How To Get Wrinkles Out Of Curtains [5 Methods For Beginners]

Wrinkles are generally something we all avoid, whether they appear on our faces or our clothing. One of the most annoying places they can show up, though, is our curtains. Once we hang them, it's a pain to take them back down, and even if they aren't, how do you get the wrinkles out of curtains?

You can easily get wrinkles out of curtains by:

Steaming
Weights in the hem
Wash and dry
Ironing
Wrinkle Release Spray

These methods are super simple and easy to do at home. Whether they're heavy blackout curtains in your man cave or ruffled curtains in a shabby chic design, every curtain can be made smooth again with these easy steps. Keep reading, and we'll walk you through each one step by step to ensure you know exactly how to smooth out wrinkled curtains next time you give your windows a makeover. Let's go!

Be amazed at these Shabby Chic Curtains! This would go perfectly in your living room!

How to Steam Your Curtains

Don't be intimidated by the idea of steaming curtains, guys. It's so easy-peasy you'll be amazed you were ever worried about it. And you don't even need a steamer!

Steam Using Your Shower

You read that right. You can easily steam your curtains by using your shower.

Take your curtains to your bathroom and hang them over your shower curtain rod.
Next, you need to make sure your shower head is pointed away from your curtains. Then turn on the hot water.
After you've got that situated, leave the room and close the door.
Let your shower run and build up steam in your bathroom until your hot water runs out (or if you're one of the lucky ones and don't run out quickly, a good 15 minutes or so).

The steam building up in the bathroom from the hot water will loosen the fibers of the curtains. This allows the fabric to relax those wrinkles right out.

Steam Cleaner

We sometimes add affiliate links and content that was curated and created by our team with the help of advanced ai tools to help showcase the best design styles.

You can also remove wrinkles with a steam cleaner if you own one. Follow the directions for operating your particular cleaner, then apply the head of the attachment to your curtains. Move the head across your curtains from top to bottom. This may take a few passes, depending on one how deeply set the wrinkles are, but before too long, your curtains will be smooth and beautiful again.

Click here to find this steam cleaner on Amazon.

Steam Setting on Your Iron

If you have an iron that has a steam setting, you can also use this. Fill the iron with water and turn on its steam setting. Once the iron is warmed up and ready to go, hold the iron around 6 inches from the fabric of your hanging curtains. Move the iron like you would the attachment on a steam cleaner, up and down the length of the curtain. Don't let the iron hover over any one spot for too long, though. A few seconds at a time is plenty and will allow you to avoid burning the fabric.

Click here to find this iron with a steam setting on Amazon.

Using Weights to Remove Wrinkles

If you have any weights, you can attach them to your curtains as they hang, awesome. Those will come in handy here. However, there are a couple of other methods you can use as well.

Use a Butter Knife

If you have a pocket hem at the bottom of your curtains, an ordinary butter knife might save the day. Get a spray bottle full of water and lightly mist your curtains. Again, lightly mist. You don't want to soak the fabric completely, only dampen it.

Once your curtains are damp, slide a butter knife or two into that pocket at the bottom of the curtain. Space them evenly, so you weigh down the whole curtain, not just parts. After a few days, the weight should have pulled the curtains smooth.

A butter knife is the most common thing most people have available, but you can also use something like letter openers or small pie weights.

Click here to find these pie weights on Amazon.

Click here to find these shower curtain weights on Amazon.

Weigh It Down With Water

You can also try this without the butter knives and let the weight of the damp curtains do the work instead. However, depending on the fabric and how set the wrinkles are, this may not work without a little help.

Wash and Dry Your Curtains

Another way to battle those stubborn wrinkles is to wash and dry your curtains. Follow the directions on the tag of the curtains to make sure you don't harm the fabric. Usually, doing this will allow the material to relax enough to eliminate the wrinkles.

How do you get wrinkles out in the dryer?

You can also skip the wash and go straight to the dryer.

Put the curtains in the dryer, making sure not to overfill it. Your curtains need room to move, so if you put too much in there at once, you won't be doing much good.
Dampen a clean towel. You don't want the towel to be dripping water, only wet to the touch.
Put the damp towel into the dryer with the curtains. Again, make sure it doesn't crowd the dryer drum. If it's a little tight once you put in the towel, consider taking a panel or two out.
Turn the dryer on the tumble dry low or the fluff cycle and let it run. The damp towel combined with the heat of the dryer will create a steamy environment, much like the bathroom with the shower running. This should relax the fibers enough to allow the wrinkles to fall out.

Dry Cleaning

You may realize once you read your care label that your curtains are dry clean only. If they are, please, do not put them in your washer and dryer at home. Take them to the cleaners and let them handle it. They'll make sure to get the wrinkles out for you as part of the cleaning process.

If you're really against the whole idea of taking your curtains to a cleaner, though, you may be able to clean them at home if they meet specific requirements. Check out this post from USA Today on how to determine if you can clean something marked 'dry clean only' at home, and how to do it.

Get Wrinkles Out With An Iron

Using an iron is another way to get rid of wrinkles. You can either do the whole curtain panel or spot treat problem areas.

Set up your workspace. Get your iron board or another flat surface ready and set up your iron. If your iron has a spray feature, you want to use it. Dampening the fabric will allow the iron to work better. If it doesn't, grab a spray bottle to mist each section of the material before using the iron.
Lay your curtain panel on the ironing surface. You can iron sections in whichever method you like, but working from top to bottom is typically easiest.
Reposition your curtain as you iron, moving the ironed portion to hang off your flat surface. If the ironed portion bunches, however, it's going to get wrinkled again. An excellent way to avoid this is to have a chair or table nearby to lay the finished section of the curtain on. You can also go ahead and hang the curtain once you've finished enough of the fabric to allow the unfinished portion to still lay on your ironing surface.

Click here to find this iron board on Amazon.

Should Curtains Be Ironed?

If you aren't sure whether or not you should iron your particular curtains, check the care label on the inside tag. Delicate fabrics such as silk will scorch easily, while materials like polyester may melt. If the label says to not iron, find a different method to use. If it allows ironing, follow the heat settings to avoid damaging your curtains.

Use a Wrinkle Release Spray

Last but not least, using a wrinkle release spray may be the answer to your curtain problem. This is also one of the easiest methods out there.

What is a Wrinkle Release Spray?

A wrinkle release spray is a liquid that comes in a spray bottle or can that's specially designed to relax the fibers in fabrics. You can buy them from a store or website, or you can make your own at home by mixing fabric softener or vinegar with water.

To use wrinkle release spray:

Hold the spray can around 6-8 inches away from the fabric and lightly mist the curtain. Again, get it damp, don't soak it.
Pull and tug on the fabric to pull out the wrinkles, then smooth the fabric with your hands.
Let the curtain dry.

See? Super simple, right? If you find there are still wrinkles, you can use an iron to spot treat them as needed.

Click here to find this wrinkle release spray on Amazon.

Click here to find this spray on Amazon.

De-Wrinkle Those Curtains

As you can see, getting rid of annoying wrinkles is super simple as long as you have the right tools and know-how. You can remove them using something as simple as a butter knife and some water, or you can use a steam cleaner like one from this top 7 list we found. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed or intimidated by your curtains. Just do one step at a time, and before long, you'll have perfectly smooth curtains once more.

Looking for curtains that will fit in your living room? Check'em out below -

15 Beach-Themed Curtains and Valances (Inspiration and Shopping Ideas)

20 Winter-Themed Shower Curtains That Will Look Great In Your Bathroom