You just bought new beautiful new window treatments for your home. Congratulations!
To keep your new window treatments in the best condition, it is a good idea to regularly clean them. While a light dusting with a soft microfiber cloth or duster can do the job, sometimes your treatments need a deeper clean to completely remove allergens and other buildup.
Here is the best way to clean your window treatments safety to prevent buildup and damage:
Blinds
Blinds are a popular window treatment option for homes looking for an easy to use and care for solution. They add a sleek, beautiful simplicity to any room as well as control over your home’s lighting. They also come in a variety of materials that best suit your needs and home design.
Aluminum
Because they are so durable, aluminum blinds are among the easiest to clean. For light cleanings, wipe down with a soft microfiber cloth to remove dust buildup. If you are concerned about kicking up dust as you clean, you can dampen the cloth with room temperature water (not hot!) and wipe each slat.
When cleaning your aluminum blinds, it is important to do so gently to avoid bending them. Bending the slats can cause the blinds to lose its aesthetic appeal and benefits like privacy and light filtration. If you find your aluminum blinds have been damaged, a professional treatment repair shop like Victor Shade can get them looking as good as new!
Custom Wood
If you have custom wood blinds it should go without saying that you should never wash them with water! This can cause them to warp, discolor, or bubble. Instead, gently wipe down each slat with a wood-safe cleaner and a soft cloth.
Faux Wood
Unlike your real wood blinds, faux wood blinds can be safely wiped clean with a damp microfiber cloth or dusting spray. If you get faux wood too wet, just wipe away the extra moisture with a soft dry towel.
Shutters
Because shutters cannot be removed from the windows, these treatments need special care. For example:
Hardwood
Like with all real wood window treatments, never wash your hardwood shutters with water as it can cause them to warp. Instead, find a wood safe cleaner.
If you live in a humid or dry environment, be aware that hardwood shutters can become warped or cracked. For materials that are more low maintenance, vinyl and composite are good alternatives.
Vinyl
When cleaning your vinyl shutters please avoid abrasives that can scratch the surface. You can also dust with a soft cloth or the hand-held brush attachment of your vacuum.
Composite
While not as prone to moisture as their real wood counterparts, composite wood shutters can be wiped down with a damp, soft cloth or a vacuum like with vinyl shutters. However, be sure to completely dry them to avoid damage.
Shades
Shades often simply just need a light dusting, depending on the level of soil and its material.
Honeycomb
Honeycomb shades can be dusted with a soft microfiber cloth or the brush attachment on your vacuum using horizontal strokes, following the pleats. Always save cleaning with water as a last resort to prevent it from losing shape.
We recommend having your honeycomb shades professionally cleaned. A professional like The Victor Shade Company will determine the best method to prevent damage and clean those hard to reach areas like inside the pleats.
If there are bugs in the cells, simply spray with a can of compressed air or use the cool setting on a hair dryer to blow them out.
Screen/Solar
Screen, or solar, shades can be gently blotted with cool distilled water, hand vacuumed, and dusted. You can even use a can of compressed air, if needed.
Roman
Roman shades can be spot cleaned if needed with cool distilled water, as well as a light vacuuming with a hand-held brush attachment using vertical strokes. If spot cleaning, please blot gently to avoid creasing. Do not rub, as this can cause pilling and other damage.
For Best Results, Get Treatments Professionally Cleaned
When it comes time to clean your window treatments, you can get them professionally cleaned for the best results. Especially if the treatment hasn’t been cleaned in some time and is experiencing heavy buildup.
Victor Shade can professionally and safely clean your window treatments in our shop with our ultrasonic cleaning. This method is water-based and uses high-frequency sound waves to remove even the toughest grime from your treatments and their hard-to-reach areas like grooves. Before bringing in your treatment, please know what they are made of and how old they are. This will help determine the best method of cleaning.
Please note that room darkening shades with a mylar center or shades that are very old cannot be cleaned in our ultrasonic cleaner. Real wood blinds are meticulously taken apart and cleaned by hand with wood cleaner and put back together
Regardless of your treatment’s manufacturer or place of purchase, Victor Shade, gladly offers you full-service, certified, and insured window treatment cleaning in St. Louis!