Do you wash your curtains? If so how often?

Nets twice a year and curtains (cotton mix) every two years. However the labels do state don’t wash dry clean only. There has been a little shrinkage, less so for the lining and so for two pairs of full length ones I’ve adjusted the lining lengths using the sewing machine.

I am too afraid to wash my 12-year-old curtains as they are made from striped fabric from IKEA which shrinks. I didn’t pre- shrink the fabric before making them because this would have distorted the weave and they would probably have been difficult to cut out. I drew the curtains some time ago and left a splotch of tomato sauce from the dinner I was cooking which has been reproaching me ( the stain) for several years. Am I a shameful housewife? I sniffed them & they are odourless...

I'm with you Oopsadaisy1. Never wash them. Our nice Sanderson curtains have been washed once in the 30 years we have been here!

As if!?? unless you’re smokers I really can’t see why you would. I vacuum mine occasionally to get rid of dust, but our homes are so clean these days even that only happens once or twice a year. TBF I have blinds in every room for practically so the curtains are rarely closed, more for window decoration than anything, xx

We only have heavy curtains in the sitting room, our bedroom and the GCs bedroom, they get hoovered fortnightly.

Have to wash our bedroom ones quite often as the cat likes to sit in the window there ! As her body rubs against the liner it eventually marks it and goes grubby. She's also a dark colour cat as well.

We've been in this house 5 years, I have washed the curtains once!! In the front room, all the curtains shrank, but the linings didn't!! - ouch!! They were left here Have been meaning to take them up - might do one day. I will wash them again when we have a summer where they will get dry! It's the ironing that gets me, so time consuming!

Very funny!

Wash curtains ? No chance.
Apart from vacuuming( in a very lazy way) when I book my carpet cleaner he does 'em at the same time.

Once in a blue moon.
We don`t smoke or have pets.

I have got winter and summer curtains in the lounge and I specifically chose washable ones. the summer are quite seasidey stripes and light and the winter ones are cosy red plaid. I change them more for decoration than cleanliness, this year they didn't get changed. I do wash them when they are down before I put them away but i wouldn't get them down just to wash them. In the bedrooms I can't remember the last time I washed them!

I only wash my nets.

I wash net curtains and very light cotton curtains when they start to look a bit grubby. All the other curtains are dry clean only. Maybe I'd get them done once a year. No smokers in our house

I’ve lived in this home for five years and had new curtains made for the large patio doors in the living room. Last year I thought I ought to have them cleaned. It cost a fortune so I will not be doing it again in a hurry.

One bedroom has a blind, the other two have smaller patio doors with just a light curtain. I do wash those fairly frequently because the dog brushes against them on his way in and out so they tend to get grubby. Easy to wash and I hang them damp, they soon dry, in fact this thread has reminded me that it’s about time I did them again. Thanks.?

That made me laugh ?

I use my portable steamer and some of that lovely smelling Fabulosa (disinfectant) spray on my huge heavy living room curtains. The thought of physically washing them or even dry cleaning them sends fear through me. I do wash the light weight normal curtains in the bedrooms when I think they need it, no particular timescale for that though ?‍♀️

No no no! I haven't washed any curtains since I was a young enthusiastic housewife 50 years ago. I bought new curtains when I moved to this flat 17 years ago and they all look perfect. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
My sister in South Africa put up new silk cream curtains and decided to wash them about 10 years later when I was visiting her, as I could take them down for her. Many of the folds at the top contained chrysalids of some sort of moth, and we never found out what as we took them out and put them in the garden.

Giving my place a good'bottoming' as Mum used to say, this week. Does anyone say that anymore? So bought new nets, old ones were looking a bit sad, usually wash nets twice a year. Living room curtains say dry clean only and usually do that every couple of years. However after reading posts here might try gentle wash this year?. We dont smoke but I think it just freshens everything up.

Used to wash them with the spring clean. Then all the must have lining came into play so too heavy to handle and dry cleaning needed. Now with no dirty coal fires or wood burning stoves, no smokers, I only vacuum them twice a year but I only have them on sitting room windows. Blinds, roman blinds and wooden shutters on all other windows.

I've never washed my curtains but I did have my velvet ones dry cleaned once when we moved house. I occasionally vacuum clean them and they look ok to me. Again no kids, pets or smokers so they don't get dirty really.

I have two enormous windows (one is a bay) in our sitting room so curtains were a large outlay.

I bought readymade (dryclean only), lined curtains, stitching pairs together but have managed to wash them in a large drum commercial laundrette machine. They are a heavy cotton and did shrink about half an inch, so I was fortunate that shrinkage wasn't worse. I took a gamble. We don't smoke either but they (cream) do look overall grubby after a year or so.

I have been looking for 'washable' curtains for about a year, having redecorated but can't find anything I like. I would consider making them but now probably prefer readymade.

Incidentally, an advert has popped up in this thread, offering curtain material...£473 a metre anyone?

With our huge windows, we'd need a mortgage!

I wash curtains about once a year or every 18 months. Always take them straight out of the washing machine and hang up wet. Then draw them and most dry overnight without creases

I’m surprised that no-one mentions the main reason why I for one turn a blind eye to curtain washing or dry cleaning and that’s the absolute fag of taking them down and rehanging them, particularly the heavier lined ones in lounge and bedroom areas. We live in a semi rural area, not on a main road and don’t smoke. I might if I had any nets as they’d be a doddle - but anything else, I think not!

It IS a nightmare. But I have a set of ladders. I have even hemmed my current curtains while hanging to avoid taking them down, after they had dropped a bit (they are heavy) after the first six months or so.

I have never had lined curtains, but I wash the otehrs as and when they need it, like everything else.