Spring Cleaning for Your Blinds

The gloom of winter is finally lifting away for the brightness of summer. Now is the perfect time to open up windows for fresh air and clear away the last stronghold of winter dreariness: dingy window coverings.  Your shades have been down all winter, keeping the cold out of your home, and they too may need a little TLC. Here’s a breakdown of the “how-tos” for the most common dirty-blind culprits.

Vinyl Vertical Blinds and Faux Woods:

Because these are usually made of PVC or a PVC-Wood Composite, the size of faux wood and vinyl vertical blinds needn’t stop you from cleaning them up. A rag and some warm water will easily clean up lingering dust. If you’re wiping them down and notice a thick layer of grunge that resists your efforts and just sticks to the blind, constantly being pushed forward by your rag, don’t despair! This is usually the result of oils from fingers, hair, and airborne skin particles sticking to the surface, and can happen anywhere. Add a few drops of mild dish soap (not dishwasher detergent!) to your warm water and watch the grime lift away.

Mini Blinds:

Although they are dust resistant, aluminum blinds still collect dust over time. However, aluminum blinds are exceptionally easy to clean. In fact, most mini blinds can be taken outside and sprayed off with your garden hose. If you do this, be sure to avoid spraying the headrail directly and to allow your blinds to drip-dry on the grass or open the window your blinds hang in so they can dry out quickly. While the aluminum won’t rust, the headrail may if not properly dried. Don’t want to take your blinds down? Most feather dusters work great for a quick cleaning, and the tips above on dealing with greasy spots on your blinds also work for vinyl and aluminum minis, with one added step. Because mini blinds use a thinner slat than faux wood or vertical blinds, they bend more easily and need a more gentle touch when scrubbing the slats. Make sure to rinse and dry them off thoroughly after using soap and water.

Wood Blinds:

Wood blinds are a thing of beauty: all they truly need is a good dusting. However, if you live in a dry climate, you can restore some beauty and add extra protection against the splitting that can occur over time in any wood product with wood polish. Pick your favorite: they are safe on stained woods and will add a luster and shine to your home in keeping with your spring cleaning goals. It should be noted that these cleaners aren’t meant for painted woods, only stained woods. The paint on a white or cream wood blind offers all the protection you need. For spots, use a damp cloth and dry thoroughly.

Cellular Shades:

Cellular shades can collect reasonable amounts of dust, especially in the winter. After long months of being down to keep you warm, the first time they’re raised you may see little poufs of dust press out of the pleats, leaving you wondering about the inside of the honeycomb. There’s good news though: most fabrics can be cleaned in your home with no professional help. Using a feather duster, start at the top of the shade and run the duster horizontally across the blind and work your way down the shade in rows. Shake off the duster over a trash can and repeat the process on the back of your blind. Then, lowering your blind as far as you can, run the duster up and down on the shade to knock out any dust bunnies that were hiding in the crease. If you need a deeper clean, use a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery  attachment. Don’t use the brush attachment, as it may damage more delicate fabrics. If you know the inside of the honeycombs need cleaning, call the manufacturer. Some fabrics can be submerged in your bathtub, while others can be cleaned through injection-extraction cleaning, and you’ll need the manufacturer’s opinion on which should be done. Injection-Extraction cleaning is done in your home by a professional without taking down your shades, so you won’t need to carve out too much time for the process.

Are you shopping for blinds and shades? Check out the “Details and Specs” tab on each product for cleaning and care information to choose the blind that’s right for your needs.

When properly cared for, your window coverings will create exceptional beauty and privacy in your home. So don’t skimp your windows this spring cleaning, and enjoy the beauty of a fresh and bright view for years to come.

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Welcome to BlindSaver, Good Housekeeping!

This year, when you’re looking for quality window treatments with a name you can trust you can look to a name synonomous with quality and trust: Good Housekeeping. Good Housekeeping now has a complete line of window treatments available on BlindSaver.com!

This unique collection offers cellulars, rollers, romans, horizontal sheers, wood blinds, faux wood blinds, and two innovative solutions: Panel Track Blinds and Cellular Blinds. Each collection carries fabrics and patterns exclusive to the Good Housekeeping line, along with all the most trendy colors and patterns. No matter what window you need covered, these shades are sure to suit your style. In addition, all of the Good Housekeeping Blinds and Shades are the only products in their line to be tested be the Good Housekeeping Research Institute for safety and quality. So put your mind at ease: with Good Housekeeping and BlindSaver, you have an unbeatable product headed your way.

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A Breakdown of Window Coverings

Window coverings are a very affordable design staple that can have dramatic effects for interior decorators and budding Do-It-Yourself-ers. All visual appeal is based on light, and your windows and window coverings are what control the access of light in your room. They can therefore be very powerful in interior design, but some shoppers feel overwhelmed with the wide range of wood blinds, roller shades, sheer vertical blinds and other window coverings that are available.

Wood blinds are a classic and universally appealing window covering. Made from hardwoods, wood blinds are light and their louvers can be adjusted to let any amount of light in. These are the kind of blinds commonly seen in offices, studies and living rooms. Most people opt for a stained or natural finish in their wood blinds to show off the quality of natural wood. However these blinds can be matched to almost any interior because of their wide range of painted colors and stains.

Wood Blinds

Along with traditional hardwood blinds, you can also order faux wood blinds, which are less expensive and more weather resistant. Bamboo roman shades are another wood blind variant that use earth-friendly bamboo to give a soft filtered light when rolled down. Bamboo is a much more renewable resource than hardwoods, and can give a more natural, relaxed look to a room.

For those who want more light control out of their blinds, roller shades are a great choice. When rolled down, they present a solid face that effectively blocks sunlight. When you really need to block all light for work, sleep, or privacy reasons, honeycomb cellular shades are a great choice. Cellular shades are made of pleated fabric that forms pockets of air to insulate your windows. This double sided technology also makes the shades great at stopping light. In their original use, cellular shades drastically decrease heat transfer across the window. This leads to a more comfortable interior and reduced energy bills.

Less utilitarian, but more stylish are sheer blinds and shutters. Sheer blinds create a soft, romantic atmosphere in a room because all light is filtered through a silky cloth barrier. Shutters, on the other hand, are the oldest window covering. Some people still use storm shutters to protect from dangerous weather, but recently the plantation shutter has come into vogue. These classy shutters bring an air of old-time elegance to a home.

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