Cleaning is one of the most difficult tasks when it comes to maintaining a house. Many people dread cleaning. But there is a saying, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. An untidy and dirty home is never praised. When we enter a place, we notice the surroundings and we expect it to be clean. No matter how expensive and beautiful the interior decorations maybe, if the home is not clean it definitely ends up looking odd. One thing that encounters a lot of dust and dirt is the windows and doors and also the window dressings. So, make sure that the window dressings you choose for your home are easy to clean. Maintenance is all about keeping the home clean. When you choose window treatments that are easy to clean, it becomes easy for you to maintain your home as well. This guide will help you choose low maintenance window treatments so that your cleaning time can be used to do something more interesting.
- Amount of dirt collected by window dressings: have you ever thought about the amount of grime that an average home collects in a year? Every week, an average person creates almost one-third ounce of dead skin. Household dust is created when these dead skin combines with other particles such as hair, pollen, paper or textile fibres, food matter, soil and other locally found materials. When these dust particles are trapped inside the house, they will gradually settle down on surfaces such as bookshelves, window coverings and wardrobes. Hence, even though you meticulously clean your home, dust will accumulate over time. Vacuum cleaners and useful items such as air filtration units and hypoallergenic pillows are ways to combat dirt and dust in the house. But keeping the windows clean can make a huge difference.
- The right window treatment for your home: window treatments are often given less attention by the homeowners when it comes to making design decisions about decorating a house. Frequent cleaning is not the only feature of proper maintenance. Most things will require adjusting, tightening or tweaking over time. So, this should also be considered when choosing a window dressing to enhance the beauty of your space. Since you are the person who knows the best about your interiors and the look that will be the most suitable for your space, asking yourself a few questions before purchase will help you to make the right choice of the window treatments.
- What look you prefer?
- How practical/ flexible are the window treatments for your house?
- What amount of balance you require between privacy and light?
- Can you clean the dressings by yourself?
- Will it require high or low maintenance?
- Easy to clean shutters: since shutters require little to no attention after fitting, except the occasional wiping and dusting of those fitted in high traffic areas and kitchen as grease and dust will accumulate on them over time, these treatments are the easiest to maintain. A wipe with a cloth or a duster will be sufficient to sustain the look of these shutters. But the use of chemical cleaners should be avoided as it can alter the finish or remove the paint. Just as they are easy to clean, shutters are also low maintenance window treatments as the only maintenance required is the occasional tightening of louvres with a screwdriver.
- Best way to clean interior shutters: the result of cleaning interior window shutters mostly depends on the amount of grime you allow to accumulate between the shutters. Here are some tips and tricks to help you remove the grime:
Damp Cloth: make sure to dry it ASAP unless your shutters are made up of 100% waterproof materials.
Clean toothbrush: to clean the tricky corners
Microfiber dusting mitt: for quick and easy dusting
Vacuum cleaner with brush: for effective and efficient dust removal, but can be tricky in the corners
Shutter cleaning service: professional cleaning service offered by companies for fixed charges
- Easy ways to maintain curtains: apart from shutters and blinds, curtains are considered to be washable window treatments because of the ease with which it can be put into a washing machine. Regular use of a vacuum cleaner fitted with a brush can also remove the grime that collects on the curtains. However, it is better to take advice from a professional or check the instructions before washing as it can vary from material to material. So always make sure to check the label or the type of material before washing and make a note for future reference as well. The rails, hooks and rings will also require cleaning as the dust particles can also settle on them.
- Are wooden blinds easy to clean: wooden slatted blinds are a stylish alternative for the popular choice of Aluminium Venetian Blinds which have limitations in both colour and size. These wooden blinds are easy to use but can be a little tricky during maintenance. The cords should be used with care as it can snare and get frayed with time. A dry cloth is the simplest and easily available duster to dust a blind. Other dusting tools can also be used based on the levels of dirt, accessibility and slat size.
- How to clean fabric blinds: several types of blinds such as vertical, roman, roller, perfect fit, homemade, or sash are available in the market and are made of different types of fabrics. Cleaning will completely depend on the type of fabric and blinds. Hence a single standard approach cannot be described for cleaning blinds. But there are some common approaches to clean them
Hoover: more dust to be removed, that is not possible with a normal duster
Duster: for easy and quick cleaning
Dry Cleaning: should follow the instructions based on the type of blind and fabric
Wipe: for dirt that do not wipe off immediately
As fabric window dressings tend to be dust magnets, a wooden alternative will be a more hygienic option for your house.
- How to keep my house cleaner: if you feel that your window dressings do not look good even after intense cleaning, it is time you think about other solutions that have a longer life span.
