maybe one pair at a time, lots of water, 40C, reasonably gentle drum movements, and letting them spend enough time in the soapy water.

[wrenkins]

Well the first pair is out unharmed! I used a little liquid soap and a 'refresh' cycle as they're not dirty, just tired. They've never actually been hung but they are a bit packet shabby.
They look fine so guess what I'll be doing tomorrow.
...wanders off to put up curtain poles...... 
Thanks everyone for your input. My tentativeness stems from the beautiful, hideously expensive skirt I ruined when I was young and knew better. 

[BrendaP]

I took two pairs of of curtains of about that size, 100% cotton with cotton linings, to be dry cleaned last year.  The woman on the desk spent ages looking all over them and than said "I can't find the label" to which I replied something like "they don't have labels because I don't sew ugly labels into things I make myself!  but they are 100% cotton."  After a bit of huffing and puffing she accepted them and there wasn't any problem.  I had let the bottom hems down just in case, but I think I turned them back up to the same level as they started.

It was because of the size and weight when wet, that I took them for dry cleaning.  Anything smaller goes into the washing machine.  The only polyester curtains I have are the nets.

[wrenkins]

I ALWAYS wash my fabric before I make my curtains anything as I got caught out with the shrinking thing many years ago.
They're only light, cheap tatt but I liked the pattern and I have a lot of area to cover. They came out absolutely fine.

[arrow]

Cotton is a bit unreliable unless you know how it's been pretreated, to which degree it's been preshrunk or not. It can be good quality either way, just as long as we know it will shrink a lot in the first few washes. Polyester should be much more reliable that way.

[Holly Berry]

A friend who made curtains professionally advised me to hang them on the line outside on a breezy day and give them a good brush with a stiff clothes brush to get the dust out. I’ve done this and they were really fresh and just as good as washing.

[maliw]

I'm glad they were ok. Now you've reminded me there are some bedroom curtains in need of a wash - thanks Wrenkins

[wrenkins]

'Tis the weather for curtains and bedclothes.
My next lot are in. 

[Ohsewsimple]

I wash mine and they are dry clean only.   Need a bit of ironing but I can live with that.
@wrenkins it sure is the weather for this sort of thing.  Every summer we change our bedroom curtains and just out up voiles to let the air through and when it's windy they blow well and we get the breeze.  Wonderful in weather like this.  So my winter ones will be in the wash this week.  I've also done the mattress protector and electric blanket.   

[Catllar]

There's a pair in on a veh veh delicate wash right now. As you say dry cleaning would cost a fortune. I'll let you know what happens. 
(You're reading the wisdom of a woman who put a real sheepskin jacket in the washing machine!!!!)  Took it days to dry but it was absolutely fine!

Let's be honest here - sheep don't shrink in the wet now do they?