- You are here:
- Home
- Blackout Curtain Advice
- How to Get Creases Out of Blackout Curtains Safely and Effectively
If you’re like most homeowners and renters, you want to get a window dressing that does double duty. You want them to look elegant or go with your overall décor, but you also want them to block almost all sunlight, reduce noise, and limit the amount of heat transfer into or out of your house. Blackout curtains do all that, making them the ultimate product for your place.
However, what happens when you go to the store and buy them (or order them online), and the curtains are wrinkled or creased? Some people just ignore it, but these aren’t like traditional curtains. The wrinkles aren’t likely to go away with time, which means you’ve got a permanent crease in the curtains.
If you’re wondering how to get creases out of blackout curtains, you should be aware that there are a couple of ways to do it. Just remember that insulated curtains use foam or rubber backing, so they cannot be laundered traditionally. You can’t just throw them in the dryer; it could damage the backing.
Ways to Have Crease-Free Blackout Curtains
Although each set of blackout curtains has special care instructions, here are some simple, effective, and safe ways to remove creases or wrinkles:
Use Steam
If you have an iron, you may want to consider steaming or ironing out the wrinkles. Make sure that your curtains hung and the wrinkled areas are visible.. A steamer works best for this. method.
- Let the iron come to its steaming temperature (about 1500 degrees Fahrenheit), You may also want to use a garment steamer if you have one.
- The steam should shoot through all the fabrics and layers. You’re probably going to need another pair of hands, as well.
- Ask your helper to hold the bottom of the curtain taut but not tight. Make sure to stand on the side where the foam backing is and shoot the steam through the iron or steamer.
- Move the iron slowly down the surface from top to bottom. Work in sections if there are multiple creases. Never let the iron touch the fabric, as it could melt the foam backing.
- Your helper should hold the fabric outward and tautly until it has completely cooled.
- Once you have done this for all creased sections, you should go repeat the process on the front of the curtain.
Use Humidity
If your curtains don’t have a lot of wrinkles or they aren’t "deep", you may want to consider letting humidity do its work. You’ve likely seen how straight curly hair can become with it rains or it’s humid, and the same process works for removing wrinkles.
- Hang the curtains in your bathroom where they will not touch any water. Take your steamy, hot shower as normal (or just let the hot water run).
- Finish your shower or shut off the water, close the door, and let the curtains hang in there for a few hours. Most of the time, this will remove any wrinkles that are not deep.
Use the Dryer
Before considering this step, make sure that you read the manufacturer’s care instructions carefully. Many blackout curtains cannot be washed and dried. You must spot-treat them or hand-wash them.
If the curtains can be washed or dried, you may want to put them in the dryer with a damp towel or washcloth. Use the lowest heat setting; many times, this removes the wrinkles on both sides.
Iron Them
While most irons have a steam setting, it might not be enough to remove the wrinkles. If not, you may need to iron them directly. This can be a little worrisome, but a few tips can have you ironing like a pro.
- Set up the ironing board appropriately and put aluminum foil over it.
- Lay the curtain on the foil, having the insulated side down. You shouldn’t iron the insulated side because it could melt the foam or rubber.
- On the outermost curtain layer (fabric), put a thin bed sheet down to protect the curtain from heat.
- Iron your curtains using the lowest heat setting. The steam function should also be used liberally. Make sure that you take one small section at a time. The foil you put down first helps to distribute the heat while the sheet protects it from too much heat.
- Once you’ve smoothed out one area, move on to the next. You may need to go over many spots multiple times.
- Once all the wrinkles are gone, you should hang your curtains up quickly to prevent new wrinkles from forming.
Conclusion
If you’re like most people who have purchased blackout curtains, and they arrived with wrinkles, you definitely are wondering how to get creases out of blackout curtains.
Fortunately, you’ve just learned a variety of ways to do so, including multiple ways with a regular iron. It’s likely something you have in your laundry room, so it isn’t going to require you to purchase something else, though there are other methods available.