Spring Cleaning Checklist for Your Window Blinds
In the winter months, with the cooler weather and shorter days some things like deep cleaning in your home can be overlooked, and that can leave some serious buildup of dirt and dust on your window treatment in Thousand Oaks, California. There are several things to look at before starting on your spring cleaning for your window treatments.
Look at What Type of Window Treatments You Have
There are several different types of window treatments, and your window treatment in Thousand Oaks may be different than your neighbors. Some common types include
- Curtains
- Sheers
- Drapes
- Valances, Swags, and Cascades
- Blinds and Shutters
Curtains, sheers, and drapes are made from fabric, and normally need to be laundered depending on the type of material that they are made from. Some may require a trip to the dry cleaner, but 100% polyester fabric window treatments can washed in the machine. Drying these window treatments is where the most care needs to be exercised, because it is possible for them to become shorter.
Following manufacture directions is important. Do not try and wash curtains in Thousand Oaks when the instructions indicate that they should be dry cleaned. In these cases, the curtains, drapes, or sheers should be brought in at least every 5-7 years, and should be dusted and vacuumed in between.
Basic Maintenance of Blinds
In order to limit the amount of buildup of dirt and dust, blinds can be vacuumed using a brush attachment while they are still hanging. This should be done with a vertical motion across the slats rather than up and down. Dusting with a duster is also good for maintenance of custom blinds in Thousand Oaks, but the same rule applies as vacuuming — brush across rather than up and down. A quality lamb’s wool duster is recommended rather than a plastic duster for best results and prevent damage to the blinds.
Spot Cleaning
Often, an all-purpose cleaner will prove useful in spot cleaning the blinds, however it is important that the cleaner be sprayed onto the cleaning cloth and not directly onto the blinds, as this can cause blinds and other window treatments to become discolored. This method is especially useful when spot cleaning the blinds.
Deep Cleaning
Blinds should also be removed in order to be properly cleaned. A mild soap and warm water will normally work well for getting blinds clean. A rubber sponge, a.k.a. a dry sponge is recommended when you need to remove dirt and residue from either fabric or vinyl blinds. Wooded blinds or shutters can be wiped off in a similar way. Blinds should not be soaked in a tub or cleaned with a high pressure hose.
If you want to take your blind cleaning outside bring metal or vinyl blinds to lay across a small rug. A car wash brush can be used with a few drops of dish soap in water. Clean one side at a time. These blinds can be rinsed with a hose, but it must be done very gently and they need to be tilted to make sure the water runs off them. Use your finger to guide the water away, and wait until blinds are dry before rehanging them.
Special Considerations
Special considerations need to be made for some shading systems, for example silhouettes and luminettes should not be vacuumed, and instead dust can be blown away with a blow dryer set on a cool setting. Static in your home makes window treatments attract dust more easily. To combat this, the blinds can be wiped occasionally with a swifter sheet, but not a dryer sheet as this can potentially leave scratches.
Having clean and attractive window treatments make a real statement about your home, and are more than a way to manage how much of the view you want to see.
