Take Care of Your Window Treatments; Caring for Blinds and Shades is Easy!

When it's time to clean your blinds and shades, even your best friends are hard to find. There are simple and effective ways to clean blinds and shades with minimal effort. Take the work out of cleaning your window treatments with these simple solutions.

Aluminum Miniblinds
Use ordinary soft, clean dust cloths, or chemically-treated dust cloths. The dust will wipe right off and stick to the cloth. You can also use the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. The painted surface of the slats is quite smooth and dust is easily brushed off. The paint is also extremely durable and almost always baked on.

To vacuum, tilt the slats first up, then down (but not entirely exposed) to reach the entire top and bottom surfaces.

To dust, tilt the slats as above. Hold the dusting cloth in your hand and pinch each slat between your fingers. Run the cloth along each slat and watch the dust come right off.

To wash, use a damp cloth or sponge and mild detergent. Use warm or cold water - NOT hot water. Tilt the slats as above. Protect the floor or sill from excess water. The blind can also be taken down, placed in a bath tub of mild soapy water, then rinsed clean, wiped dry, or allowed to dry completely in the open air.

Wood Blinds
Care must be taken when cleaning real wood blinds. Washing the blind is not recommended. Although the wood is sealed and protected, water or even excessive dampness may cause warpage or discoloration of the slats. Since the surface of the slats is smooth, dust may be easily brushed off at regular intervals using a clean, soft dust cloth or a vacuum cleaner brush attachment. Clean them as described above.

Fabric Pleated or Cellular Shades
Most of the cellular shades, like the Hunter Douglas Duette shade, are anti-static, and they require very little cleaning. A light sweep with your vacuum cleaner brush attachment is all that is needed to keep them dust-free. For a more thorough cleaning, the entire shade assembly may be gently wiped with a soft, damp cloth using lukewarm (not hot) water.

Take special care when handling opaque (blackout) shades to avoid creasing. Because they often have extra lining, they adapt to manipulation more easily. Do not immerse them in water. For tough stains, spot clean with a mild detergent. Some shades, like the Graber Crystal Pleat have a "soft hand" fabric. Be very careful when trying to clean these types of shades as they tend to "pill".

Tried and True Solutions:

When in doubt, call Blinds.com for assistance. Your Design Consultant will be able to tell you if a cleaning agent is safe for use on your window treatments.