General Chat

I am decorating my living room but I have three large windows which costs me a small fortune in curtains. Just over a year ago we bought some heavy, lined, chenille curtains when we moved into our new house but in order to match the existing decor we bought a rusty red colour ...... now I am going cream! My curtains are 100% polyester but I am wondering if there is any way I can bleach them or buy a packet of something which will strip the colour from them as they are good curtains, just the wrong colour. Any ideas please? Gaynor

You could try Dylon Dye Gone but dont think it will work on Polyester....

well i tried this and the lining shrunk and the curtains were patchy bear in mind i wouldnt have read the distructions untill afterwards to see where i went wrong, good luck just hope someone with a bit more about them can help you xx

I'm not sure that you could change from rust red to cream. How about having a new set of pale curtains and keeping the darker set for winter months? Gwyn

Why not try 'tie backs' to tone in with the curtains and the new decor. I had to do that when we moved...ages ago. made blinds, pelmets and tie backs. Makes quite a nice show.... just a thought. it is too dear to be buying everything new isn't it? Deanna X

If you cant find solution........how about some wide boarders on the curtains of cream fabric to match,,,&tie backs,,,

I think I am going to have to improvise... I found this on Dylon's site.... Dylon Fabric Colour Stripper Instructions · FABRIC COLOUR STRIPPER removes colour from fabric returning it to a neutral shade. The more colour that is removed, the closer you will get to the colour on the pack of dye when dyeing. · Chlorine bleach-free formula. · Will treat all natural fabrics and nylon. Not recommended for polyester, acrylic, acetate or fabrics with special finishes. · Some colours such as bright greens and blues, royal blues, turquoises and indigo (denim) may NOT be suitable for treatment. · One pack is sufficient to remove colour from up to 2.5kg / 5lbs of dry weight fabric. Do NOT treat more than 2.5kg / 5lbs. · If unsure of the fibre content of the fabric, send a small snippet from hem or seam to the Consumer Advice Service for further advice. · Always use the full contents of the pack. Note: Not suitable for wool or silk, polyester, acetate acrylics or fabrics with special finishes. Which Fabrics are suitable? Fabric Colour Stripper is suitable for use on cotton / viscose / linen and nylon. It is NOT recommended for polyesters/ acetate/ acrylic/ wool/ silk or fabrics with special finishes such as waterproofing or dry clean only. How much to use? The whole box must be used at once and will treat up to 2.5kg / 5lbs of fabric. Important: Always use Fabric Colour Stripper in a well-ventilated room. Do not breathe fumes especially if you suffer from asthma, bronchitis or allergies that affect breathing. Store in a cool, dry place and out of the reach of children. Instructions: 1. Weigh dry articles to ensure that they are not too heavy, ordinary kitchen scales can be used. Put articles to be treated in the washing machine. Set and start the longest/hottest wash programme (85°C or 95°C). 2. After about 15 minutes dissolve the pack contents in 2 litres of hot water and add to machine via soap dispenser. Allow the cycle to finish. 3. When cycle is complete, add usual washing detergent and run your usual wash cycle for articles. 4. The articles are now ready to be dyed. PHOSPHATE AND CHLORINE FREE Guess I'm out of luck :-( Gaynor

have you tried asking at your local dry cleaners ,they might be able to help, i know that mine does dyeing,if curtains are in good condition...iris

You can make good curtains out of cream dust sheets (good quality ones) or keep an eye on ebay or free cycle to see if anyone is getting rid of any. Then you could sell your chenille ones to recover some of the cost or as others have suggested, hang on to them for winter when a warm colour might be nice.