We offer professional and affordable cleaning of blackout curtains in Cape Town, the Helderberg and the West Coast.
Blackout curtains (also called blockout curtains) are designed to block out unwanted light and glare. They’re also useful in Cape winters for keeping out the cold and helping save on heating costs – and in summer, for blocking out heat.
Washing blackout curtains at home can be tricky. Machine washing can permanently damage sensitive lining materials, which may stick together, warp or even disintegrate. Because the curtains are heavy, it is hard work to take them down, wash, dry and rehang them.
Also, there’s no one correct way to clean blackout curtains. This is because they differ in material type and construction.
Most often, the curtain linings are made by spraying a base material like polyester with an opaque, black membrane and either one or two layers of acrylic foam. (In the case of three-pass coating, the black membrane is sandwiched between two layers of foam). Over the lining, a cloth layer makes the curtains more attractive.
In other cases, blackout curtains consist of special, triple-woven fabric, with a central black thread layer that provides superior insulation.
At Chelsea Cleaning, we have specialist knowledge and experience in deep-cleaning blackout curtains, without damaging them. We also collect and deliver, and can rehang the curtains for you. Let us know if we can assist.
Blackout curtain cleaning process
We take down the curtains at a time that suits you, or you can choose to drop them off at our Wynberg factory premises for cleaning.
We assess the composition of the blackout curtains; remove hooks and rods; and determine the right techniques for cleaning layers that require special protection.
We treat any stains with specialist solutions and then, based on material type, clean blackout curtains using solvents, gentle hand washing or a cool wash designed for sensitive materials.
Wet wash curtains get a cold rinse to prevent shrinkage and are gently spun to remove excess water.
We air dry blackout curtains (rather than tumble drying) to prevent damage. Then we steam out wrinkles, protecting heat-sensitive layers if relevant.
We pack the curtains for safe delivery and, if you choose, rehang them for you.
