Shades and blinds offer a nice alternative to the standard curtains when decorating your windows. However, unlike regular curtains, they can be harder to maintain. So, here are a few tips to make sure that these are in tip top shape.
Buying your blinds and shades
Before you can even shop around, consider how much time you are actually willing to spend on cleaning them. Vinyl shades, in particular, require more effort in washing than regular curtains, since you have to hand-wash them. On the other hand, fabric shades have to be regularly vacuumed in order to remove the dust and dirt that accumulates. The same level of care must also be accorded to blinds, as the slats on these also tend to attract a lot more dirt and grime.
Another consideration to keep in mind is safety. Shades and blinds often have some sort of mechanism to get to draw them open or close. These can be easily damaged if handled roughly, so make sure that what you get is a sturdy one. Also, if you have kids around the house, opt for cordless blinds to prevent them from playing with the controls and damaging these.
Cleaning your window treatment
As have been reiterated several times already, shades and blinds require a dedicated amount of care to make sure that they are in good condition. The type of cleaning care you do depends on the material the window treatment is made of.
For metal or vinyl blinds, you can quickly remove dirt by mixing 1 teaspoon of ammonia to a quart of water. While wearing gloves, run the solution on each slat. To do a complete cleaning, you will have to take the whole thing off the window. Put into a tub and clean thoroughly with either the above solution or with warm, soapy water. Rinse and thoroughly dry with a clean sponge.
When shades made of paper or parchment, dry cleaning is the only option you have. Use a feather duster or a dedicated paint brush to lightly dust off the dirt that has accumulated. For shades made of tougher material, you are free to use mild cleaning solutions like the one above.
Some maintenance tips
For manual shades and blinds, the drawing cords are the part that most commonly wear down first. To fix this, take down the whole shade and inspect the metal eyelets which hole the cords in place, as these are where wear usually occur. Replace any eyelet that has rough insides and re-string the cords. In case these still wear out, purchase a stronger set of cords.
In case your shades down fold up evenly, this might be due to the stiffness of the fabric. To soften, extend it fully and use a steamer on the fabric. Once done, fold the shade the way you want and again use the steamer to set the folds in.
Need more tips in keep your shades and blinds in good condition? Contact us today and we will gladly share a bunch of them to you.