Why you DON'T put curtains in the washing machine

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean (Hawkes Bay Chem-Dry)

Recently we have been taking care of (fixing) curtains that have been put in the washing machine. There are a number of reasons why this is a terrible idea.

Firstly, we take many measures to ensure your curtains get as clean as possible without shrinkage or colour loss. Recently we have had to re-wash curtains that have been washed but there is still traces of mould or live mould left on the curtain. We take careful steps to ensure this is eliminated as much as possible on the curtain fabric, and can always remove it from linings. These results are simply unable to be duplicated in a home environment.

Spray on curtain cleaning products contain sodium hypochlorite, aka bleach. If you use products to remove mould, it can result in colour loss. This is one of the more common problems we have seen. We test all fabric before cleaning to be sure of what cleaners can be used with it.


Washing curtains in the washing machine can result in other damage – curtains need to be handled with care, especially older fabrics. It is expensive getting a curtain re-lined due to rips – we take extra care in preventing this from happening.


In addition to the above – most of the time, they will come out of the machine wrinkly and look terrible, no matter the fabric type. Our service ensures they look great and ‘like new’ as they can when returned to you (and of course, fresh and clean).

Don’t make the same mistake, call us (the experts) instead.