Are Blackout Curtains Machine Washable?

To keep light from coming in, blackout curtains are made with tight weaves and thick fabrics that aren’t the same as regular curtains.

Because blackout curtains are made of various materials and serve various purposes, the care and cleaning instructions for each kind of blackout curtain must be tailored accordingly.

With these considerations in mind, you’re certain to come into the topic of whether or not blackout curtains can be machine washed like ordinary curtains.

For people who want to know the exact answer with a good explanation to clear up their doubts, this is where they should be right now. So, let’s look a little deeper right away.

Is blackout curtains machine washable?

Blackout curtains can’t be washed with a machine. When you wash your blackout curtains in the machine, you’ll end up with a dirty curtain that can’t block out the sun. However, blackout curtains may be washed in a front-loading machine. If you want to wash your blackout curtains, you should always do it by hand, not in the machine.

Because blackout curtains are densely woven and composed of thick fabric, they may effectively obscure light from the outside.

Because these curtains are very heavy and have a lot of layers, it’s not a good idea to wash them in a machine. People don’t want to clean their blackout curtains by hand because when they do, the center agitator could spin the fabric around it, which will damage both the fabric as well as the layers of the curtains.

In this case, only a front-loading machine should be used to wash blackout curtains if you want to wash them by a machine. As a general rule, it is recommended that only blackout curtains must be hand washed with mild soap.

How Do You Clean Blackout Curtains in A Washing Machine?

If you use a machine to clean the blackout curtains, you must only use a front-loading machine to do it. It also shows how to clean blackout curtains using the front-loading machine in a short, simple guide that goes over each step one by one.

Examine The Curtains:

First, you need to make sure the curtains are clean before you put them in the washer to clean them.

Checking is very important since spots, stains, dust, and dirt can get stuck on the curtains. You need to start removing any spots, stains, or dirt before you can wash them.

Use the Right Detergent:

Before you start to wash in the second step, make sure you have the right kind of laundry detergent.

To find out if the detergent is good for your curtains, try a little bit of it on a corner and then rinse it off. If the color of the curtains is still the same as when they were new, you can use the detergent.

Put the blackout curtains in the washing machine:

In this step, make sure it’s a front-loading machine before you do anything. Blackout curtains should then be put into a separate wash. Do not mix them with any other clothes or try to ease them with other pieces of clothing at all!

This is where a front-loading machine should be used. Other machines that have a center agitator could spin the fabric as well as layers of the curtains and cause them to break down.

Use Cold Water and Avoid Using Bleach:

People who want to clean their blackout curtains with the washing machine should only use cold water. Because cold water isn’t going to hurt the fabric of the curtain. Each blackout curtain should never be cleaned with hot water.

It’s also a good idea to only use mild detergent and not laundry bleach when you clean them. They will destroy and fade the color of curtains if you use bleach.

Set the washing machine to a gentle cycle:

This is the last thing you do when you clean blackout curtains. Now that you’ve thrown the curtains in the trash, set the water temperature to cold, used mild detergent to clean them, and then go to set the spinning speed of the machine to a gentle setting.

It is safest to use a mild cycle setting on the blackout curtains, which will also clean them completely.

Dry them and iron them:

Once washed, remove the curtains from the washer and allow them to air dry by hanging them on curtain hooks or clothes rods. Then you can’t iron them.

**Caution: If your curtains contain a latex backing, proceed with caution! Avoid using hot water to clean or dry them, and don’t iron the latex side as well to avoid melting the latex back.

Is It Possible to Dry Clean Blackout Curtains?

When you clean blackout curtains, you can dry-clean them, but this isn’t likely the best way to do so. Even so, if you don’t want to go through all the trouble of hand washing or machine washing your blackout curtains, it is advisable to bring them to your local dry-cleaning shops.

When they dry clean the blackout curtains, be sure to inform them not to use too much heat while they do it. Even more so if your curtains have a latex back because too much heat can melt the latex back and damage them.

So, make sure the dry cleaner understands all of these things, or tell him yourself. However, it would be best if you didn’t dry clean the blackout curtain and washed it yourself.

Can Blackout Curtains Be Steam Cleaned?

If your blackout curtains are dirty, you can use a steam cleaner to get them clean. When the curtains are cleaned with steam, they will not only be cleaned but any wrinkles will also be removed.

To use the steam cleaner, fill it with distilled water and allow it to heat up before using it to clean your blackout curtains.

Steam the curtains from top to bottom in braided strokes. Make sure the layers of the curtains are all open. There’s no need to get too close with the steam cleaner so that the curtains don’t get wet.

It’s important to follow these steps to clean the whole curtain, but make sure not to clean the latex backing if there is any on it.

How Do You Clean Blackout Curtains at Home?

At first, it might seem like a lot of work to clean blackout curtains at home, but it doesn’t have to be. Following the simple steps below will make it easy to clean your home’s blackout curtains.

Inspect:

To begin, study your curtains to see whether they have any particular instructions such as “dry cleaning only,” since if they do, you’d be wise to drop them off at a local dry-cleaning service.

Dusting:

If the curtains do not need dry cleaning, begin cleaning by dusting them well. This may be accomplished with a vacuum cleaner or a feather duster. Clean the duster or sweep it back and forth to get all the dust and dirt.

Blotting:

This is called “blotting.” If there are any stains on your clothes, add some liquid dishwasher to a bowl of warm water, wet your cloth with water, and use it to clean them.

Hand washing:

In this stage, you should hand wash your blackout curtains to keep them clean. A moderate laundry detergent may be added to the lukewarm water in your home’s tub and then mixed with the water.

If you want, you can then let the curtains fall for a while. Gently twist and compress the curtains to remove any remaining dirt and dust, and then hang them to dry. Later, wash the curtains using clear water to get rid of any soapy residue and rinse them clean again.

Ironing And Drying

After you rinse the curtains, hang them outside for air-drying or in a place in your home where you can fully dry them. As the last step, iron the curtains so they are flat.

How Often Should Blackout Curtains Be Laundered?

Every three to six months, you should wash your curtains, no matter if they are blackout curtains or regular curtains, because they can get dirty. This is necessary since blackout curtains accumulate dust, filth, and odors daily.

Deep clean them once a month and dust the curtains every week to get rid of any dust or dirt.

Is it possible to hang wet curtains?

Yes, it’s possible to hang up wet curtains. It will help to keep the curtains from getting wrinkled, and you won’t have to iron them later on.

However, it is never recommended to dry damp curtains by hanging them backward on poles. Don’t open any windows, and don’t vacuum the room. Dirt and dirt will stick to the wet curtains, and you don’t want that!

What Is the Best Way to Soften Blackout Curtains?

To make blackout curtains softer, you can mix a small amount of gentle laundry detergent with water that isn’t too hot. Then, dip a clean cloth into the mixture.

Then, using the moist towel, gently wipe the curtain’s rear corner. Wash the area with water, too. Do not use any wet method if you see that the color of the curtains is going away.

This is how to make blackout curtains less harsh. If the curtains’ color does not bleed through, you may use this procedure to soften all of them.

Is it possible to iron blackout curtains?

If you want to, you can iron the blackout curtains you have. However, before you begin ironing, ensure that you cover your iron board with a big, thick towel or blanket.

Make sure the fabric side of the blackout curtain is facing the upper part of the blanket or towel. Remove wrinkles by softly moving the iron in and out.

How To Remove Wrinkles from Blackout Curtains?

There are four techniques for removing wrinkles from blackout curtains. These four ways are below.

  • Cleaning With Steam
  • Ironing
  • Humidity
  • Dryer (only if the manufacturer’s instructions permit the use of a machine dryer to eliminate wrinkles).

Due to the unique fabric composition and several layers of blackout curtains, they are often not machine washable. It’s still possible to wash blackout curtains in a front-loading machine, but only if you’re using the right machine.