Blindster's Blog
Common Mistakes When Cleaning Window Treatments
Like everything else in your home, your blinds and shades need to be cleaned on a regular and consistent basis to look and operate like they did when they were brand new. And while the window treatments sold by Blindster are built to last and designed with durability mind, they can be damaged if they aren’t treated with care and caution during the cleaning process.
Cleaning window treatments often is the best way to remove dirt, dust, pet hair, and other debris from the slats, fabric, and the headrail. It’s also a necessary step for homeowners who suffer from allergies, asthma, and other conditions that can be aggravated by these small particles.
To avoid accidentally damaging your window treatments while you’re cleaning them, make sure you avoid these missteps and mistakes:
Using harsh chemicals
Some homeowners resort to using harsh industrial-power cleaners to get deep stains out of their shades or to remove scratches and discolorations from their blinds. However, strong cleaners are rarely designed to be used on household products unless they’re in the hands of professional cleaners. When they’re used by someone who doesn’t have proper experience or training, they can deeply stain and discolor fabric, wood, aluminum, and vinyl, ruining the window treatment in the process. If your window treatments are heavily stained and need heavy-duty cleaning, leave the job to professional cleaning services.
Not reading the cleaning and care instructions
The manufacturers of blinds and shades almost always provide instructions for maintaining their products. That includes instructions for cleaning and removing dirt, dust, and mild stains. These instructions will include acceptable and unacceptable cleaning products that you can safely use on the fabric, slats, and headrail. Make sure you keep these instructions and read them before you attempt to clean, as some window treatments may require a more careful approach than others.
Not spot-treating before applying a cleaning solution to visible areas
After you’ve read the instructions and determined what’s safe and what isn’t safe to use on your blinds and shades, you may feel ready to dive right into some deep-cleaning action. But before you do, it’s important to test them to see how they react to the cleaning solution that you use. That means applying a small amount in an inconspicuous area and waiting several minutes to several hours to see the result. If there are no ill effects, you can continue. But if the fabric, wood, aluminum, or vinyl looks faded or discolored, you’ll need to find a different method for cleaning.
Using too much water and soaking the window treatments
For most cleaning jobs, you’ll need little more than a damp sponge, rag, or cloth to apply a mild cleaning solution or to wipe away excess dirt, dust, and pollen. Using anything that’s completely soaked in water and then attempting to clean your window treatments can result in water stains on fabric shades and discolorations and even warping on wood blinds due to the wood soaking up the moisture. Make sure you fully wring out any sponges, cloths, and rags before you use them on your window treatments, and have a clean and dry cloth or paper towel ready to wipe away any excess moisture after you’re done.
Not treating/cleaning spills and stains immediately
If a liquid gets spilled on your shades, time is of the essence to prevent it from settling in the fibers of the fabric and becoming a deep-seated stain that requires expensive professional cleaning to remove. Be ready to jump into action right away by using a damp cloth to soak up as much of the liquid as possible and a light cleaning solution to draw out any liquid that soaked into the fabric. You can also use spot-cleaning treatments designed for clothing to further draw out liquid and prevent the stain from becoming permanent.
