Top 5 Tips for Cleaning and Maintaining Blinds and Shutters During the Summer Months

Summer is full of sunshine and light, especially in the Southwest. While the sun shines for longer hours, it also can highlight dust and dirt that collect on your window and door treatments. If your home has blinds and shutters, you might be cleaning them more often during the summer to keep them beautiful and maintained. Make it easier on yourself by using these top tips for cleaning and maintaining your window treatments during the summer months.

Consider Your Material

First and foremost, the type of blind or shutter you have needs to be considered before cleaning. Wood shutters and blinds need very different cleaning methods than faux wood, aluminum, or poly materials. Wooden shutters or blinds should never be washed with water, while other materials can be cleaned with warm water or water with a 5% cleaning solution.

Your Vacuum Cleaner Is Your Best Friend

One of the easiest ways to keep your blinds and shutters clean and maintained during the summer is with your vacuum cleaner. If you stay on top of vacuuming your window treatments, you will need to spend much less time wiping them down or cleaning each blind or shutter. Using a brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner hose, you can suction away dust from any blind or shutter, regardless of whether they are wood or another material.

Try a Clean Sock

A clean, soft sock is an excellent tool for cleaning blinds and shutters. You can put the sock over your hand to clean both sides of the blind or shutter at once. You can dust your window treatments with your sock-covered hand or complete a more thorough cleaning with water for non-wooden materials. Stained or painted wood can be enhanced with a spray wood polish and your soft sock.

Start Cleaning From Top to Bottom

Not all dust will end up in your vacuum or on your cloth when you are cleaning blinds or shutters. To save time and improve your results, always start at the top of your window treatment, and work your way down. The excess dust will fall onto the lower blinds or shutters and be whisked away as you clean from top to bottom. For blinds, you can make the process quicker by flattening them completely, wiping or vacuuming from the top down, then changing the blind direction and completing the other side.

Dust Protection Hack

Want to reduce dust collecting on your blinds and shutters? Try wiping them down with a dryer sheet after you finish dusting or cleaning your window treatments. This can add a layer of anti-static protection that can reduce the frequency needed for cleaning and dusting your blinds and shutters.

Blinds and shutters can enhance the beauty, privacy, light, and energy efficiency of your home during the summer and all year round. Keep your window treatments maintained and clean with monthly cleanings. If it is time to replace your window treatments or door coverings, contact our team at Southwest Blinds & Shutters. We proudly provide quality and customized window treatments for our customers in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Call us today to schedule a window treatment consultation!