Curtains, especially those made from natural fibers such as cotton or linen, shrink over time. In order to maintain a neat and tidy appearance, it’s important to launder your curtains regularly. This will help you, especially on how to fix curtains that have shrunk.
Laundering curtains will not only ensure that they last longer but also keeps them looking their best for years to come. There are a few different ways you can go about fixing shrunken curtains so they hang the right way again. Here are a few tips on how to fix curtain shrinkage and restore them to its former glory.
Related post: How to Put Curtains Up in a New Build
Fix the Bottom of the Curtain
If your curtains are too long on the bottom, you can simply turn your rod to the left or right to adjust the length after you have lain them over it. It is one ways of how to fix curtains that have shrunk.
To prevent this problem from happening in the first place, you can also shorten the top of the curtain by sewing a straight line at the edge of the fabric.
This will give it more room to hang and will stop it from shrinking as much. We recommend sewing a new hem every time you wash your curtains to maintain their fresh look.
Hang Curtains Upside Down
One easy way to fix shrinkage is to hang your curtains upside down. This will allow the excess fabric to hang down and keep the weight off the hems. When they come back down, gravity will allow any excess fabric to stay in place.
If you don’t want to use pins, you can also take a few pieces of string and tie your curtains up inside a large cardboard box. Make sure there’s enough room for your curtain rod so it doesn’t get twisted or damaged during this process. This is one important way of how to fix curtains that Have Shrunk
Steam or Dry Clean Curtains
One way to fix shrinkage in curtains is to take them to the dry cleaner or steamer. If you already have a dry cleaner in your area, bring your curtains to them for professional laundering services. Dry cleaners are experts at removing wrinkles, which can be caused by washing or drying your own curtains.
If you don’t have access to a professional, you can do it yourself with the help of a household steamer. Take your curtains and gently fold them over before putting them into the steamer. Steam your window treatments for about 15-20 minutes before carefully pulling them out onto the floor.
Hang them over a clothesline or shower curtain rod that has been covered with an old sheet or towel to get rid of any excess water droplets left on the fabric. After they’ve completely dried, hang them back up in their original position. When done well it is one of the many ways on How to Fix Curtains that Have Shrunk.
Fixing Curtains with Plastic Hooks
If you have curtains that are less than seven feet in length, try this fix. Measure the width of your curtain by measuring from one side to the other. Add 1/4 inch to the width for both sides if you want to create a 1-inch hem.
Cut two pieces of coordinating fabric 4 inches taller than the curtain and 2 inches wider than the curtain. Pin the fabric together all along one edge, right sides facing each other, and sew using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.
Pin one of the pieces to one side of your curtain, right sides facing inwards so there is an extra 2 inches on one end. The raw edge should be pinned about 6 or 7 inches from where you want the top point of your curtains to hang.
Sew along that raw edge, making sure to backstitch at both ends for durability (so it doesn’t come undone). Repeat with another piece on opposite side of curtain, but this time sew about 12 or 13 inches from where you want top point of curtains to hang since there is an extra 2 inches on one end already sewn in place.
At this point it’s also a good idea to cut off any excess material on both edges so it’s even
Hanging Curtains to Prevent Shrinkage
One of the best ways to keep shrinkage to a minimum is to hang your curtains rather than folding them. It may seem a little counterintuitive, but hanging your curtains will actually help dry them faster and prevent fabric from contracting too much.
When you fold your curtains, they’ll have more folds, resulting in more shrinkage. Spreading out your curtains by hanging them will reduce the number of wrinkles that form.
Hanging your curtains is also a good idea if you’re going with a rod not on a track. Rods that are on tracks can leave behind residue and make it difficult for some fabrics, like cotton or linen, to hang straight again after washing.
But what do you do if you don’t have any rods? Use tension rods or clips and hooks to hang your curtains and hang them about four inches away from the wall. This will also ensure they dry quickly and stay wrinkle-free while they’re drying.
How to unshrink curtains
You’ll need some basic supplies to fix your shrunken curtains: a clothes iron and a clean, 100% cotton towel. First, hang your curtains and press them with the hot steam of the iron. Keep pressing on one spot until you see that it is nearly dry. Let the curtain cool completely before you handle it again.
Next, lay the curtain flat on a clean, 100% cotton towel and cover it with another clean one. Use pins to hold the two layers together and use your hands to smooth out any wrinkles or puckers in the fabric.
Finally, take the top layer off and flip over so that both layers are facing upward. Press down so that they’re even and hang them to dry for at least 10 hours.
This process will help restore your curtains to their full size and remove any wrinkles so they look crisp again!
Can you unshrink curtains?
Short answer: yes. However, it depends on how your curtains are shrunken, as well as the type of fabric they are made from. Curtains made of natural fiber materials such as cotton or linen will shrink more than synthetic fabrics like polyester or acrylic.
If your curtains are made from a natural fiber material, you’ll need to use warm water and some gentle detergent. Fill your laundry tub with water that’s warm but not hot (around 100°F) and then dissolve two tablespoons of detergent into the water.
Submerge the curtain in this mixture until it has soaked up enough water to begin to relax; this may take around 30 minutes depending on how much time the curtains have spent in the dryer.
Once they’ve soaked for about 30 minutes, you can ring out the excess water and hang them back up without worrying about them shrinking again. If your curtains are synthetic material, you’ll need to use cold water; soak them for 10-15 minutes before rinsing them thoroughly and hanging them up to dry.
How to shrink curtains
The first step of fixing curtain shrinkage is to identify the cause. If your curtains are made of a natural fabric, then it’s likely that they shrunk because they were washed or dried at a high temperature. To fix this, you’ll want to machine wash them on a cold setting and use an air dryer instead of a machine dryer.
If your curtains are from a synthetic fabric such as polyester, spandex or nylon, they probably shrunk due to improper storage. In this case, you can wash them in cold water and dry them on a cool setting without any agitation.
Once you have identified why the curtains shrunk, you’ll be able to proceed with fixing the issue. Some solutions include:
- – Machine washing on a cold setting and using an air dryer instead of a machine dryer
- – Washing in cold water and drying on a cool setting without any agitation for synthetic fabrics
- – Using an iron sewing machine to remove excess fabric from the hems of your curtains so they hang properly again
Conclusion
If your curtains have shrunk after being washed or are looking a little worse for wear, don’t fret! The good news is that there are ways of how to fix Curtains that have shrunk with a few simple techniques.
1. Fix the Bottom of the Curtain – If you have curtains with a bottom hem, the first thing to do is to have them hemmed to the correct length. Then hang them back up the way they were initially. The bottom of the curtain will flop over and look unsightly, but it can be sewn back into place.
2. Hang Curtains Upside Down – This should be done if you have pleated curtains. Hang the curtains upside down until they are dry, and then turn them right way round again. This will help them recover their original shape.
3. Steam or Dry Clean Curtains – If you want to use this method, make sure to use a lower temperature than usual on your clothes iron or steamer. If you’re using a professional dry cleaner, ask them for advice on how to care for your curtains.
4. Fixing Curtains with Plastic Hooks – One way that you can fix the problem before it becomes too noticeable is by putting hooks on.
3 thoughts on “How to Fix Curtains That Have Shrunk”
Comments are closed.