drop cloth curtains

Becky
by Becky
Just purchased drop cloths to make curtains for 6 windows in my son's home. I've seen where some wash the cloths before making the curtains. The drop cloths I have are the perfect size needed to make two panels so I'm concered about shrinkage. Would appreciate any advice any of you have to offer.
  6 answers
  • Z Z on Mar 20, 2014
    Hi Becky, Do you know what fabric content they are? My guess would be 100% cotton. In that case, wash them in cold water and hang to dry. This should soften up the fabric and remove any chemical residue, allowing it to drape better. You'll have to iron them, but you would anyway. Cotton, when not sanforized, will typically shrink only 3% in length only. Being they are drop cloths, it is extremely doubtful that process was used.
    • See 3 previous
    • Z Z on Mar 20, 2014
      @Becky :^D I think those with the name Becky are drawn to Hometalk. I've belonged to a lot of online sites for the past couple decades and I've never seen as many Becky's in that whole time as we have here. It's kind of nice, ya know.
  • Funnygirl Funnygirl on Mar 20, 2014
    I would wash and dry them first ,if you don't and you wash them after the are sewn,they may come out of the dryer uneven.Just bought one also to recover a sofa cushion.I soaked the fabric in bleach and water for 3 hours before washing in the washing machine.Very happy with the results.The cover is a lighter off white and much softer?I even ironed them which I hate to do,results were great
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    • Funnygirl Funnygirl on Mar 22, 2014
      I wanted to lighten the color,but I was surprised how much softer they felt.i put my washer on hot and added about 3/4 bleach.when the water was about 1/2 full I added the dropcloths making sure there was enough water to cover the cloth.I filled up the washer until it started to agitate, then stopped the washer to soak the cloth.i soaked it,for 3 hours, and every hour,I took a broom handle and stirred it around to make sure the entire cloth would absorb the bleach completely.very happy with results.good luck!
  • Kate Allen Kate Allen on Mar 21, 2014
    Clever idea! My friend wanted to use one for a tablecloth, so I painted a wide blue stripe on the overhang. I used Amy Howard's one step paint. They come in a sample size which more than provided the right amount. If you paint on fabric, dilute the paint with water. I used 50/50 as we wanted a 'washed' look on the stripe. Works great.
  • Nancy Nancy on Mar 23, 2014
    Can we see pictures after you put them up.. What kind of drop cloths I thought they only came in clear...Just wondering, hope they turn out nice..
    • See 1 previous
    • Becky Becky on Mar 27, 2014
      Nancy I posted photos of the drop cloth curtains in my son's home, but unfortunately it's not showing up on this discussion, my bad! Not too knowledgeable about posting protocol. If you want to see the photos guess you'll have to search" drop cloth curtains ".
  • Nancy Nancy on Mar 23, 2014
    yep bleach might whiten them
  • Nancy Nancy on Mar 28, 2014
    Thank you Becky
    • Z Z on Mar 28, 2014
      @Nancy, here's a link to the other @Becky's drop cloth curtains. I wasn't sure which she was referring to so I linked you to her profile page and all her posting. They may all be of the same curtains since she said she wasn't sure how to post on Hometalk. http://www.hometalk.com/diy/-1xq73h7t3w/posts