How to clean curtains without taking them down — 3 quick and easy ways to give your home a refresh without the extra hassle

While it’s possible to use a mild detergent and a damp cloth to spot clean any stains on your curtains, sometimes they need a much deeper clean. But if you don’t have the time, or, quite frankly, the energy to detach them from their tracks or curtain rings, you might be wondering how to clean curtains without taking them down.

According to experts, we should be cleaning our curtains at least four times a year - and maybe even more if you live in a particularly dust-prone house. This task should be an essential addition to your yearly cleaning calendar to prevent mould growth and improve your home’s air quality. After all, curtains literally trap all kinds of nasties within their folds, from dust and pet dander to pollen and bacteria.

However, when you have a home full of curtains to clean, the idea of taking them all down to clean them sounds like a hassle many people will put off for as long as possible. There’s a solution, though. Instead of taking your curtains down to clean them, you can use one of these 3 alternative methods instead.

1. Use a steam cleaner

One of the easiest ways to clean curtains without taking them down is by using an appliance that everyone should have at their disposal: a steam cleaner. After all, the best steam cleaners can be used in many areas of the home and offer squeaky-clean results.

This is echoed by Atit Chopra, Product Development Director at Beldray, who says, ‘If you’re using a steam cleaner, attach the upholstery tool and glide it across the curtains while they hang. The steam helps to sanitise, remove odours, and smooth out any creases.’

But while curtains are one of the many things you didn’t know you could clean with a steam cleaner, it’s up to you which type of steam cleaner you use. You could opt for handheld options like the Bissell Steam Shot Handheld Steam Cleaner from Amazon or the Beldray 10-in-1 Handheld Steam Cleaner from Argos - or you could opt for a larger, multi-purpose option that can also be used to clean your floors when you’re done.

2. Use a vacuum cleaner

Most people focus on using the best vacuum cleaners for their floors and their floors alone, but there are so many places you’re forgetting to vacuum that will thank you for that extra bit of suction. This is the case if you want to clean curtains without taking them down, too.

In fact, Barbara Stern, a textile expert at Ottoman Textiles, suggests using a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment to clean your curtains. She says, ‘This method will vacuum up dust, allergens, pet hair, and other stuff, and avoid all that other grime accumulation that discolours fabric. For vacuuming curtains, I usually suggest at least once a week.’

If you have an upright or cylinder vacuum, though, it might be hard to get into every nook and cranny of your curtains. And while our top-rated stick vacuum cleaner right now is the Dyson Gen5detect from Dyson, it might be worth investing in one of the best handheld vacuum cleaners to ensure you definitely won’t have to take your curtains down to clean them.

3. Use white vinegar

If you’ve noticed that your curtains have become a little whiffy - something that’s extremely common if they hang near a kitchen, open fire, or in a home with smokers or pets - then one of the best ways to clean curtains without taking them down is to clean with white vinegar.

Yes, white vinegar has natural antibacterial properties and can kill many of the germs that can linger on your curtains, and it’s also a natural deodoriser.

Of course, you can buy big bottles of white vinegar to get the job done - like this Hexeal White Vinegar 5L Bottle from Amazon - but it’s easier to clean curtains without taking them down using a spray bottle instead. This way, you can directly target every inch of the fabric and ensure that it doesn’t get too wet in the process. Then, you can just let them air dry.

And to prevent future smells, Barbara also advises, ‘Having proper airflow in the room through occasional window openings or a small air purifier helps to ensure that the curtains themselves will not absorb the odours in the house.’ So, that’s another reason why the best air purifiers are worth it.

FAQs

Is it good to wash curtains in the washing machine?

While it can be extremely effective to wash curtains in the washing machine, you need to ensure that the curtains you want to clean are machine washable before doing so.

Although most lightweight curtains will have no problems in the washing machine, thicker, heavier curtains may not be suitable for this type of cleaning. In fact, they could shrink, the lining could become damaged, and - in the worst-case scenario - they may damage your washing machine in the process.

Can you use Vax carpet cleaner on curtains?

Yes, you can! Vax carpet cleaners come with upholstery attachments, which means that you can use them on smaller, targeted areas of the home such as curtains, sofas, and cushions. Just make sure that you use the gentlest setting possible and always check the label of the curtains to ensure you’re cleaning them in the way that they need to be cleaned.

Is it better to steam clean or dry clean curtains?

If your curtains are incredibly dirty and need a tougher touch, it’s probably best to enlist the help of a dry cleaner to clean your curtains. However, 9 times out of 10, it’s much easier, cheaper, and more effective to steam clean them yourselves.

If you use a handheld steam cleaner - or an upholstery attachment - you can easily get into the smaller nooks and crannies of your curtains and even clean your curtains without taking them down. And it won’t cost you a penny.

So, do you know of any other hacks for cleaning curtains without taking them down?