How to Get Wrinkles Out of Curtains

Curtain wrinkles are almost always caused by one of three things: folded storage, a hot wash, or fabric that bunches up during a tumble dry.

None of it means the curtains are ruined. Most wrinkles come out without touching an iron, and those that don’t respond well to a bit of controlled heat.

What You’ll Need

Tools

• Handheld clothes steamer (preferred method)
• Iron with a steam setting (for stubborn creases)
• Ironing board or large flat surface
• Clean, dry towel

Materials

• Clean water (for steamer or iron)
• Pressing cloth or thin cotton tea towel (for delicate fabrics)
• Fabric spray (optional, for set-in creases)

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How to Fix It: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Check the Care Label Before You Do Anything

Different fabrics behave differently under heat. Polyester can take moderate steam. Velvet needs to be steamed from the reverse side only. Linen can handle a warm iron. Silk cannot handle much of anything without a pressing cloth between it and the heat source.

1. Find the care label, usually sewn into the top hem or side seam
2. Look for the wash temperature and ironing symbols
3. If the label says “do not iron,” use steam only and keep the steamer nozzle a few centimetres from the fabric
4. Synthetic blends (polyester/viscose mixes) are the most likely to melt or mark if the iron is too hot

Get this wrong and you’re dealing with a shiny iron mark that won’t come out. Get it right and the rest is easy.

Step 2: Steam the Curtains While They’re Hanging

Steaming is faster and safer than ironing for most curtain fabrics because gravity does half the work. The curtain hangs straight, the steam relaxes the fibres, and the wrinkles drop out.

1. Fill your steamer and give it a minute to heat up fully
2. Start at the top of the curtain, just below the header tape
3. Move the nozzle slowly downward in long, straight strokes, keeping it about 2-3cm from the fabric
4. Don’t press the nozzle against the curtain, especially on velvet or embroidered panels
5. Work across the width in overlapping vertical passes
6. For stubborn horizontal creases (usually from being folded in packaging), hold the fabric taut below the crease with one hand while steaming above it

Most mid-weight polyester and cotton curtains are sorted after a single slow pass. Heavier linen or lined curtains may need two.

Step 3: Iron Flat If Steam Alone Isn’t Enough

For set-in creases, usually from long storage or a too-hot wash that partially set the fibres, steam alone sometimes isn’t enough. An iron gives you direct pressure on top of the heat.

1. Lay the curtain face-down on a clean ironing board or large table
2. Place a thin cotton cloth between the iron and the curtain fabric
3. Set the iron to the temperature the care label allows, one setting below the maximum if you’re unsure
4. Press firmly in slow, straight lines. Don’t drag the iron sideways
5. For pleated or pencil pleat headers, iron each pleat individually rather than pressing across them flat

Never iron velvet, sheers, or anything with a pile texture face-down without a pressing cloth.

Step 4: Rehang and Finish While the Fabric Is Still Warm

The minute the fabric cools, it holds whatever position it’s in. That’s the window you need to use.

1. Rehang the curtains immediately after steaming or ironing while they’re still slightly warm
2. Pull the fabric straight with your hands, smoothing downward from the header tape to the hem
3. Check the pleats or eyelets are sitting evenly along the pole
4. For any remaining stubborn creases at the hem, roll a dry towel into a cylinder, place it inside the bottom of the curtain hem, and leave it for an hour to hold the shape flat
5. Stand back and check in natural light, creases show up more clearly than under overhead lighting