HOW TO HIRE · CLEANING

How to hire a curtain cleaner in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to curtain cleaners. Check insurance for the curtains, the products used and the scope before booking.

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  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a curtain cleaner in five steps

  1. Read the care labelIt decides on-site or dry clean.
  2. Measure the dropAnd say lined, interlined or blackout.
  3. Ask about shrinkageEspecially for long drops.
  4. Take-down included?For off-site cleaning.
  5. Clear the sillsSo the curtains can be reached.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nothing licenses curtain cleaners in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so curtain cleaning can be offered by anyone; trader status, insurance and references carry the weight.

Ask for a business name, an invoice for the curtain cleaning and the name of the insurer.

Cleaning chemicals and COSHH

HSE applies the COSHH rules to self-employed people carrying hazardous products onto someone else's premises. For curtain cleaning, that means knowing what each degreaser, descaler or biocide is and how to use it safely.

Ask which products the curtain cleaning uses, and whether they are safe on your surfaces. hse.gov.uk →

Your rights on shrinkage

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 curtain cleaning must be done with reasonable care and skill; curtains shrunk by a method the label ruled out are the cleaner's to put right.

Ask the curtain cleaner to note the care label and method on the invoice.

Public liability insurance

No register requires it, but public liability insurance is what pays if curtain cleaning damages a floor, a fabric or a fitting. Reasonable care and skill is the legal standard for curtain cleaning under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Ask the curtain cleaner who the insurer is before the curtain cleaning.

VAT

Curtain cleaning is standard-rated, so VAT on it is 20%. A curtain cleaning business with turnover above £90,000 must be registered, charge the 20% on each pair and on the take-down, and show it separately.

Ask for the VAT number and make sure the 20% is shown under the per-pair prices on the invoice. gov.uk →

“Will the curtain cleaning be on the rail or off site?”

A good answer: A choice from the label and fabric.

“What is the shrinkage risk on these curtains?”

A good answer: An honest answer for lined and interlined pairs.

“Is take-down and re-hanging included?”

A good answer: Priced.

“Do you clean silk and velvet?”

A good answer: With a specialist method, priced.

“How long until they are back up?”

A good answer: On the day on site, several days off site.

“Are you insured if curtains are damaged?”

A good answer: Public liability, insurer named.

Getting the quote right

  • Price per pair
  • Take-down and re-hang
  • Specialist fabrics
  • Minimum charge
  • Who actually attends to take down and re-hang, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, with 20% VAT as a separate line under the per-pair prices

Walk away if

  • Ignores the care label
  • Machine-washes interlined curtains
  • No shrinkage warning
  • No insurance
LOW
£25
TYPICAL
£55
HIGH
£110

What a curtain cleaner costs: £25–£110 per pair

Curtain cleaning is priced per pair by length and lining; off-site cleaning adds take-down and re-hanging. Curtain Cleaning price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Curtain cleaners near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Label checkCare label read.
  2. DustVacuumed top to bottom.
  3. CleanOn the rail or dry cleaned off site.
  4. DryFully dried.
  5. Re-hangHung and dressed.

Interlining
A thick layer between curtain and lining.
Blackout lining
A lining that blocks light.
Drop
The length of a curtain.
Heading
The top of the curtain.
Dry clean
Solvent cleaning without water.
Shrinkage
Fabric getting smaller after cleaning.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the dropAgainst your measurement.
Dress the foldsOnce they are back up.
Keep the invoiceMethod noted.
Review it honestlyYour review of the curtain cleaning is tied to a real booking. Under four stars, you can send the problem with the curtain cleaning to the curtain cleaner first and we follow it up; then the review goes live.

STEP 1Put it in writing to the curtain cleanerContact the curtain cleaner first, in writing, and keep a copy. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the curtain cleaning must be done with reasonable care and skill; you can ask for the faulty part to be done again free of charge, and if that fails, for some or all of the money back.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepRate the curtain cleaning below four stars and you are asked whether the curtain cleaner should see the complaint first; we keep it moving until it is answered, then you review.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesTrading Standards is reached through a helpline, not directly: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland can log a complaint about the curtain cleaner and pass it on.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedIf money is still in dispute over the curtain cleaning, the small claims routes need no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales on the small claims track, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland's small claims court.

Hiring a curtain cleaner: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can ask for it to be put right if the cleaning lacked reasonable care and skill.

Ask about public liability insurance.

£25–£110 a pair, typically about £55. For what moves the figure, see the curtain cleaning price guide, and search your town above to find cleaners nearby.

Often, on the rail, if the fabric allows.

About 30 minutes a pair on the rail.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in cleaning

How to hire: Upholstery CleaningHow to hire: Carpet CleaningHow to hire: Rug CleaningHow to hire: Mattress CleaningHow to hire: Spring CleaningHow to hire: Deep CleaningHow to hire: House CleaningHow to hire: Window CleaningAll 701 hiring guides →

Curtain cleaners near you

Curtain cleaners in LondonCurtain cleaners in ManchesterCurtain cleaners in BirminghamCurtain cleaners in GlasgowCurtain cleaners in BelfastAll curtain cleaners on Locufy →Do it yourself: washing curtains →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — does COSHH apply to the self-employed?
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 55 — repeat performance
  4. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  5. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  6. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register