These drapes and curtains usually come in a tight packing and too often badly wrinkled, even if they are “wrinkle-free” material. Those creases will stay even after you hang your new drapes. Fabrics such as polyester, nylon or Lycra will not need ironing, but nobody really uses these materials for window coverings.
Ironing curtains
The majority of curtain fabrics cannot be ironed. However cotton, polyester and linen curtains can. When ironing cotton curtains like our 100% Cotton collection by Edinburgh Weaves, place them on an ironing board and iron them on the lowest setting.
If you purchase curtains that are washable it is very important to wash them prior to hanging. They normally shrink the most the first time they are washed. I washed mine in hot before hanging them the first time to get all of the shrinking behind me.
A steam iron is the quickest and easiest way to get rid of creases in your curtains. If you have access to a garment steamer, you'll find it much easier to steam your curtains when they're hung on the pole as these are usually much gentler on the surface and will remove the creases much more quickly.
If you need to treat wrinkles without taking them down, there are several easy options, such as spritzing them with water, using a wrinkle-release product, or steaming them. If you want to take the curtains down to get the wrinkles out, try drying them with a damp towel, steaming them in your bathroom, or ironing them.
Iron – Use low setting to iron away the wrinkles. However, for more stubborn wrinkles, use a cloth over the fabric side of the drapes or curtains if you need to use a high setting. You could also spray water over the fabric and gently iron on low setting to smooth out the wrinkles.
The drapes get longer and longer. Drapes may stretch. Fabric is made of threads woven together, and there is no glue holding these threads in place. Knowing how the fabric may react after hanging will help you choose fabrics that should not stretch.
If you choose to iron your curtains, use a steam iron (on a low setting) directly on the wrinkled portions while curtains hang. Curtains requiring more intense ironing should be placed on an ironing board with a cloth placed over them to steam iron, flat, on a higher setting.
New curtains can change the look of a room, but if they're wrinkled, they might change it for the worse. When you first remove polyester, nylon or other synthetic drapes from the package, they are likely have creases in them. A trip through the washing machine usually removes creases from polyester nylon drapes.
It depends on factors such as window length, but more often than not, curtains look best when touching the floor. However, how low you want your curtains to hang will determine what you want to achieve. In reality, different decorating styles employ varying curtain lengths.
The polyester Curtain is not be ironed directly, Because it melts quickly from the heat of iron. Polyester Curtains (Fabric) do not need iron generally, but if you want to iron it just place another piece of clothing between your iron and polyester curtains.
Steaming can come in handy. Steaming will remove the wrinkles on your dry-clean-only curtains and make them straight causing no damage.
Steaming your curtains is arguably the easiest way to remove those stubborn wrinkles and creases that creep up over time, and it's also the best option, says Frej Lewenhaupt, the co-founder of Steamery. "The fabric will feel richer and more natural in texture with steaming, as opposed to ironing," he says.
Stretch the curtain and spread it out as much as you can. Fill your iron with water and set it to the ideal temperature for your curtains. Iron the top half of the curtains, pressing firmly down and releasing steam/spraying as needed for the fabric. Once the top half is done, hang them back up on the rod.
Fill your steam iron with water and turn it on to maximum temperature. You will need to use an iron of at least 1400 watts that produces steam while held in the vertical position. You can use a clothing steamer or a handheld mini-steamer if your iron does not meet these requirements.
This is actually why most manufacturers will include a few folds of extra fabric at the base of the curtains to handle any possible “shrinkage”, but not at the sides. Unfortunately, once the curtains are made without fabric pre-shrinking, there is no way to reverse the situation.
Your curtains may drop right out of the box, but more than likely, they will flare at the bottom. You need to train the curtains for three days to two weeks after unboxing them, so they take on a more appealing shape.
If you have the space between the top of your window frame and the ceiling or crown molding, though, you should hang the rod over the window. I like to go 3 to 5 inches down from the ceiling. Doing this visually extends the length of your wall, making your ceiling look higher.
Use a mild laundry soap that's free of brightening ingredients or bleach, which can affect the color of polyester fabric. For delicate or embellished panels, hand-washing is a safer alternative. If indicated on the tag, tumble-dry on low heat. Otherwise, hang your curtains to dry.
Drying Machine Washable Curtains
Always dry your curtains on a gentle cycle (tumble dry is best) with low or no heat. It might take longer, but it will definitely make your curtains last longer. Drying your curtains with a hot cycle can set wrinkles, fade colors, and shrink the material.
The nets should not need ironing but if they do, go carefully with the iron on a warm setting. Take care not to scorch the net curtains; a barrier cloth is advisable if you need more heat to shift stubborn creases.
Getting Started: Iron or Steam to Remove Creases
If in doubt, lay a clean towel over your drapery fabric and iron over the towel on low. However, just ironing your curtains will cause your drapes to spread out at the bottom rather than hanging uniformly along with the built-in pleats.