Your curtains don't look dirty, but they do smell of the room. Close them in the evening and you get a whiff of the fried onions that settled into them three days ago. Taking them down, washing them, drying them and hanging them back up takes a whole Saturday morning. But can you do it while they're still hanging? In this article you'll find out what steaming does and doesn't remove from curtains, which fabrics can handle it and which device does the job.
Short answer
You steam curtains while they're hanging, using a handheld steam cleaner and a textile attachment. Hot steam tackles odours, dust and creases without you having to take the curtains down, which saves you washing, drying and rehanging them. What steaming won't do is remove stains and yellowing: for that you need a spot cleaner or a wash.
Can you steam curtains while they're hanging?
Yes, curtains are best steamed while they're hanging, because their own weight keeps the fabric taut.
That's the practical advantage. A hanging curtain is under slight tension, and that tension is exactly what pulls the creases out once the fabric gets warm and damp. Lay the same curtain on a table and the fabric collapses, so you have to hold it taut by hand.
The second advantage is simpler: you don't have to take them off the rail. With long curtains on hooks or a runner system, that's most of the work.
Work from top to bottom and keep the nozzle a few centimetres from the fabric. That way gravity helps you draw the moisture down instead of working against it.
What does steaming remove from curtains, and what doesn't it?
Steaming works on odours, dust and creases. It doesn't work on stains and yellowing.
The difference lies in what steam does. Heat tackles the bacteria that cause odours and softens the fibre so creases recover. Dust and pet hair come loose and cling to the cloth over the nozzle.
A stain is something else. It sits as a substance inside the fibre and has to be pulled out, not warmed up. The same logic applies to yellowing on a curtain that has hung in the sun for years. That's discolouration of the fibre itself. No treatment will help with that.
In short: steaming is maintenance, not repair. But for maintenance, it's the fastest route there is.
Which curtain fabrics can you steam?
It depends on the material, and the care label in the hem is your first source. In the table below you'll find the most common curtain fabrics at a glance.
Curtain fabrics and steam
| Fabric | Steam | What to watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton and linen | Well suited | May shrink slightly, keep your distance and work quickly |
| Polyester | Well suited | Dries quickly, little risk |
| Coated blackout fabric | With care | Heat can damage the backing, test first |
| Velour and velvet | With care | Steam from a distance, never put the nozzle on it |
| Silk | Not recommended | Water marks and rings |
| Viscose | Not recommended | Very sensitive to moisture |
| Net curtains | Suitable | Thin, so use a low setting and more distance |
No label? Then test at the bottom of the hem, on the back. If the colour or texture changes once it's dry, stop there.
How to steam curtains in 5 steps
Below you'll find five steps. You start by dusting, followed by the test, the steaming itself, the creases and finally the drying.
1. Vacuum or shake the dust out first
Dusting comes first, because steam on dusty fabric leaves little marks. Go over the curtain with the upholstery tool of your vacuum cleaner, from top to bottom, and give the top and the hem extra attention. That's where most of it sits.
2. Test at the bottom of the back
Do the test on the last ten centimetres of the hem, on the side facing the window. Give it a few seconds of steam, let it dry and check whether the fabric has changed. See a ring or a faded patch? Then stop here.
3. Steam from top to bottom
Work in strips from top to bottom and keep the nozzle a few centimetres from the fabric. With your free hand, pull the bottom down gently so the strip you're working on stays taut. Keep moving: staying in one spot makes the fabric wet instead of warm.
4. Pull the creases out with a second pass
The creases usually come out in two passes. Use the first pass to soften the fibre, then go over it again while the fabric is still warm. For a deep fold, hold the fabric taut with your hand while you steam.
5. Let them dry hanging with the window open
Drying is quick, because there's little moisture in the fabric. Open the window or leave the ventilation running, and don't close the curtains until they feel dry. Moisture trapped between two closed panels creates exactly the musty smell you wanted to get rid of.
Note: don't hold the nozzle still against the fabric, and don't use the highest setting on thin net curtains. With blackout curtains that have a rubber or coated backing, always test first, because that layer can harden or peel off with heat.
Which Achaté product should you use for curtains?
With curtains, the weight of the device matters more than its power, because you hold it at shoulder height or higher for minutes at a time. In the table below you'll find the right model for each situation.
Achaté models for curtains
| Situation | Model | Why this model |
|---|---|---|
| Freshening up curtains while they're hanging | Handheld Steam Cleaner PRO | 1.2 kg, so easy to hold for a long time, and continuous steam via the lock |
| Long curtains or several rooms in a row | Achaté Handheld Steam Cleaner | 250 ml water tank, so less frequent refilling |
| A stain in a curtain | Achaté Spot Cleaner | Puts water into the fibre and sucks it back out along with the dirt |
| Curtains plus sofa and mattress in one go | Steam Cleaner PRO V2 | One device for all the textiles in the room |
The Achaté Handheld Steam Cleaner PRO is the obvious model for this job. It weighs 1.2 kg and reaches temperature in three to five minutes. The lock gives continuous steam, so you don't have to keep the trigger pressed. Your other hand stays free to pull the fabric taut.
Working through a whole house? Then the Achaté Handheld Steam Cleaner with its 250 ml tank is more practical, because you stop less often to refill. Both models have separate attachments and steam cloths. With textiles, that cloth isn't an extra. It absorbs the dust and moisture that would otherwise stay in the fabric.
How do you get creases out of curtains without ironing?
You get creases out with steam and slight tension, and that works better than ironing.
An iron presses the fibre flat, so with thick curtain fabric you risk a shiny patch where the fold was. Steam does the opposite: the fibre softens and straightens itself under the curtain's own weight.
New curtains fresh out of the packaging are the clearest example. Hang them up first, leave them for a day and then steam them. The packing folds will come out in two passes.
How often should you freshen up curtains?
How often you should freshen up curtains depends on the room they hang in.
In a kitchen or a living room where people cook and smoke, curtains absorb odours and grease, and steaming a few times a year makes a noticeable difference. In a bedroom or a room you rarely use, once a year is enough.
Two signs tell you more than a schedule. The first is the smell when you draw them, because that's when you notice what the fabric has absorbed. The second is light: hold the curtain up to the window and see whether there's a haze of dust in the fibre.
Want fresh curtains? Choose steam from Achaté
Curtains get fresh from heat and fresh air, not from a wash you keep putting off. Steaming tackles the odours, the dust and the creases in one go, while the curtains stay up. It only falls short with stains and yellowing, and then a spot cleaner or the washing machine is the next step.
For this job, grab the Achaté Handheld Steam Cleaner PRO with the textile attachment and a clean steam cloth. The same combination then works on your sofa, your car upholstery and your mattress, so the device won't sit idle after this job.
Want fresh curtains without taking them off the rail? Take a look at the Achaté steam cleaners and choose the model that suits your curtains.
Frequently asked questions about steaming curtains
Can you steam curtains without washing them?
You can steam curtains without washing them, and for maintenance it's the quicker route too. Hot steam tackles odours, dust and creases while the curtains stay up. If there are stains or the fabric has yellowed, steaming isn't enough and you'll need a wash or a spot cleaner.
Which curtains shouldn't you steam?
It's best not to steam silk and viscose, because they quickly get water marks and rings. Velour and blackout fabrics with a coated backing need extra distance and a test in an inconspicuous spot. Cotton, linen, polyester and net curtains generally handle steam well.
How long does it take to steam curtains?
That depends on the length and thickness of the fabric. A set of standard living room curtains takes two passes per strip, and drying is quick afterwards because there's little moisture in the fabric. Only close them once they feel dry.
Does steaming remove pet hair from curtains?
Steaming loosens pet hair from the fibre, but the hair still has to come off afterwards. So use a cloth over the nozzle, which picks up the hair and dust straight away. Vacuum the curtain beforehand too, so there's less left to catch.
