First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Reddish marks from crushed bugs are blood-based, so use cold water. Hot water sets them.
- Blot, don't rub, and test any cleaner on a hidden spot first.
- Keep stained fabric out of the heat until the spot is gone; the dryer can set it.
- If the label says dry clean only, skip the water and call a professional.
Bug splatter on curtains comes in two kinds, the reddish marks from crushed bed bugs that behave like blood and small dark droppings that can bleed into the weave like marker. The care label decides how much water the curtain can take, and dry-clean-only curtains, including some velvet drapes, belong with a specialist. Old marks are harder than fresh ones, and on heirloom textiles a long-standing stain may be best left alone.
Bed bug stains on curtains depend on the care label, since that decides whether any water is allowed. A delicate laundry detergent suits washable curtains, while dry-cleaning solvent spot remover is the choice for anything marked dry clean only. If there's no care label at all, treat the curtain as delicate and stop before anything wet touches it.
Before you start
What curtains & blinds can take
Use with care6
- Water
- Soaking
- Oxygen bleach
- Enzyme cleaners
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
Avoid4
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Scrubbing and abrasives
- Heat, once the stain is out
9 items
What you'll need
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- Cold waterReddish or rusty marks from crushed bugs need cold water, never hot.
- White cloths or paper towelsFor blotting, and for checking whether color transfers during the hidden-spot test. (opens Amazon)
- Absorbent padSlides under the stain so the liquid doesn't spread into clean fabric.
- DetergentFor the spot-clean solution: 1 teaspoon with 1 cup of warm water.
- Commercial dry-cleaning spot productFor dry clean only or S-coded fabric, where water isn't allowed.
- Soft, dry brushRestores velvet pile once the spot is dry.
- SteamerLifts crushed velvet pile without the pressure of an iron. (opens Amazon)
- Spot remover (opens Amazon)
- Dry-cleaning product (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Check the care label first
Find the label or cleaning code on the curtain before anything wet touches it. If it says dry clean only, or the code is S, don't use water; take the curtain to a professional or use a solvent-based spot cleaner instead.
Tip. No label at all? Don't guess the fiber. Use the hidden-spot test in the blotting step before you do anything else.
Careful. Water-based cleaners don't belong on S-coded velvet.
Step 2 of 6
Soak reddish marks in cold water
Reddish or rusty marks come from crushed bugs and are treated like blood, so soak the area in cold water. Keep the soak short, and skip it entirely for small dark spots, which go straight to blotting.
Careful. Hot water sets blood-based bug stains, so keep the water cold.
Step 3 of 6
Blot and test a hidden spot
Blot the stain with a damp cloth or paper towel, pressing so the mark lifts onto the cloth. Before you use any cleaner, test it on a hidden seam or inside edge and press a white cloth to the spot.
Tip. If color comes off onto the white cloth, or the fabric changes color, stop and take the curtain to a professional cleaner.
Careful. Rubbing or brushing a stain is off limits.
Step 4 of 6
Spot clean from the outside in
Work 1 teaspoon detergent with 1 cup of warm water, or a commercial dry-cleaning product on S-coded fabric, into the stain. Start at the outside edge and move toward the middle, so the mark doesn't spread into clean fabric.
Step 5 of 6
Control how wet the fabric gets
Slide an absorbent pad under the stain, then blot often. Feather the liquid out unevenly around the edge so the fabric stays damp rather than soaked.
Careful. Over-wetting the fabric leaves a ring at the edge of the stain.
Step 6 of 6
Let it dry and check
Air dry the curtain fully, away from any heat source. Look at the spot once it's completely dry, and treat any faint shadow with the set-in options below.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for bug splatter on curtains & blinds
When the label says dry clean only, choose a commercial dry-cleaning spot product labeled for your fabric type. Follow its directions exactly, since the instructions matter more than the brand.
Woolite Delicates
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on curtains & blinds, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The stain is gone when the spot matches the fabric around it, with no shadow or ring left after it dries. If color still lifts onto a white cloth, stop, let the area dry and take the curtain to a professional rather than repeating the cleaner.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your curtains & blinds
Washable curtains with a care label
If the label allows water, the full sequence works: cold water for reddish marks, blotting, then the spot clean. Launder the curtain once the spot is gone, then air dry it fully and check the mark in good light.
The enzyme soak in the set-in section belongs only on sturdy curtains like these, so skip it on anything more delicate.
Washable velvet curtains
Velvet that the label says is washable goes in cold water on a delicate cycle, so the nap isn't pulled. Once the spot dries, brush it in the direction of the pile with a soft, dry brush, and steam any crushed patch to lift it.
If the curtain can't be laundered, do the water test, dampen the stain and work in a drop or two of a delicates stain remover. Wipe with a clean, wet cotton cloth, remove all the soap before the fabric dries, and repeat the outside-in spot clean if the stain has dried.
Dry-clean-only velvet drapes
Water isn't allowed on these, so skip the detergent solution and use a commercial dry-cleaning product or a solvent-based cleaner only. A specialist dry cleaner can handle S-coded velvet draperies, and it's the safer call for any large or heavy pair.
Brush the pile in the direction of the nap once the spot is dry, and steam any flattened patch rather than pressing it. If you're unsure about the solvent, run the hidden-spot test with it first.
Silk and wool curtains
Silk and wool are delicate, so the enzyme detergent, oxygen bleach and rubbing alcohol are all off the table. Whether water is allowed depends on the label, so check it before anything wet touches the fabric.
If the label allows water, do the hidden-spot test first and blot gently. If it doesn't, or the color moves, take the curtain to a professional rather than trying a home method.
Lace and heirloom curtains
Old or heirloom lace and other fragile textiles may be better left alone, because removing a stain can leave a hole. If you do treat one, keep it wet only as long as necessary, support it flat, and never rub or squeeze it.
Never wash it in a washing machine, even on a gentle cycle, and never put it in the dryer or iron it. Skip chlorine bleach, which is too harsh for these fibers, and take valuable pieces to a textile specialist.
Curtains with no care label
Without a label, don't guess the fiber or the cleaning code. Do the hidden-spot test with cold water first, and watch for color transfer onto a white cloth or any change in the fabric.
If either happens, stop and take the curtain to a professional cleaner. If the test is clean, go ahead with the spot clean one small step at a time.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old bug marks are harder to lift than fresh ones, and some won't come out at all. On sturdy washable curtains, soak a set-in red mark in warm water with a product containing enzymes, then launder the curtain as usual.
If a dried mark is still there after washing, rewash it with a bleach that's safe for the fabric and check again before drying. Expect partial results on older marks, and go back over the spot with the outside-in method rather than rubbing.
A mark that has already been through the dryer is usually more set, so a partial result is the realistic goal. A mark that's still there after all this is often best left alone on lace or heirloom fabric, because a long-standing stain may have weakened the fibers and removing it can make a hole.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on bug splatter on curtains & blinds?
Most household remedies for bug stains are a poor fit for curtains, so start with blotting and cold water. Most of these depend on the fabric, and the care label decides what's safe.
Skip6
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't put the curtain in the dryer until the stain is gone.
Heat from the dryer can set a stain that would otherwise have lifted with a few more blots. Air dry the curtain and check the spot first, and only then decide whether it needs another round.
Don't iron velvet curtains.
Heat and pressure flatten the nap, and a flattened patch can stay that way. Steam the pile instead and brush it in the direction of the nap once it's dry.
Don't use oxygen bleach on silk or wool curtains.
Oxygen bleach is only for colorfast fabrics, and it's ruled out for silk, wool, their blends and anything marked dry clean only. Check the label before reaching for it, even if the curtain looks sturdy.
When to call a professional
Use a professional dry cleaner when the label says dry clean only or the hidden-spot test shows color transfer. S-coded velvet draperies can be handled by a specialist dry cleaner. For heirloom or vintage lace and textiles, look for a cleaner who works with wedding gowns and historical items, or a conservator who works with textiles.
Questions
Are the reddish marks on curtains from bed bugs?
Usually, yes. Rusty or reddish marks come from crushed bed bugs and are treated like blood, while small dark spots are bed bug excrement that can bleed into the fabric like a marker would. Start with cold water for the reddish ones and blot the dark spots without soaking.
Can I wash bug-stained curtains in the machine?
Only if the care label allows water and the curtain is washable. Use cold water for reddish marks, and send dry-clean-only curtains to a professional or a solvent-based cleaner instead.
What do I do if the curtains have no care label?
Don't guess the fiber or the cleaning code. Run the hidden-spot test first, and if the color transfers or the fabric changes, stop and take the curtains to a professional cleaner.
Can a bug stain come out after it has dried?
Sometimes, but not always. Dried marks need the set-in treatment, and a long-standing mark on lace or heirloom fabric is often best left alone.
Can I use bleach on bug stains on curtains?
No, bleach is off the table for curtains unless the label allows it. Chlorine bleach is too harsh for heirloom textiles, and oxygen bleach is only for colorfast fabrics, so check the label before using either.
Can I use vinegar or baking soda on curtains?
No, blotting with care handles the mark, so neither is needed. White vinegar is safe for many fibers but changes the color of some dyes, and baking soda needs a hidden-spot test before use on fabric.
Bug Splatter on other materials
Other stains on curtains & blinds
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.