Diwali Cleaning Checklist for Delhi Homes: What to Wash, What to Send Out, and When
Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November this year, with Dhanteras on Friday 6 November. The cleaning that goes with it is the same every year: curtains down, rugs rolled up, the guest-room quilts out of storage, and festive outfits checked before the first puja. This guide is a dated plan for Delhi homes — what you can do yourself, what is better sent out, what it costs, and the dates that keep everything back on time.
The thirty-second version
- Start with the big things: curtains, blinds, carpets and rugs take the longest and every counter in Delhi fills up in the last fortnight. Send them by 25 October.
- Then bedding and festive wear: guest-room quilts, winter blankets, sarees, lehengas and kurtas, by 1 November.
- Last date for a full clean: Monday 2 November. Standard cleaning takes 72 hours, which brings it back before Dhanteras.
- After that, steam press only: a press comes back in 24 hours, so clean but creased outfits can still go on 5 or 6 November.
- Do yourself: cushion covers, bedsheets, table linen and anything cotton that says machine wash. Send out anything lined, embroidered, silk, woollen or too big for your machine.
Your Diwali cleaning timeline
Working back from Sunday 8 November, with our standard turnaround of 72 hours for cleaning and 24 hours for a steam press:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Now to 18 October | Walk through the house with a list. Count curtain panels, note which are lined, measure each rug (length × width in feet), and take the festive outfits out of storage to check them. |
| 19 to 25 October | Send curtains, blinds, carpets and rugs. They are the slowest to dry and the hardest to rush, and this leaves a full week to rehang and lay them before the house fills up. |
| 26 October to 1 November | Send guest bedding, winter quilts and blankets, and any festive wear that is stained, smells of storage or was put away without cleaning. |
| Monday 2 November | Last day we would recommend for anything that needs a full clean. Later than this, there is no margin for a second pass on a stubborn mark. |
| 3 to 6 November | Steam press only for clean outfits: kurtas, sarees, lehengas, suits. A press comes back in 24 hours. |
| 9 to 15 November | Send what Diwali itself marked: diya oil, wax, ghee, rangoli colour and firecracker smoke. Most of it comes out if it is treated within the week. |
Running late? Ask about express service when you book. Whether a piece can be done on express depends on the item and the stains, and the outlet confirms the price and the time before we collect anything.
The checklist, item by item
What to clean, whether it is safe at home, and what it costs to send out:
| Item | Do it at home? | Laxmi Nagar price to send out |
|---|---|---|
| Curtains without lining | Only plain cotton or polyester that says machine wash | ₹160 door / ₹180 window, per panel |
| Curtains with lining, blackout, velvet or silk | No | ₹180 door / ₹200 window, per panel |
| Blinds | Dust only | ₹30 per panel |
| Carpets and rugs | Vacuum only | ₹25 per sq ft, quoted before pickup |
| Quilts and razais | No, too heavy wet | ₹375 single / ₹475 double |
| Blankets | Light single-ply only | ₹275 to ₹450 by size and ply |
| Duvets and comforters | Only if your machine takes them | ₹300 single / ₹400 double |
| Sarees | Cotton only | ₹230 dry clean, ₹60 press |
| Lehengas | No | ₹1,000 dry clean, ₹300 press |
| Kurtas | Plain cotton yes | ₹120 dry clean, ₹30 press |
| Suits and bandhgalas | No | ₹335 two-piece, ₹440 three-piece |
| Sports and canvas shoes | Risky, soles come unglued | ₹350 a pair |
| Cushion covers, bedsheets, table linen | Yes | Or by the kilo: ₹70/kg wash and fold, ₹120/kg wash and steam iron |
Laxmi Nagar outlet, after the standard 20% discount that applies to every order with no minimum. Prices may vary — please confirm the current rate with the outlet before booking. Every other item is in our Delhi laundry and dry cleaning cost guide, which has a calculator.
Curtains: the biggest job, so start there
Curtains hold a year of Delhi dust, kitchen grease and, in many homes, last Diwali’s smoke. They are also the job most likely to go wrong at home: a lined curtain shrinks at a different rate from its lining, so after a machine wash the lining hangs below the face fabric and never sits straight again. Sheers tear on the drum, velvet crushes, and blackout coating cracks.
- Count and label before you take them down. Note each window and door, and whether the panel is lined. Pricing is per panel, so the count is the quote.
- Remove hooks, rings and weights, or tell us which ones are sewn in.
- Shake them outdoors before they go in a bag; the dust you remove now does not settle back on your floor.
- Send them first. Curtains need time to dry flat and be pressed, and the windows look bare without them, so you want them back well before guests arrive.
What can and cannot be washed at home, fabric by fabric, is in our curtain cleaning guide. Booking and process are on the curtain cleaning service page.
Carpets and rugs
Carpet and rug cleaning is priced at ₹25 per square foot at Laxmi Nagar, and the price is quoted and agreed before pickup. To work it out, multiply the length by the width in feet:
| Rug size | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 ft | 24 sq ft | ₹600 |
| 5 × 8 ft | 40 sq ft | ₹1,000 |
| 6 × 9 ft | 54 sq ft | ₹1,350 |
| 8 × 10 ft | 80 sq ft | ₹2,000 |
Vacuum both sides before it goes, and point out any old stains, pet accidents or loose fringes. Handmade, wool and silk rugs are cleaned with fibre-specific products and minimal moisture, and the 72 hours includes controlled drying, which is why we do not promise a same-day return. Rugs and loose carpets are collected from your home and cleaned at our outlet, so fitted wall-to-wall carpet is not something we can take. Details are on the carpet cleaning service page.
Bedding and the guest room
Diwali is usually the first week the quilts come out of storage, and the week the guest room is most likely to be used. A quilt that spent the summer folded in a box carries a musty smell that airing in the sun does not fully remove, and dust mites settle in the filling.
- Quilts and razais are too heavy to wash at home: a wet double quilt weighs several times its dry weight and the filling clumps if it dries slowly.
- Blankets: a light single-ply blanket can go in a large machine on a gentle cycle; two-ply and mink blankets are better sent out.
- Bedsheets, pillow covers and dohars are fine at home, or by the kilo with our laundry service.
Sending the winter bedding with the Diwali order means it is clean when the cold arrives in late November. The full winter routine, including woollens and shawls, is in our winter blanket and woollen care guide. Booking is on the blanket and quilt cleaning page.
Festive wear: check it now, not on Dhanteras
The outfit you plan to wear on Diwali night is usually the one you have not looked at since last year. Take it out now and check it in daylight for fold lines, tarnished zari along the folds, a musty smell, loose stones or beads, and small holes. Anything stained, smelly or put away without cleaning needs a full clean and should go by 1 November. Anything that is clean but creased only needs a steam press, which comes back in 24 hours.
If one outfit will go to several functions in the week, air it inside out overnight in the shade between wears and spot-check it each morning. Lehengas and bridal pieces have their own guide: lehenga and wedding outfit dry cleaning. Sarees are covered in how to wash, press and store every kind of saree, and suits and bandhgalas in our suit and blazer guide.
What you can safely do yourself
Not everything needs to go out. These are fine at home and save the order for the things that need it:
- Cushion covers, table runners and tablecloths in cotton or polyester: zip them up, wash cold, dry in the shade.
- Bedsheets and pillow covers: a normal wash, or send them by the kilo if the machine is busy with everything else.
- Blinds: dust them with a dry cloth; send them only if they are stained or greasy.
- Sofas and mattresses: vacuum them yourself and air the cushions. They are not on our service list, so plan for them separately.
The general rule for any fabric — what water does to it and when solvent is safer — is in our dry clean vs wash guide.
After Diwali: oil, wax, rangoli and smoke
Diwali marks its own set of things. The rule is the same as with any stain: do not rub, do not iron over it, and send it within the week with a note of what it is.
| Mark | What to do now | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Diya oil on a dupatta, tablecloth or curtain | Blot with a dry tissue; no water on silk | Usually removable within days, before the oil oxidises and yellows |
| Candle or diya wax | Let it harden, lift the loose wax gently | The wax comes off; the oil ring underneath needs treatment |
| Rangoli colour on a rug | Vacuum or brush it off dry; never wet it | Dry powder lifts; wet colour on wool may stain |
| Ghee and sweets on clothes | Scrape off what you can, blot the rest | Good chance if treated within the week |
| Firecracker smoke smell in curtains or silk | Air in the shade for a day | If it is still there after airing, it needs a clean |
| Spark burns | Nothing; do not cut loose threads | A burn hole cannot be cleaned out; keep dupattas tucked in near diyas |
First-aid steps for everyday clothes are in our stain removal guide.
What a typical Diwali order costs
A worked example for a two-bedroom flat, at Laxmi Nagar prices after the 20% discount:
| Item | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Window curtains, unlined | 4 panels × ₹180 | ₹720 |
| Rug, 5 × 8 ft | 40 sq ft × ₹25 | ₹1,000 |
| Double quilts | 2 × ₹475 | ₹950 |
| Sarees | 2 × ₹230 | ₹460 |
| Kurtas | 2 × ₹120 | ₹240 |
| Total | ₹3,370 |
Pickup and delivery are free on orders over ₹500, so an order like this costs nothing extra to collect. Prices may vary — please confirm the current rate with the outlet before booking.
Diwali cleaning: your questions answered
What should I clean before Diwali?
Start with curtains, blinds, carpets and rugs, which take the longest. Then bedding for guests and winter, and the festive outfits you plan to wear. Cushion covers, bedsheets and table linen can usually be washed at home. Send anything lined, embroidered, silk, woollen or too big for your machine to a professional cleaner.
When should I send curtains for cleaning before Diwali 2026?
Diwali is on Sunday 8 November 2026. Send curtains, blinds and rugs between 19 and 25 October, so they come back with a week to spare. Standard curtain cleaning takes 72 hours at ClanClean, and counters across Delhi are busiest in the last fortnight before Diwali.
How much does curtain cleaning cost in Delhi?
At ClanClean’s Laxmi Nagar outlet, unlined curtains are ₹160 per door panel and ₹180 per window panel, and lined curtains are ₹180 and ₹200, after the standard 20% discount. Blinds are ₹30 per panel. Prices may vary, so confirm the current rate with the outlet before booking.
How much does carpet cleaning cost in Delhi?
Carpet and rug cleaning is ₹25 per square foot at ClanClean Laxmi Nagar, quoted and agreed before pickup. A 5 by 8 foot rug is 40 square feet, so ₹1,000. Rugs are collected from your home, cleaned at our outlet and returned in 72 hours, which includes controlled drying.
Can I wash curtains at home before Diwali?
Only unlined cotton or polyester curtains whose label says machine wash, on a cold gentle cycle, dried in the shade. Lined, blackout, velvet, silk and sheer curtains should be sent out, because the lining shrinks at a different rate from the face fabric and the curtain no longer hangs straight.
Do you clean sofas and mattresses?
They are not on our service list. ClanClean cleans curtains, blinds, rugs, bedding, clothes, shoes, bags and helmets, all collected from your home and cleaned at our outlet, so sofas, mattresses and fitted wall-to-wall carpet are not something we can take. Vacuum and air those yourself before Diwali.
How do I get diya oil or candle wax out of fabric?
For oil, blot with a dry tissue and do not use water on silk. For wax, let it harden and lift off the loose wax gently, without scraping hard. Do not iron over either mark. Send the piece within a week with a note of what the stain is; the oil ring under wax needs treatment by hand.
What is the last day to send clothes for cleaning before Diwali?
Monday 2 November 2026 for anything that needs a full clean, since standard cleaning takes 72 hours and that brings it back before Dhanteras on 6 November. Clean but creased outfits can go for a steam press until 6 November, as a press takes 24 hours. Ask about express when you book.
Is pickup free?
Yes, pickup and delivery are free on orders over ₹500 across East and South Delhi, and every order gets 20% off with no minimum. A single rug or a set of curtains is usually over ₹500 on its own. Message us on WhatsApp or book a pickup online.
Should I clean my winter quilts and blankets with the Diwali order?
Yes, if they are coming out of storage anyway. Quilts and razais are too heavy to wash at home, and sending them with the Diwali order means they are clean before the cold arrives in late November. A double quilt is ₹475 and a double two-ply blanket ₹450 at Laxmi Nagar.
Book the Diwali pickup before the rush
Free doorstep pickup across East and South Delhi for curtains, rugs, bedding and festive wear. We tell you the price before we take anything, and bring it back cleaned and pressed. Free pickup and delivery on orders over ₹500, and 20% off every order.
Where we pick up and deliver
Every order is collected, cleaned and returned by one of our three shops: Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi, and Malviya Nagar and Sarvapriya Vihar in South Delhi. There is nothing to drop off — the rider comes to your door.
South Delhi pickup areas: Saket, Hauz Khas, Green Park, Greater Kailash 1, Greater Kailash 2, Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar, CR Park, South Extension, Sarojini Nagar, Panchsheel Park, Mehrauli.
East Delhi pickup areas: Mayur Vihar Phase 1, Patparganj, Karkardooma, IP Extension. Each shop’s page lists every locality it covers.