Most homes only think about their curtains when something visible goes wrong: a stain, a mark, or a musty smell that won't leave the living room. Curtains can collect dust, cooking residue and whatever comes in through the window long before that. This guide covers how often curtains need cleaning in a Singapore home, the four ways to clean them, and what it costs. If you already know you want them steamed, the price and booking are on our curtain cleaning service page.
What curtains collect in a Singapore home
Singapore's mean annual relative humidity is around 82%, and curtains hang right where outside air comes into the home. Three things can end up in the fabric:
- Dust mites and their allergens. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America lists curtains among the places dust mites love, and says the mites like humidity above 50%. It also notes that both the body parts and the waste of dust mites are allergens for many people.
- Cooking residue. The US Environmental Protection Agency lists cooking as a source of indoor particles. In a flat where the kitchen opens onto the living and dining area, the curtains nearby sit in the path of that air.
- Haze and outdoor dust. When the air turns hazy, NEA advises households to close doors and windows to slow the haze particles entering the home. With the windows open, the curtain is the first fabric that air passes through.
None of this shows until there is a lot of it, so a curtain that looks dirty has usually been collecting for a while.
How often should you clean curtains in Singapore?
There is no official schedule for curtains. The table below is our own rule of thumb for Singapore homes. Treat it as a starting point and go by what you see and smell.
| Curtain type / situation | Vacuum | Steam clean |
|---|---|---|
| Sheer voiles / day curtains | Monthly | Every 6 months |
| Blackout / night curtains | Every 2 months | Every 12 months |
| Curtains near an open kitchen | Monthly | Every 6 months |
| Bedroom with allergies / asthma | Weekly (HEPA filter) | By curtain type, as above |
| Pet that climbs furniture near windows | Monthly | Every 6 months |
| Smoking neighbour / heavy traffic façade | Monthly | Every 6 months |
If someone at home has a dust mite allergy, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America advises vacuuming weekly with a HEPA-filter vacuum. Steaming a hanging curtain is not a dust mite treatment, so we make no promise about mites.
If a curtain looks grey along the top edge or smells stale up close, it is due, whatever the table says.
The 4 curtain cleaning methods (and when each one fits)
There are four ways to clean curtains. The right one depends on the fabric, the care label, and whether the curtain can come down and go back up easily. Upward offers one of the four: steaming in place.
Vacuum with upholstery brush
Lifts surface dust before it builds up. Use the soft-brush attachment and work top to bottom, both sides. A quick monthly habit.
Hand or machine wash
Only if the care label allows it. Cold water, gentle cycle, lowest spin, then hang to air-dry on the rod. Lined and pleated curtains can shrink or warp, so check the label first.
Steaming in place
The curtains stay on the rod or track and are steamed one piece at a time, which loosens dust and lifts everyday odours. The fabric is never soaked. Usually dry in 2–4 hours with a fan or the aircon on.
Take-down wash or dry clean
For silk, velvet, embroidered curtains and anything labelled dry clean only, and for set-in stains, heavy smoke smell or mould spots. A laundry takes the curtains down, cleans them off-site and re-hangs them. Upward does not offer this.
Don't put curtains in the home washing machine without checking the label. Lined curtains, blackouts with rubber backing and pleated curtains can shrink, distort or shed their lining. A dry cleaning trade journal notes that washing generally produces the greatest shrinkage. If you're not sure, steaming in place skips the wash altogether. Our curtain washing guide sorts every fabric type into wash, dry clean, or steam.
What to ask before you book a curtain cleaner
Curtains are vertical fabric that has to dry where it hangs, and some dyes can bleed. These questions tell you what a cleaner will actually do. Our own answers are alongside.
What to ask before you book
- "Do you clean curtains in place, or do they come down?" Steaming is done in place. Washing and dry cleaning mean the curtains come down and go to a laundry. Our answer: we steam in place only. We do not take curtains down, wash them or dry clean them.
- "Will it remove stains, smoke smell or mould?" Our answer: no. Steaming lifts dust and everyday odours. Set-in stains, heavy smoke smell and mould spots need a take-down wash or dry clean by a laundry, and we do not treat mould.
- "How long until they're fully dry?" Curtains should not be left hanging damp overnight. Our answer: usually 2 to 4 hours with a fan or the aircon on, and up to 6 hours for heavy lined curtains.
- "Is my fabric suitable?" Older curtains and some hand-dyed fabrics can bleed, so ask for a small test on a hidden corner. Our answer: show us the care label, and send a photo first if the fabric is silk, velvet or embroidered. Those are better off with a dry cleaner.
- "What goes onto the fabric?" If a cleaner uses detergent on hanging curtains, ask how it gets rinsed out. Our answer: curtains are steamed, not washed.
- "Is the price fixed before the work starts?" Ask how it is counted: per piece, per panel, by weight or by area. Our answer: S$18 per curtain piece, fixed, with a S$50 minimum job. If you are not sure of the count, WhatsApp us a photo of each window and we will count the pieces.
What it costs to clean curtains in Singapore
The cost depends on the method. Vacuuming and washing at home cost you time. Steaming in place has a fixed price with us. Take-down washing and dry cleaning are quoted by the laundry that does them.
| Method | Who does it | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuum or wash at home | You | Your time |
| Steamed in place while hanging | Upward | S$18 per piece, S$50 minimum job |
| Take-down wash or dry clean | A curtain laundry or dry cleaner | Quoted by the laundry. Upward does not offer this. |
Upward's price is S$18 per curtain piece, steamed in place while it hangs, and it is the same for HDB flats, condos and landed homes. Our minimum job is S$50, so one piece (S$18) or two (S$36) booked on their own are charged S$50, and three pieces come to S$54. You can also add curtains to a sofa or mattress visit: a 3-seater fabric sofa at S$105 with 4 curtain pieces at S$72 comes to S$177, and each piece adds about 12 minutes. Our on-site curtain steaming page has the price calculator and what steaming can and cannot do, and the full price list covers everything else we clean.
If your curtains need washing or dry cleaning, go to a curtain laundry or dry cleaner that offers take-down and re-hanging. We do not take curtains down, launder them or dry clean them. Ask the laundry for one quote that covers take-down, cleaning and re-hanging.
