Can you wash RV curtains? (a guide)

By Elaine Knight
Page last updated: 19/05/2021 | Next review date: 19/05/2023
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Elaine Knight
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In this blog post, we will answer the following question: Can you wash RV curtains? We will tell you how to wash and iron your RV curtains or the Roman blinds, which are pretty popular with RVs as well. 

Can you wash RV curtains?

Yes, you can wash RV curtains, just as you would wash your house curtains. Most RV curtains are made from cotton and polyester, so make sure you wash them at the right program. 

RV curtains and upholstered furniture are of similar quality to those found in your home. Treat them as you would any thin fabric. Some bedspreads and curtains require dry cleaning.

Do not use flammable or toxic materials such as varnish remover, gasoline, naphtha, paint thinner or carbon tetrachloride for cleaning purposes. These products can cause material damage and cause injury or death.

Before you throw RV curtains or Roman blinds in the washing machine, there are a few things that you should pay attention to. For example:

  • Can your RV curtains or Roman blinds be washed? Always read the washing instructions before washing a curtain or Roman shade. Some curtains simply cannot be washed, or can only be chemically cleaned by a professional (e.g. in a dry cleaner).
  • At what temperature should the fabric be washed?  The temperature at which blinds can be washed varies from fabric to fabric. You don’t want your curtain to shrink in the wash, so pay attention to the recommended temperature.
  • Washing instructions: All curtains and Roman blinds come with washing instructions. Cotton or polyester curtains can shrink up to 4% after washing. So if you have curtains that come down perfectly to the floor, they may be a bit shorter after washing. Remember to take this into account.

Dry cleaning RV curtains

For some curtains, machine washing is not recommended: linen curtains, for example. These can be deformed and therefore be less beautiful. If you want to wash them, it is better to have them dry cleaned. In addition, they are often accompanied by an A, F or P label, known to the launderer. So you don’t have to worry!

For some curtains and Roman blinds, it is simply not practical to wash them yourself. For example, they can warp and come out of the wash messed up. If you want to have them professionally cleaned, it is best to do it in a dry cleaner. Oftentimes these fabrics are marked with an A, F or P on the label, the professionals know what to do, so you don’t have to worry!

How to wash RV curtains (step-by-step)

If you decide to wash your RV curtains by yourself, here is what you will need:

  • Dry weather
  • A washing machine
  • Detergent for delicate textiles
  • 1 pillowcase per curtain or sheer
  • 1 cord or elastic (to close the pillowcase)

Step 1: Unhooking the curtains and dismantling the Roman blinds: Curtains are often hung from the ceiling and often reach the floor. As a result, they retain a lot of dust. Before washing the curtain, the fabric must therefore be unrolled and dusted.

Carefully remove the curtain from the tracks, carefully fold it and tap it hard. Thus, most of the dust will be expelled. It goes without saying that this is done outdoors and in dry weather, no one wants to clean a curtain in the rain.

Here’s how to disassemble your Roman blinds: If you want to wash a Roman shade, you must first detach it from the hanging mechanism. You can do this very easily by following the following steps:

The upper side of the Roman shade is attached with a scratch, you can carefully remove it.

The strings on the back of the Roman shade can be detached from the plastic, allowing you to loosen the fabric

Step 2: Washing instruction: It is important to handle your curtains and Roman blinds with care. It would be a shame if they got damaged or, even worse, you had to throw them away after washing them. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the following points:

Consult the washing instructions. Each curtain and Roman shade comes with washing instructions. By respecting them, your curtains will stay beautiful for longer. If the label is no longer attached to the fabric, please contact our customer service team who will inform you of the steps to follow.

Step 3: Wash your Roman blinds and curtains: If you know what temperature and what washing program is suitable for washing your curtains, then the washing process can begin. Start by removing all the hooks from the curtain.

When choosing the washing program, there are a number of things you should pay attention to:

  • Temperature: This is stated on the washing instructions. Often this is 30 degrees.
  • Low centrifugation: Choose a rotation mode of 500 RPM or less to avoid damage
  • Detergent and softener: Use relatively little detergent and preferably fine detergent. Do not use fabric softener.

Step 4: Drying: After washing curtains and Roman blinds, it is important that they dry well. The best way to do this is to shake them lightly (carefully!) And hang them up. By opening windows and doors, they dry faster. A hot day with good weather can make all the difference!

How to iron RV curtains and Roman blinds

Hanging up the curtains immediately will make them wrinkle less quickly, so ironing will not be necessary. Are your curtains still wrinkled after washing? You can then choose to iron them. Place your curtain or Roman shade between two tea towels, so that the iron does not directly touch the fabric of the curtain to avoid damaging it. Also, take care that the material (often synthetic) does not get too hot from the iron.

You can also choose to hang the curtains on a clothesline. The downside is that the curtain may wrinkle. Warning: If you choose to let them dry outside, be careful that they are not hung in direct sunlight. There is a good chance that the curtains will fade and no longer have such a beautiful colour.

And what if things go wrong?

Of course, it can happen that something is wrong when you wash your curtain or Roman shade. Do not panic :

  • Shrinkage after washing: It may happen that a curtain or Roman shade shrinks slightly after washing. This can represent from 1 to 4%. It doesn’t sound like much, but can be 4 centimetres on a three-yard curtain. With the hooks at the top, you can compensate for this by hanging the curtains a little lower or higher thanks to the adjustable hooks.
  • Damaged curtains: Of course, it’s annoying if a curtain gets damaged in the wash, but it does happen. It could be that you have not followed the washing instructions correctly or your washing machine is not suitable for washing curtains.

The bottom line

It is entirely possible to wash and iron your RV curtains by yourself. Just follow our guide and be careful with the temperature settings! However, if you don’t feel like it, there are many dry cleaners who can do it for you. 

If you have any comments or questions about the content, please let us know. 

FAQ on Can you wash RV curtains?

How to wash the curtains so that they do not wrinkle?

To wash the curtains so that they do not wrinkle, avoid using the spin setting. You can add a little starch to facilitate ironing, which should be done while the curtains are wet, with the iron at medium-high temperature and always horizontal. Washing carded linen curtains

How are roller blinds washed?

Here’s how to wash your roller blinds successfully:

  1. Use a cloth or hand vacuum cleaner to remove the dust.
  2. Dilute a little shampoo in a tray with cold water. …
  3. Dampen the cloth with the solution.
  4. Gently rub the roller with a damp cloth.
  5. Rub the roller again with a cloth, dampened only with water.

How to clean vertical screen curtains?

The vertical curtains of Screen fabric are made of PVC and polyester, so they allow more cleaning possibilities due to the fact that these technical fabrics are more resistant. You can clean them with a vacuum cleaner, with a cloth dampened in soapy water.

References

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