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How to Clean Silk Curtains

How to Clean Silk Curtains. Dry cleaning seems to work best for silk curtains to keep them in the very best condition and maintain their original beauty, color and texture. However, silk curtains can be hand washed periodically. The following steps will show you how to clean your silk curtains by hand.

  1. Run lukewarm water into a bathtub or into large tub. Add a small amount of very mild soap such as Woolite.

  2. Wash the curtains very gently. Put a little extra soap on stained areas.

  3. Rinse the soap out of the curtains well.

  4. Fill the tub again with lukewarm water and add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water. Let the curtains set for just a second and rinse again.

  5. Roll up the wet curtains loosely in fluffy towels or in absorbent cloth to soak up most of the water.

  6. Drape your curtains outside on a clothesline and let them dry in the shade.

  7. Iron the curtains while they are a bit damp. Iron them on the inside of the garment only. If the curtains are already dry, dampen them a bit with a damp cloth on the outside of the fabric before ironing.

Warning

Do not wring out your silk curtains or crumple them up at all. This will stretch out and wrinkle the fabric. Do not set the curtains in the sun to dry as the sun can fade out the color of the silk fabric. Do not let the silk soak in the water for a long period of time. Never bleach your silk curtains.