Tips for Maintaining Window Coverings

Whether you cover your windows with curtains, drapes, blinds, shades or screens, you will ultimately face the same task. You will need to maintain whatever you use to cover your windows in order to keep it free from damage, dirt and stains. Of course, there are particularities and specifics directed to each individual type of covering, but the important thing to keep in mind is that a little maintenance beforehand can keep you from shelling out big money later on to replace what you allowed to deteriorate.

Cotton Gloves to Clean Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds can be resistant to cleaning because of their shape. Feather dusters, cleaning clothes, rags and the like are not that easy to work into the spaces between each slat. A much more effective way to keep your Venetian blinds clean of dust and smudges is to slip on a pair of cotton gloves and then use your fingers to wipe across the length of each slat.

Shade Tension

Shades that roll up and down have a tendency to tweak their own tension. A shade with too much tension can be addressed by removing it from the bracket and unrolling it with your hands about two or three revolutions. To give a loose shade the extra tension it requires, do the opposite: roll the shade up by hand two or three revolutions.

Shady Spots

Those spots that have an annoying habit of showing up on shades can best be cleaned by buying some wallpaper cleaner. A quick application of the same chemistry used to keep your wallpaper smudge free works just as well as getting rid of those unpleasant spots on window shades.

Screen Cleaning

Window screens rarely get cleaned as often as they should and as a result when you do get around to cleaning them, it becomes more of a chore than it should be. Get into the habit of regularly taking the window screen out for a cleaning and make it easy on yourself by using a flat surface big enough for the screen. Place an old sheet or big beach towel between the surface and the screen. Then use a brush with soft bristles so you can vigorously scrub the screen clean.

Repairing Screens

You can quickly repair little holes that appear in the mesh of window screens with a very common beauty accessory found in many American households. Well, American households inhabited by at least one female over the age of 10, anyway. First use tweezers to bend back the broken strands and try your best to get them into place and then apply clear nail polish to keep the strands connected and fix the hole.

Dusty Curtains

Curtains that are not necessarily dirty, but have collected a fair amount of dust can be made dust tree fairly quickly and easily. Bypass the washer and head straight for the dryer. Toss the dusty curtains inside and add a damp towel as company. Set the dryer on the lowest heat setting and allow them to roll around inside for about ten minutes. Voila! Your curtains are now cleaner and you don’t need to worry about trying to get them dry after a washing.