We clean such curtains with pick-up: they are cleaned in a workshop and brought back. The price is per square metre of fabric, from €3.70/m² for heavy and double curtains.
What the care label says
The label is the main source, because only the maker knows what the fabric is woven from and how it was dyed. Care symbols are set by the GINETEX system and the ISO 3758 standard. A circle with a letter means professional cleaning, bars under the circle mean a gentler process, and a crossed-out symbol means “do not”. If the wash tub is crossed out, the curtain is not meant to be washed in water.
If there is no label, photograph the fabric from both sides, the seam and the lining. In the request, write what you know about the fabric from the shop or the seamstress. This helps to choose the right cleaning.
Sources: GINETEX care symbols brochure, ISO 3758. Checked 07.11.2026.
Velvet curtain cleaning
Velvet has a pile, and that is its most sensitive part. The fabric maker Brentano writes that water and pressure can crush the pile of viscose velvet, so velvet must not be rubbed or steamed. For velvet of other fibres, see the label. A liquid is blotted from the edges towards the centre, and brush the pile only when the fabric is dry, in the direction of the pile.
So do not soak velvet curtains at home or steam them on the rail. If something has spilled on one, blot it with a clean cloth, do not rub, and send a photo.
Lined curtains
A lined curtain has two fabrics sewn together. The face and the lining can be of different fibres, so read both labels if there are any. NC State Extension’s material on textiles notes that soaked fabric often shrinks and changes colour. In a lined curtain this can show as a wavy edge or a pulled-in hem.
If the curtain has already been washed once and the edge has become uneven, write that in the request. Cleaning does not straighten it.
Silk and jacquard curtain cleaning
Silk is a natural fibre. Brentano writes that natural fibres react to air humidity and the length can change by up to 3%. The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) notes that high humidity can make dyes bleed, while light dries the fibres and fades the colours. Cleaning does not restore sun fading.
Jacquard is a fabric with a woven pattern, and its fibres can differ. Here the composition on the label decides, not the pattern. If the fabric has threads of several colours, test the colourfastness on a hidden spot before wetting, because the dyes can bleed.
What to do before the request
- Photograph the curtain from the front and the back, and the label up close.
- Measure the width and length of each curtain in metres, or write the length of the rail.
- Write what has spilled on the fabric and whether you have already tried to clean the stain.
- Do not try to wash velvet, silk or a lined curtain in a washing machine if the label does not allow it.
Test any product on a hidden spot first, because the dye can bleed. If it is hard to take the curtains down yourself, see curtain take-down, cleaning and rehanging.
Curtain dry cleaning price
Thin and day curtains, including silk and sheers, cost from €2.30/m²; heavy, night and double curtains, including velvet and lined ones, from €3.70/m². The price is calculated by the area of the fabric, not the size of the window. The minimum order is €45: if the total is lower, you pay €45.
Pick-up and return in Riga costs €10 (both ways together); in the Riga region up to about 15 km from the Riga boundary it is also €10, and further out another €10 is added. After you fill in the form, a specialist contacts you and gives the price based on the size, the fibre and the photos. All prices: prices.
What usually comes out and what may stay
Usually comes out
- dust and greyness in velvet and jacquard;
- fresh stains that have not been rubbed;
- kitchen and smoke smell may fade.
May stay
- crushed or rubbed velvet pile;
- sun fading on silk and coloured fabrics;
- water marks and a wavy lining after earlier washing;
- dye that has already bled onto a lighter background.
Sources
- A circle with a letter indicates professional cleaning, bars a gentler process, a crossed-out symbol means “do not” checked 7 November 2026
- ISO 3758 is the textile care labelling standard checked 7 November 2026
- Water and pressure can crush viscose pile; do not rub or steam, blot from the edges, brush dry along the direction; the length of a natural fibre can change by up to 3% checked 7 November 2026
- When soaked, curtains often shrink and change colour checked 7 November 2026
- High humidity can make dyes bleed; light fades colours checked 10 November 2026
- Test a product first on a hidden spot for colourfastness checked 7 November 2026
