Greyness from dust usually fades better than yellowing from sun or smoke built up over years. We clean sheers in Riga and the Riga region, from €2.30/m² of fabric.
What makes sheers yellow and grey
Sheers hang right by the glass, so they are hit by both the sun and the dust from an open window. The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) writes that light dries the fibres and fades the colours. Yellowing can also come from smoke and kitchen fumes.
A study of tobacco smoke residue (Bahl et al., 2014) found that it stayed in cotton and polyester for 19 months. If people smoke in the room, sheers collect this residue too. More on smell on the page curtain cleaning for smoke and cigarette smell.
Removing yellowing from curtains: what to expect
Not every yellowing can be removed. If it was caused by the sun, the fibre itself has changed, and cleaning usually does not bring it back. If the yellowing is from smoke or the kitchen, it can fade, but we cannot promise perfectly white sheers. Before the job, a specialist looks at your photo and tells you what to expect.
Photograph the sheers in daylight, both the exposed part and a place that was covered by a night curtain or a fold. From the difference between the two places the yellowing can be judged better than from one photo.
Washing sheer curtains at home: why be careful
Chlorine bleach and strong cleaning products can change the colour, and a wrong product can make the dye bleed. So test any product on a hidden spot first and read the label.
NC State Extension’s material on textiles notes that when fabric gets soaked, shrinking and colour change often happen. For long sheers even a small shrinkage means that they no longer reach the floor. If it has already happened, read why curtains shrink after washing.
Pale curtain cleaning: organza, voile and delicate fabrics
Organza and other thin fabrics cost the same as sheers, from €2.30/m². For a delicate fabric the most important things are the fibre composition on the label and whether it has embroidery, beads or metal threads. Write that in the request and add a close-up photo.
Sheers on a rail are usually gathered into folds, so there is much more fabric than the width of the window. Measure the fabric laid flat: width times length.
How much sheer curtain cleaning costs
Thin and day curtains, sheers: from €2.30/m² of fabric. Example: two sheer curtains, each 3 × 2.6 m: 15.6 m² × €2.30 = €35.88. The minimum order is €45: if the total is lower, you pay €45.
If the same window also has night curtains, the total is higher: two heavy curtains 1.5 × 2.6 m (€28.86) and two sheer curtains 3 × 2.6 m (€35.88) come to €64.74. 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. All prices: prices.
If the sheers hang high or on a complicated rail and it is hard to take them down yourself, see curtain take-down, cleaning and rehanging. The take-down and rehanging price depends on the situation: the length and height of the rail, the number and weight of the curtains, the type of fixing, and whether steps or scaffolding are needed.
What usually comes out and what may stay
Usually comes out
- greyness from dust;
- fresh stains;
- yellowing from smoke and the kitchen may fade.
May stay
- yellowing from the sun;
- old nicotine yellowing;
- shrinking after earlier washing;
- tears and pulled threads in a delicate fabric.
Sources
- Light dries fibres and fades colours checked 10 November 2026
- Tobacco smoke residue stayed in cotton and polyester for 19 months checked 7 November 2026
- Chlorine bleach and strong products can change the colour checked 7 November 2026
- Test a product first on a hidden spot, read the label checked 7 November 2026
- When soaked, curtains often shrink and change colour checked 7 November 2026
