Blockout and lined
The best case for on-rail work. The coated backing never gets wet, so it cannot crack or separate from the face fabric.
Washing blockout curtains usually ruins them. Curtain cleaning in Melbourne happens on the rail for that reason, with nothing taken down. The fabric never goes through a wash, so the backing is not soaked.
A small set is $65 and a large set $120. Blockout and heavy lined sets start at $150. We work hardest on the bottom of the drop. That is where condensation runs down the glass on winter mornings and mould takes hold.
Because taking them down is where the damage happens. Washing shrinks natural fibres and dry cleaning costs more than the curtains are usually worth.
On-rail steam cleaning lifts dust, odour and surface mould without wetting the fabric through. The drop stays exactly the length it was.
Blockout curtains are the real reason. The backing is a coating, and washing it makes it crack and flake off the fabric.
If mould has spread to the walls or reveals, see mould cleaning in Melbourne. For the glass itself, see window cleaning.
Most of them, and the ones that cannot get told to you first.
The best case for on-rail work. The coated backing never gets wet, so it cannot crack or separate from the face fabric.
They go grey against the glass rather than dirty. Light steam and low moisture brings the colour back without stressing the weave.
Velvet, brocade and lined pinch pleat. Priced as a large or heavy set because the fabric holds far more dust.
Four stages, and the hem gets most of the attention.
If the sill underneath is wet every morning, cleaning the curtain is only half the job. We will tell you what is causing it rather than leave you to book us again in six months.
Three outcomes, and none of them can be reversed.
Contact usStep 01
Blockout lining is a coating. Washing cracks it and it comes away in patches.
Step 02
Cotton and linen shrink. A few per cent on a long drop leaves the hem well off the floor.
Step 03
Years of Australian sun weaken fibres quietly. Washing is often what finally tears them.
Step 04
Steam and extraction rather than water through the whole fabric, and nothing to re-hang.
It is the window behind them, not the curtain itself.
The bottom thirty centimetres tell you everything about a Melbourne bedroom.
Four things worth knowing before you buy new ones.
Dropping curtains, cleaning them and re-hanging is most of the cost and all of the risk. Hooks get lost, pleats never sit the same, and the room has bare windows for a week.
On-rail steam cleaning skips every part of that. A small set is $65, which is less than the labour alone of taking one set down and putting it back up again.
The blockout layer is a coating fixed to the back of the fabric, not a woven lining. Put it through water and it cracks, then lifts away in patches.
Once that starts there is no repair and no way to disguise it. We keep moisture off the backing entirely, which is the whole reason this work happens on the rail rather than in a machine.
Plenty of older Melbourne homes are single glazed. Condensation runs down the inside of the glass every winter morning and pools on the sill.
The hem sits in that water and wicks it upward. Mould starts at the bottom and works its way north. That bottom thirty centimetres gets the most attention on every Melbourne job we do.
Cotton and linen shrink when washed. A few per cent on a two and a half metre drop leaves the hem hanging clear of the floor.
There is no fixing that short of buying new curtains, for a set that only ever needed a proper clean.
A curtain that only needed a clean should not end up in the bin because it went through the wash.
Curtains are expensive to replace. Here is what sits behind the job.
These published rates include GST and are priced per set.
$65
$89
$120
From $150
A set means one window. Heavy mould at the hem is quoted on inspection, since it needs treating rather than steaming. Blinds are quoted separately once we have seen them.
The crew is already at the window. These cost less together.
The cause rather than the symptom. Window cleaning →
Where it has spread past the fabric. Mould cleaning →
Quoted once we have seen the type.
Same rooms, same visit. Carpet cleaning →
From $115 a bed. Mattress cleaning →
Every window at once. Deep cleaning →
Houses, townhouses and apartments across metropolitan Melbourne. Not sure we reach your suburb? Request a quote and tell us the address.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces, weatherboards, and converted warehouses where winter condensation and older timber floors shape the work.
High-rise apartment towers alongside heritage family homes where building access windows and owners corporation rules decide the schedule.
Family homes on large blocks where ducted heating registers, large floor plans, and outdoor paving are regularly booked together.
A small set is $65, a medium set $89 and a large set $120, including GST. Blockout and heavy lined sets start at $150 because the fabric holds far more. A set means one window.
No, everything is done on the rail. Taking curtains down is where most of the damage and nearly all of the cost comes from. Hooks go missing, fabric shrinks and pleats never sit right again, and your windows sit bare for a week.
Yes, but only without washing them. The blockout layer is a coating fixed to the back of the fabric, and water makes it crack and lift away in patches. We keep moisture off the backing, which is the whole reason this happens on the rail.
Washing is what shrinks curtains, and ours never go through a wash. Cotton and linen shrink in water, and a few per cent on a long drop leaves the hem above the floor. On the rail we keep moisture low and check the fabric first.
Usually a few hours, though it varies with the fabric and runs longer in winter. Low moisture means the fabric is barely damp rather than wet. In a cold room we bring airflow so it does not sit damp into the night.
Often yes, if it is surface growth on the fabric. Mould that has been there for years can leave staining behind even after the growth is lifted. We check the hem at the start and tell you what to expect before we quote.
Fabric and vertical blinds are quoted separately once we have seen the type, since they behave nothing like curtains. Venetians and timber need a different approach again. Mention them when you enquire and we will price it together.
Every 12 to 24 months for most rooms, and yearly for bedrooms with single glazing. Fabric holds dust long before it looks dirty, and hem mould starts in one winter rather than several. Sheers usually need it sooner than heavy curtains.
We stay until it's right
Our cleaners don't leave until you're happy with the work. For end of lease cleans, if you're not satisfied and tell us within 72 hours, we come back and re-clean.
Tell us how many windows and whether they are blockout or sheer. We send a fixed price back.
Monday to Sunday: 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Level 12, 123 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Thanks for choosing Shining Services. Our team is reviewing your request and will send your personalised quote within 2 hours.
Need any help?
What happens next?