Next blackout curtains

I know it will be a real chore but is it possible that you or your DD could carefully unpick the blackout part of the curtain Judthepud2 and then reattach once they have been cleaned? Those little unpick gizmos make it relatively quick and you could either sew them back together or use that wonder web iron-on stuff. Alternatively could you try gently hand washing them in non bio washing liquid/powder? I have gently washed loads of things that say dry clean only on the label and they have all been fine. The secret is to get as much water out as possible and then put them in a pillowcase or similar to spin on a low setting. Very annoying I know, but good luck.

My DD had this problem and she took the curtains back to Next to get a refund. They didn't quibble. Afterwards, she used blackout material, cut to fit the window and edged with velcro, made into a Roman blind so it would pull up in the daytime. By the time it would have needed a wash, her children didn't need the blackout blind any more.

I would be emailing the CEO of Next for a proper solution ."Never mind" is not enough.These are not "fit for purpose" and you should get your money back.

If Next says it is dry-clean only then they should be able to tell you which dry-cleaning process is suitable - there are different chemicals involved. If you can't get anywhere with them, contact the trading standards people. Next have made a statement that they should stand by.

If they are not suitable for washing OR dry-cleaning, then it should have said that on the label. Cream curtains that have to be thrown away when they get dirty? Not on!

Do they have a Facebook page and/or Twitter where you could comment in public?

Is the black integral to the curtains or a separate lining, and if it is a lining, how well is it attached? Perhaps it can be removed and the cream fabric dry-cleaned on its own then the lining re-attached? Maybe the curtains themselves are even washable without the lining?

Just looked on Facebook, and yes, they have a page, and if you look down the lefthand page a bit you come to a box with "posts to page" and a chance to comment.

You could try a gentle steam clean or just a damp dust and hoover but really I would press for a refund.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. The linings are well integrated into the curtains and would be a big job to unpick but it might be worth a try. The dry cleaners all warned against hand washing the linings as apparently the rubber coating makes them stick together!

I have sent another email to Next and still waiting a reply. I' m not on Facebook but will shortly resort to Twitter if no satisfaction. Now there is a threat!!

Trading standards is a good suggestion Elegran. I might leave a go at that next week.

Communicate with them on Twitter - companies hate this because it is so exposed.

a fail into the pit and a gain in your wit?? when you buy curtains next time, you should pay attention to the problem, and you need to demand a refund.

I might be a bit late but what about a steam cleaner? Would that work?

Fortunately, I can make all my curtains and I always make sure that the fabric I buy for curtains is washable, usually cotton. I have been caught out with 'Dry clean only' fabrics. I cross my fingures and hope they will wash; one pair did shrink but others have survived.

I think curtain manufacturers are very lazy. They put 'Dry clean only' on all their curtains whether they are washable or not. I once took a pair of curtains to the cleaners. They wanted me to pay £35 a curtain. Each curtain was 1m by 2.5m and had a plain cotton lining. I took them home, risked washing them and they were fine.

I have always used the same cleaning company for jobs such as this (I work in restaurants).

Nataro
www.nataro.co.uk

Theyre super efficient and have always been helpful!

Hope that helps...

whenim64 we did the same when our DGD was small. We bought blackout material and pinned it up.

It reminds me of DD's friend who had some wonderful Ethiopian hand woven material which see had made into a wedding dress. She took it to a dry cleaner who said that she should go to a specialist cleaner as they couldn't do anything with it. She went to an expensive specialist dry cleaner where she was told that, speaking as specialists, they would never attempt to clean such delicate fabric! I think she may have given it a bit of a wipe down.

In the room where my grandchildren sleep, there are cotton curtains that I made, and a roller blind of blackout material, so the two systems are separate. Now that the kids are teenagers, they probably don't bother with the blind, as waking too early in the morning is no longer an issue!

I have black out blinds too, from another company, and they actually state that they can't be washed or dry cleaned. They're starting to look a bit grubby round the edges, but I think we're just going to have to accept the fact that some materials can't be cleaned. They do a fabulous job of keeping out the light though!