Remove the wrinkles from linen drapes

12 years ago

I had custom drapes made for my great room. I know that linen wrinkles but it seems that there are too many wrinkles. The curtain company came down to try to steam the wrinkles out. The steamer was very hot but still the wrinkles remain. Is this normal for linen drapes?

Featured Answer

PRO

Cancork Floor Inc.

12 years ago

This is normal for heavy linen material. A few more HOURS with a professional stand-up steamer will get another 50% of the wrinkles out. I'm not sure how long they worked on them for. My guess is an hour or two for both panels. To get a true wrinkle-free appearance these need to be flat ironed. That means you take them down, bundle them up, send them to a dry cleaner to be flat pressed. The problem comes when trying to transport them back. Unless you have them flat during the ride home, the same "light' wrinkles will establish themselves...and you are back to where you started.

Linen is notorious for holding wrinkles. The thicker the linen, the more difficult it is to get rid of all wrinkles. I'm going to guess the weight of these drapes will "pull" out most of these wrinkles inside a 3-6 months.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (18)

decoenthusiaste
12 years ago
I think that may be 'par for the course' but what did the company say? Maybe the lining is the issue. Are the drapes weighted? Over time weights may help pull the wrinkles out.
bostonstyle thanked decoenthusiaste
Related Professionals
Rolla Interior Designers & Decorators · Columbia Interior Designers & Decorators · Brainerd Interior Designers & Decorators · Lancaster Interior Designers & Decorators · Orange County Interior Designers & Decorators · Bismarck Interior Designers & Decorators · Ontario Interior Designers & Decorators · Riverton Interior Designers & Decorators · London Interior Designers & Decorators · Great Bend Architects & Building Designers · Portsmouth Architects & Building Designers · Mesquite Architects & Building Designers · Amarillo Architects & Building Designers · Lafayette Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Victoria Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
bostonstyle
Original Author
12 years ago
@decoenthusiaste. They worked on them with a small steamer. They are weighted. They said they did the best they could and time may help to remove some.

They don't look bad and I realize linen wrinkles. But they are more wrinkled than I expected.
decoenthusiaste
12 years ago
Give them time and if still no change, rent a larger steamer and spend the time yourself to steam them properly.
bostonstyle thanked decoenthusiaste
ideas19
12 years ago
i am ordering custom drapes and had chosen a nice linen fabric. When I asked if they would steam them after hanging, they told me that linen drapes cannot be steamed because they "grow" when dampened. So unless you can tell me otherwise, I will have to choose a different fabric!
Brandi Nash Hicks
12 years ago
Try misting them lightly with wrinkle release
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
12 years ago
I had linen drapes for years and I would just flat iron them at home and hang them up immediately they always came a bit wrinkled from the cleaners. It is true they stretch when dampened and hanging .
doxiedogday
10 years ago
You will never get all the wrinkles out....that is the nature of linen. They look beautiful!
torreykm
10 years ago
Wrinkles are par for the course with linen. They can be pressed and steamed to a certain extent, but ideas19 is correct. The drapes can stretch and shrink depending on the humidity. In our workroom, we cut each panel, spritz with water, then press. We allow the panels to "rest" overnight before seaming together and putting in hems and lining. It's a tedious process (& reflected in price). Your drapes look beautiful, I wouldn't fuss over them any more.
JEANNIE NICKESON
10 years ago
I hung linen curtains today and tried ironing the first panel and then hanging...I found out it was better to hang them and then steam. It's very time consuming and didn't get all the wrinkles out. I used a wrinkle ease and it helped before I steamed. All in all it's not perfect but I love the linen and I'll see how they look tomorrow after they hang......
User
9 years ago
Hi..same problem here.. had custom inverted pleated linen sheers made they're beautiful but have fold creases through out them that look terrible. The company I purchased them from said the creasess will come out eventually but I don't see it.. so rather than take them off the hooks and take them down I'm going to bring my ironing board up to each panel raise it as high as it can go and try to press the sheers hung which will at least let me press the bottom half of the sheers, because they're pleated the bottom part of the shear's show

the creases more than the top .. definitely worth a shot
User
9 years ago
Not 100% but looks a lot better than what it did
PRO
Robert Frank Interiors
9 years ago
Linen drapes typically wrinkle, giving them a casual look that I personally love. If you don't want the wrinkles I'd suggest using a linen blend fabric. With a synthetic thread added you can avoid the wrinkles. But if you don't like the wrinkles you might also consider using a fabric other than linen.
User
9 years ago
Thanks..I didn't realize but they do have an elegant relaxed look...I get a lot of compliments..just need time to get used to them..
sharlowm
9 years ago
cant add any advice about wrinkles, but love your drapes!!!
decoenthusiaste
9 years ago
My aunt weighted all her drapes with silver dollars! They hung beautifully!
lizziebethtx
8 years ago
I had no idea linen is nearly impossible to remove wrinkles from, I have new drapes that are 73% linen and 27% cotton. I want to steam them with a standing steamer, and thought I could until reading this. Will they stretch or shrink? I'm reading both in various places on Houzz. Yikes!
User
8 years ago
they say if you steam linen they will stretch so if they are to your floor if you steam them they will drag on the floor.. thats why i dry ironed mine