Diwali falls on 8 November this year, and in most Bengaluru homes the cleaning starts weeks before the first diya is lit. Walls, shelves and kitchens get most of the attention, but soft furnishings are what change how a room feels: curtains that have soaked up a year of dust and cooking smoke, cushion covers that have gone flat and dull, and a carpet that looks fine until you lift a corner.
They're also the hardest things to clean in a hurry: big, slow to dry, and October is still rainy here. Start early and split the work sensibly.
Start with a list, not a bucket
Walk through each room and note every fabric item: curtains (and how many panels), sheers, cushion covers, sofa covers, rugs, bedspreads, table linen and doormats. Then sort them into three groups:
- Wash at home. Cotton cushion covers, table linen, bedsheets and small unlined curtains your machine can take without cramming.
- Hand over. Heavy or lined curtains, silk and embellished covers, blinds, carpets and rugs, and anything labelled dry clean only.
- Just refresh. Items that are clean but creased, like curtains washed a few months ago that only need a press.
Making the list first stops the classic Diwali mistake: pulling down every curtain on the same Saturday and ending up with bare windows and nowhere to dry anything.
Work backwards from Diwali
Fabric is the slowest part of the clean, so start it first. But dust falls while you clean fans, lights and the tops of wardrobes, so finish the dusty jobs before clean curtains go back up.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Late September | Make the list, check care labels, count curtain panels |
| First half of October | Send out heavy curtains, carpets and rugs; wash cotton items at home on dry days |
| Second half of October | Dust fans, lights and high shelves; vacuum sofas; send cushion covers and table linen |
| First week of November | Rehang curtains, lay carpets back, do a final vacuum |
| Diwali week | Spot-clean only; everything else should already be done |
Home linen we collect comes back in about 4–5 days, so anything handed over by mid-October has plenty of margin. The last few days leave no room if the weather turns.
Curtains
Curtains quietly collect dust and kitchen smoke all year, especially in rooms facing a busy road.
- Check the label and the lining. Unlined cotton and polyester curtains can usually go in a machine on a gentle, cold cycle. Lined, blackout, velvet, silk and heavily embroidered curtains are better handed over, because a lining can shrink differently from the face fabric and leave the curtain puckered.
- Take off hooks and rings first. Metal hooks can rust in the wash and snag the fabric.
- Rehang cotton curtains while very slightly damp. The weight of the fabric pulls out most creases. Never fold curtains away damp.
On our rate card, home-care cleaning for a curtain panel is ₹259 for a small, ₹399 for a medium and ₹499 for a big one. If the curtains are clean but creased, a steam press costs much less: ₹93 for a medium curtain.
Cushions and sofa covers
Cushion covers are the easiest win: small, quick to wash, and fresh covers lift a tired sofa.
- Wash covers inside out with zips closed, on a gentle cycle in cold water. This protects prints and embroidery.
- Don't wash the inner cushion unless its label says you can. Most fillings clump when wet and take days to dry in humid weather. Air them in the sun on a dry afternoon and beat them lightly instead.
- Silk, velvet and embellished covers should be professionally cleaned. Home-care cleaning is ₹112 for a standard cotton cushion cover and ₹145 for a standard silk one.
- Removable sofa covers can shrink if washed too hot, and then won't go back on. If you're unsure, hand them over: sofa covers run from ₹259 for a small to ₹409 for a large.
Carpets and rugs
Carpets hide dirt well. Grit settles deep in the pile and wears the fibres down every time someone walks across it.
- Vacuum both sides. Flip smaller rugs and vacuum the back as well; a lot of fine dust comes out.
- Blot spills, don't rub. Test any cleaner on a hidden corner first, since some dyes run.
- Don't soak a thick rug at home. It can take days to dry in October and will smell musty if it doesn't dry fully. Our guide to drying in the monsoon explains why.
Our carpet cleaning is priced by area, at ₹49 per square foot. A 5 × 7 ft rug is 35 sq ft, which works out to ₹1,715. Carpets are dusted, pre-treated, cleaned and fully dried before they come back.
The smaller items people forget
| Item | Wash at home? | Home-care price |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton cushion cover (standard) | Yes, gentle cycle | ₹112 |
| Large table cloth | Yes | ₹139 |
| Double bedspread | Only if your drum takes it easily | ₹219 |
| Pillow | Usually not; fillings clump | ₹179 |
| Doormat | Rubber-backed ones, by hand | ₹110 |
| Double blanket or quilt | Hard to dry properly at home | ₹449 |
You don't have to hand over everything. Most homes do best washing the cotton basics themselves and sending the heavy, delicate and slow-drying items. If festive outfits need attention too, dry cleaning can go in the same pickup. Book a pickup and you'll see the estimate before you confirm.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start cleaning curtains before Diwali?
Early to mid October. That gives heavy curtains time to dry fully, or to come back from a professional clean in about 4–5 days, before you rehang them in the first week of November.
Can I wash curtains in a washing machine?
Unlined cotton and polyester curtains usually can, on a gentle cold cycle with the hooks removed. Lined, blackout, velvet, silk and embroidered curtains are better professionally cleaned, because the lining and the face fabric can shrink differently.
How much does carpet cleaning cost in Bengaluru?
At LaundroKart it's ₹49 per square foot. Multiply the length by the width in feet: a 4 × 6 ft rug is 24 sq ft, which comes to ₹1,176.
Should I wash cushion inserts?
Usually not. Most fillings clump and dry slowly, especially in humid weather. Clean the covers, air the inserts in the sun instead, and replace any that have gone flat or lumpy.
