Window treatments are a beautiful addition to any home. Cleaning windows and window coverings can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially blinds and shutters with all those slats that collect dust. Whether you’re cleaning for guests during the holidays or just playing catch up after neglecting your blinds for too long, these helpful tips for window treatment cleaning should make your job easier.
Cleaning Blinds
Factors like weather, smokers, allergy sufferers, sticky little fingers, and pets contribute to the challenge to keep window treatments clean. For blinds, extend as far as they will go; close blinds and shutters as flat as possible. Use a feather duster or soft dust cloth and start at the top and work your way across each slat, all the way to the bottom. Rotate slats and repeat the process. You can also place a sock on your hand, slightly open the slats and run your hand back and forth, over and under each slat. When it is clean, do another “once over” with a dryer sheet to further repel dust. And if the dusting isn’t enough to get them clean, you can also wash them gently. Lay blinds flat in the bathtub with just enough water to cover them; mix in two to three cups of white vinegar and a squirt of dishwashing soap. Wipe them dry with a clean cloth and hang them back up. Do not use this process for wood blinds.
Cleaning Shutters
It’s easy to clean dust from shutters, especially if you opt for solid shutters as they can be wiped in one simple motion. For slatted shutters, open the slats as wide as you can and give them a wipe with your cloth or feather duster. Start at the top and work your way across each slat. Work all the way to the bottom, then rotate slats and repeat the process, remembering to dust the windowsill, too. Toothbrushes are also great for reaching any nooks and crannies. As mentioned before, wood should not get wet, so avoid getting them too damp by using polishes or cleansers.
Cleaning your blinds or shutters might not be your favorite cleaning task, but it is one that can maintain the beauty of your window treatments. For more information, give us a call today.