How are important are care/washing instructions for curtains?

Broken Hearted Road

I'm in need of new curtains at home for the sitting room. The room has two windows so I will need 2 pairs of curtains. The curtains we have now are 9 years old and I think new curtains will freshen up the room a bit.

Curtains here in Ireland are not very suitable - one reason is sizing. It's so hard to find 90 × 54 inch curtains. The more regular standard size is 90 × 90 or sometimes 90 × 72 inches.

Another reason is price. Curtains are so expensive here. You're looking at the guts of 100 euro if you're lucky for one pair.

I went searching on UK sites for curtains. I found a lovely pair of curtains which would be very suitable and meets so much of what I need in curtains:
The type pencil pleat.
The size is correct 90 × 54.
The colour/design are great and suitable for us.
Materials - made from cotton, and also fully lined.
The price - about 36 pounds which is in around 45 euro.

I really like them. I have an account set up with An Post - I think it's addresspal it's called. Similar service to parcel motel with delivery.

The only draw back is that it said online under their description is that they are dry clean. This wouldn't bother me as such. Washing curtains would be a rare job anyway. In fact the curtains currently in my sitting room are 9 years old, are machine washable and have never been taken down to wash. My mam would like machine washable curtains. Mashine washable curtains are available but colours aren't suitable for us - cream, tan, biscuit, duck egg, colours and are all plain throughout.

Broken Hearted Road

Do most manufacturers err on the side of caution recommending dry clean?

If it was left up to me I'd get them curtains and when it comes to the rare job of cleaning and washing I would gamble with them and put them into the washing machine on a cool, short wash.

Calahonda52

100 lids over 10 years is 10 lids a year so just go do it. end of.

usmanhaidri

Very nice information for curtains.

KFiddles

Very often, the problem with washing is not in the fabric of the curtains, but in the materials they use for backing, lining, pleating etc. If two different fabrics are used for lining and the actual curtain, when you wash, they will probably not ever hang the same.