Washing Curtains

I will be washing the curtains on my van soon and presume they are machine washable. They are the original ones nice and thick with linings but don't want to ruin them if they are only hand wash. LADIES please can you help me.  Has anyone put original ones in the washing machine.  

We washed our original curtains in the washing machine and came out ok - but the curtains seem to have shrunk as the linings now show below the curtain a little! I would  risk it only not too hot a wash. Chris and Sue

Thanks but it sounds like it needs to be hand wash or dry clean to me. I presume they are made of fire retardant material.
I'll wait for more replies.

rose49f wrote:Thanks but it sounds like it needs to be hand wash or dry clean to me. I presume they are made of fire retardant material.
I'll wait for more replies.

Our washing machine has a 'gentle' setting which mimics a hand wash.

We used this setting and the curtains washed OK.
Didn't think about them being fire retardant though. Wonder if that has been destroyed?     

PB

peugeotboxer wrote:..............
.
Didn't think about them being fire retardant though. Wonder if that has been destroyed?     

PB

Hi there,

"Fire Retardant" overalls are washed many times and they are still classed as "Fire Retardant". In view of this, I would imagine that the occasional washing of AS curtains wouldn't affect the retardant value very much.

However, if you are worried you could always take a look here:

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Hope this helps. 

Best regards,
 

Thanks Dutto

PB

Thanks for your replies:

Official reply from AutoSleepers. HAND WASH ONLY AT LOW TEMPERATURE.

Now all I have to do is the hard part. Getting the curtains down. 

rose49f wrote:Thanks for your replies:

Official reply from AutoSleepers. HAND WASH ONLY AT LOW TEMPERATURE.

Now all I have to do is the hard part. Getting the curtains down. 

Errrr .... I think you will find that the "hard part" is getting them back up!!  

Best of luck.
 
Ian

Ahh!!!!  Forgot about that.

Mine went through the washer on normal coloreds load while my van was at the garage and have just gone back up, still fit perfectly but yes the hard part is indeed getting them back up 

Were they the original ones

yes original 1999 blue lined ones 

Many thanks for that.

Hi,

I've just done a test wash on my most grubby curtain. It was an original AS rubber backed one from a '96 van. I wasn't brave enough to put it through the machine & gave it a cool hand wash. I don't think there is any chance of my curtains ever being pristine again, but it was noticeably cleaner and most importantly doesn't seem to have shrunk.

Kind regards, Dave

Just washed my first pair of curtains on a low wash in the washing machine. No shrinkage.
Came off easily (Thanks Vale Motor Caravans) and back on great. I think the problems might start when I get to the curtains with pelmets.   

I think mine actually say machine washable. The curtains in my previous van were dry clean only and they were the same - standard Autosleeper beige floral with a rubber back.

I'm sick to death of those silly little hook things in the runners. I've found some with loops on that fit the rail so I can use proper curtain hooks, although how I'm going to get them back behind the pelmet I don't know yet.

Nora

I washed mine, original curtains, on a coloured wash, wash at 40 degrees, came up like new, it was getting the little "hooks "  look like a small tooth, out before washing  othewise you will lose them through the holes in the washing machine, a little tricky getting them back in, after the first half a dozen was fine, I bought extra "hooks as a few were missing, if the tape has gone you can also buy the same sort on line.unpick old and sew on the new, I didn`t have to do that .

I found it easier to take  track down,  in the habitation area, they just unclip, put in a screw driver and gently twist out, they then just clip back in,  there are 2 small screws  you have to take those off before sliding the curtains off, the cab ones were easier, one side take out the 2 small screws at the end of one side of  the track,  unclip track from one clip no need to unclip any more, and then slide both curtains off the same side, watch out for the "hooks falling off " just reverse to get back on.

This applies to my Autosleeper Clubman Anniversary, I think most are the same system.

Traficlady wrote:I think mine actually say machine washable. The curtains in my previous van were dry clean only and they were the same - standard Autosleeper beige floral with a rubber back.

I'm sick to death of those silly little hook things in the runners. I've found some with loops on that fit the rail so I can use proper curtain hooks, although how I'm going to get them back behind the pelmet I don't know yet.

Nora

Any chance you can remember where you got the loops from so next time I decided to wash I could change over to those. 

I got them in the caravan shop locally. I'll take a photo and post it so you can see what they look like.

Nora

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I got them in the local caravan shop. £2.75 for 25. Grove Products are at Hyde, Cheshire, tel 0161 367 7303, in case you have trouble finding them.

They're also on Ebay at £6.99 for 100 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] 

Nora

curtains due for another  wash this year I do cool wash one at a time and remove any trim that gets in the way

Thanks Nora for your information. We can go ahead now and sort out our curtains. Really appreciate the help on this.
Malcolm

No problem, Malcolm, glad to be of help.

I took down the two front curtains and the one over the sliding door and washed them on the 30-minute 30 degree wash and they've come up really well. Need ironing though so now I've got to remember how to plug the iron in!  

Nora

We just washed our curtains over the last few days. 40degC machine wash - absolutely no problems, no shrinkage. The curtain over the sliding door had a rip caused we suspect by a previous owner trying to open the door with the curtain poppered up. So, SWMBO has taken a several inch strip out of the width of the curtain and remade it( A/S had left bags of extra material in the original make-up). I have put new poppers on as some of the old ones were now in the wrong place. As a classic car owner, I knew that the poppers are what are known as "durable dot fasteners". I got them, and a tool to hammer them in with, from:-

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The fasteners are cheap, but the tool is not. however, anyone contemplating making new curtains would need this, as trying to fit the fasteners with only a hammer is very hit & miss (!!), takes forever, and the fastener gets flattened slightly. We will probably be making new curtains in the near future, as the old ones are rather faded now.

Rgds

Mikebro 

Hand wash them if you're worried.