Curtain Cleaning Before Diwali

The sofa is covered, the floor is shining, the diyas are ready. Then the evening light comes through the window and shows a year of dust on the curtains.

Curtains are the one thing most homes forget until the week before Diwali, when every dry cleaner in the city is full. Here's how to get them done properly, and on time.

Do your curtains need cleaning?

Three quick checks:

• The shake test. Shake the bottom of the curtain in sunlight. If you see a cloud of dust, it's time.
• The colour test. Compare the side facing the window with the side facing the room. A big difference means sun and dust damage that cleaning can slow down.
• The smell test. Curtains hold cooking smells and damp. If they smell when you open them, they need more than a dusting.

Most homes in NCR need curtains cleaned once or twice a year, more often near a main road or in a kitchen.

What each curtain fabric needs

• Cotton and linen: usually washable, but can shrink. Ask for gentle cleaning and no tumble drying.
• Silk, velvet and embroidered: dry clean only. Water can leave marks and flatten velvet.
• Blackout and lined curtains: the lining and the face fabric can shrink at different rates, so these need a cleaner who knows the material.
• Sheers and net: delicate and easy to tear; they need a mesh bag or hand cleaning.

If you don't know the fabric, check the label at the top hem, or ask the cleaner to check before taking them.

The hard part: taking them down

For most families the real problem isn't the cleaning. It's climbing up, removing hooks and rings, and hanging heavy curtains back straight. Many cleaners across Delhi NCR now come home, take the curtains down, and re-hang them after cleaning. Ask about this when you book; it saves an afternoon and a risky ladder.

If you take them down yourself:

1. Remove all hooks, rings and weights, and keep them in one bag.
2. Mark each curtain with its window (a small tag or safety pin label).
3. Photograph how the pleats and hooks were set, so they go back the same way.

Book early

The last 7 to 10 days before Diwali are the busiest time of the year for dry cleaners. Curtains also take longer than clothes because they are large and dry slowly. Book at least a week ahead, and ask for the ready date in writing.

Compare cleaners near you

On Launzo you can see curtain cleaners in your sector side by side: who picks up, who takes curtains down and re-hangs them, when they'll be ready, and reviews from customers with a verified order.