Curtains are cleaned while they hang, at £35 a pair for short curtains and £42 a pair for long ones. They stay on their hooks throughout, and the cleaner checks the fabric and lining before starting.
The cleaner fits an upholstery hand tool to the extraction machine and works down each drop from header to hem. Nothing is unhooked, labelled or rehung, and your windows are never left bare while you wait for curtains to come back.
Fabrics checked before cleaning
The care label, sewn into the hem or the lining, is the first thing the cleaner reads. Cotton, polyester and most blends take the clean well. Linen can shrink, so it gets less moisture. Velvet is brushed in the direction of its pile while damp. Silk and viscose can water-mark, and if a label says dry clean only, we discuss it by phone before anything is booked. Curtains that have hung in strong sun for a long time, at a south-facing bay for example, can weaken along the folds and may tear when worked. On every pair, the cleaner tests a hidden spot near the hem first.
Linings and blackout
Most lined curtains have a cotton or polyester lining stitched in at the top and sides, and it is cleaned from the back where the cleaner can reach. Blackout and thermal linings carry a coated back that can crack or peel if soaked or scrubbed, so those curtains are worked lightly from the room side and the coating itself is only vacuumed. Interlined curtains, with a soft layer between the face fabric and the lining, are heavy and hold more water, so they dry more slowly. Tell us on the call if yours are blackout or interlined, so the cleaner knows before arriving.
Curtain prices by the pair
| Curtains | Price a pair |
|---|---|
| Short (to the sill or just below) | £35 |
| Long (to the floor) | £42 |
A pair means the two curtains at one window or door. If yours stop halfway between sill and floor, give the drop in centimetres on the call. Nothing one-off is charged below £67, so a single pair on its own is priced from that amount; it makes sense to book every window in a room or add the curtains to a bigger job. A pay-and-display charge near your home is passed on at cost, no more than £40, and a 50% deposit holds the date.
Pelmets, tracks and poles
Dust settles in the header tape and pleats at the top of a curtain and on whatever it hangs from. While at the window, the cleaner dusts the track or pole, the finials and any pelmet, then vacuums the header so loose dust does not turn into grey streaks during the clean. For tall sash windows in a period conversion, give the ceiling height when you book so the cleaner brings steps that reach. Move furniture back from the window and clear the sill beforehand, since the cleaner needs to stand right up against the curtain.
Booking curtains with a spring clean
Curtains suit a spring clean, the once-a-year visit when everything high and hidden gets attention. They are done before floors and surfaces, because dust disturbed at the header settles on the sill and the carpet below. They then dry while the rest of the home is cleaned. A sofa or armchair in the same room can join the booking; see sofa and upholstery cleaning, or upholstery cleaning for chairs and headboards.
Questions about curtain cleaning
Do the curtains have to come down?
No. They are cleaned on their hooks and stay at the window the whole time, so nothing leaves your home.
How long do curtains take to dry?
Allow a few hours, helped by an open window or the heating. Keep them drawn closed while they dry so the folds hang open and air reaches the full width of the fabric.
Will my curtains shrink or fade?
The fabric is tested first and the clean puts in little moisture. Linen and loose weaves carry the most risk of shrinking, and the cleaner flags it before starting. Sun fading is already in the fabric, and cleaning does not change it.
Where can I check the cost of other jobs?
Carpets, ovens, sofas and every other service are priced on our prices page.