Blackout curtains are a fantastic way to block light from entering your room and create the perfect sleeping environment.
But once you’ve got your hands on a pair, you might find that they’re creased when you go to hang them, which can ruin the appearance of your room.
These creases are usually caused by the curtains being folded up and sealed in the packaging after the manufacturing process, but don’t worry – they’re easy to remove.
How To Get Creases Out Of Blackout Curtains
There are three easy ways to remove creases from your blackout curtains: Ironing or steaming, washing, or simply hanging the curtains.
Ironing Or Steaming Your Blackout Curtains
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.
However, if you don’t have a steamer, a regular steam iron will get the job done – here’s how to remove the creases from your blackout curtains with an iron:
- Warm up the iron to an appropriate temperature – not all curtains are made from the same material and some will require more heat than others. To prevent any damage, check the manufacturer’s instructions for your curtains and set the iron to the correct temperature.
- Lay your curtains out on your ironing board, or on a large flat surface like a dining table, and smooth them out to be as flat as possible.
- Gently pull the curtains taught as you iron them to prevent the fabric from bunching up and help the steam penetrate through all of the layers of fabric.
- Work out the creases from the fabric, working from side to side over the areas that are most creased. Be careful not to overheat the fabric.
- Let the curtains cool and, if possible, repeat the opposite side.
Wash Your Blackout Curtains
The second way to get creases out of blackout curtains is by washing them.
If your blackout curtains are washing machine safe then you can remove or reduce the creases from the packaging by throwing them in for a quick wash cycle.
If you’re not using a set of Blackouts Direct curtains, which are odour free, you might be concerned that your blackout curtains smell, so this is also a great way to tackle two birds with one stone.
Before trying this method It’s important to check your curtains, or the manufacturer’s instructions, to ensure they are machine washable.
Here is how to remove the creases with your washing machine:
- Put your washing machine onto the correct setting according to the instructions on your curtains and leave it to run.
- Once the wash cycle has finished remove the curtains and hang them somewhere they won’t get bunched up, like over a door or the bannister of your stairs, or, if it’s a nice day, outside on a washing line. The key is that they’re as flat as possible so that new creases don’t form as they dry.
Hanging Your Blackout Curtains
If you’re not in a rush to remove the creases from your curtains then you can simply hang the curtains in your windows and leave the creases to drop out by themselves.
While this might not be the quickest way to remove creases, it is arguably the simplest!
If you did want to speed things up, and you’ve got the space, hanging your curtains up somewhere humid like the bathroom or in an airing cupboard can help to remove the creases in your curtains in a little less time.
The Bottom-line
As you can see, removing creases from your blackout curtains is relatively straightforward, and it shouldn’t take too much time before your new curtains are hanging pride of place in your windows.
If you have access to a steamer, removing creases from your curtains is a breeze, but it’s still possible to get crease-free curtains with a quick once-over with an iron, or a quick spin in the washing machine (if your curtains allow it).