Blinds have long replaced traditional curtains in offices, and in homes they are confidently gaining space. And not only in offices and kitchens, but also in nurseries and living rooms. Modern technologies allow you to get an incredible multi-texture and a variety of forms. In general, blinds are practical and functional. But you need to know the rules for caring for these structures so that they last a long time and do not deform.
Blinds in the office and at home
Blackout curtains for homes and offices have gained wide popularity due to two main advantages: they are aesthetically pleasing and easily control the amount of sunlight in the room.
For offices, laconic vertical or horizontal blinds are ideal. Among other advantages, they are affordable. Such structures are easy to install and durable in operation.
To create a cozy atmosphere in a residential building, rolledblinds or pleated blinds. They look beautiful and are of high quality. The advantage will be a wide choice of colors and textures. Such blinds perfectly beat non-standard windows, for example, ceiling or attic windows, as well as bay windows. The only "downside" is the high price.
Blinds are convenient due to their brevity, accessibility, ease of installation and operation. The main thing is not to make a mistake with the size of the window when ordering.
Materials from which modern blinds are made
An important criterion in terms of operation and maintenance will be the material from which the blinds are made. The choice is very wide, but the most common are plastic, metal, wood, bamboo, fabric.
Plastic is unpretentious in care and durable in use. Aluminum - reliable, if necessary, completely isolates sunlight. These materials are more suitable for the office, in particular for doorways.
Fabric vertical curtains, although treated with special dust-repellent compounds, require more frequent and complex care. In any case, it is better to give preference to dense fabrics.
The ideal material from the point of view of ecology and aesthetics will be wood. Wooden blinds are expensive, respectable and beautiful. But they are quite capricious when cleaning. Inept actions can ruin the wooden surface forever.
Another modern and popular material for blinds is bamboo. These blinds are very light and relatively easy to care for.moisture resistant.
General care rules
Before placing an order for slats, you need to carefully study the rules of care. Some blinds cannot be cleaned at home at all, only professional cleaning is provided.
General cleaning of structures is required once a season and depends on the material from which they are made. The frequency of cleaning from dust and dirt depends both on external weather conditions and on the internal purpose of the room. It is obvious that in a hot dry summer with windows constantly open, pollution will be stronger than in cool rainy weather. And the office needs less cleaning than the children's playroom.
Rigid metal structures do not need to be dismantled for cleaning, it is enough to remove dust with a damp cloth or vacuum cleaner. But fabric blinds will have to be removed regularly for washing. Some fabrics, such as jacquard, require hand washing only.
Next, we will analyze in more detail how to wash vertical blinds at home.
Vertical Blind Cleaning Methods
Experience has shown that vertical sunshades collect less dust than horizontal ones. But, of course, it is necessary to clean them periodically.
Cleaning is of two types: dry and wet. Exceptionally dry requires, for example, wood. This can be done with a vacuum cleaner or a soft brush. You can use special household chemicals designed to care for such capricious surfaces. They will not only helpclean, but also remove excess static electricity, which will reduce the amount of dust attracted.
How to wash vertical fabric blinds, so as not to spoil, depends on the quality of the canvas. Natural fabrics, in addition to regular dry cleaning, need to be removed and washed by hand from time to time. Synthetics can be machine washed.
Dry clean
Dry cleaning is carried out without removing the curtains from the window. It can be a special soft brush, which is easy to remove dust in a few minutes. The disadvantage of such cleaning is that the dust will not disappear, but will hang in the air, so that later it will again settle on the surface. This effect can be reduced by using a microfiber cloth, the structure of which allows dust to be collected.
You can buy a special brush for cleaning blinds at the hardware store, the shape of which allows you to remove dust from both sides of the slats at once.
How to clean fabric vertical blinds with wet wipes? Hand wipes are not recommended. It is better to give preference to industrial wet wipes for computers. They do a great job of cleaning blinds and removing static from fabric.
And of course, regular dry cleaning of vertical blinds can be done with a vacuum cleaner. A special nozzle makes it easy to collect dust from all sides of the slats at once.
Steam cleaning
How to properly wash vertical fabric blinds so as not to deform them? Need to take advantagesteam generator with a special nozzle.
Proof of the effectiveness of steam cleaning can be considered the use of this method by professional cleaning companies. The fact is that hot steam dissolves well and removes persistent deposits of fat and nicotine, for example, in the kitchen. It is important to remember how to properly wash vertical blinds with a steam generator. It is necessary to clean the slats strictly from top to bottom so as not to leave dirty streaks.
Steam cleaning should be done infrequently. It must be remembered that excess moisture spoils the surface and washes off the special protective impregnation.
Washing
How to wash vertical blinds? Although washing negatively affects the surface of the slats, this method is the most effective. In order not to destroy the protective layer on the fabric, wash the blinds no more than once every six months.
Before any washing, it will not be superfluous to vacuum the blinds. Next, it is important to correctly and carefully remove the lamellas from the mounts. It is better to do this clearly according to the manufacturer's instructions.
It is better to wash any blinds by hand, especially since many fabrics require only this type of washing.
How to hand wash vertical blinds? You need to put them in a bath with soapy water for thirty minutes. Then gently clean each lamella with a sponge. If the contamination is severe, the solution will have to be changed again. Rinse the blinds in running water several times. After washing, it is necessary to hang the blinds, without squeezing, let the water drain. After drying, return the clean lamellas toplace. When hand washing a delicate wash, you need to remember a few rules:
- use only gentle gel-based detergents,
- do not rub or press hard when cleaning with a sponge,
- do not subject the slats to severe deformation.
How to wash vertical blinds in the car? If machine wash is allowed, carefully fold the slats on top of each other and place in a laundry bag or in an ordinary pillowcase. Use the most delicate washing cycle without spinning and a detergent without bleaches and aggressive components. Then proceed as when washing by hand: rinse several times and hang up to drain the water.
Clean without removing
How to wash blinds quickly and without removing? If you do not want or are not sure that it will be possible to hang the blinds back correctly, you can wet clean the slats without removing them from the mounts. In order for this method to bring the expected result, several subtleties must be taken into account. In this case, cleaning is better to use a regular soap solution. This way there will be fewer divorces. It is necessary to wash the blinds from top to bottom, carefully treating the surface with a soapy sponge. After such a "wash" you need to take another soft sponge and clean the fabric of soap. The water will have to be changed several times to completely wash out the soap. The process of washing blinds in limbo is quite laborious, since you need to keep your hands on weight for a long time. Before you start, you should probably evaluate your strengths so as not to drop everything halfway and not leave the blinds in dirty soap stains.
How to remove heavy pollution?
How to wash vertical blinds if they have individual stains, for example, from burning, juice or pencils. Many dirt can be removed from dry blinds using a regular eraser. Another way: dilute a soap solution based on dishwashing detergent and wipe the contaminated areas. You can use a suitable stain remover, after carefully reading the instructions. In the second and third cases, wet slats are cleaned, followed by washing and rinsing.
Tips from housewives
Every housewife who wondered how to wash vertical blinds can share her own secrets. Here are some of them.
The more often you dry clean your blinds, the less often you will have to wash them.
During operation, try to touch the slats as little as possible with your hands, so they will remain clean much longer.
Stains and local pollution are best washed immediately, over time it will require much more effort.
In addition to cleaning the blinds, it is important not to forget to wipe the cornice, fasteners and window sill.
Always start cleaning vertical blinds from top to bottom.
No matter what method of cleaning the blinds will be chosen, you must be prepared for the fact that this is a long and rather complicated process. Therefore, when asked how to clean vertical blinds, many housewives will answer: “Give it to the professionals for dry cleaning.”
