Window treatments are a compelling addition to your living space. They add functional value and aesthetic appeal to your home. Certain types of window treatments are excellent in blocking sunlight and glare, while some have good insulation properties.
Although window treatments are acknowledged for their offered protection, they’re also vulnerable to wearing and degradation. If you want to make the most out of your window treatments, proper care and maintenance are the keys.
In this article, you’ll explore two of the most preferred window treatments and discover how to take care of and maintain them properly for a longer lifespan.
Choosing Your Window Treatment: Blinds vs. Curtains
Not all window treatments work on every window. For instance, if you need heat insulation inside your living room, you can’t merely purchase blinds as they’re easier to clean because they perform poorly on insulation. You need to prioritize your needs over wants when choosing window treatments.
Also, your window size plays a vital role in choosing your window treatment. Homes with standard window sizes are advantageous as there are plenty of window treatment options to choose from. Meanwhile, you can have your window treatments customised if you have an unconventional window size with window treatment experts from sites like makemyblinds.co.uk.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer in choosing a window treatment, but the two best options for your living space are blinds and curtains, and combining them could be a match made in heaven.
Blinds are known for their convenience and control as you can manipulate how much light can enter your space. Also, allowing light to come through doesn’t mean you’ll have to compromise your privacy, thanks to blinds.
On the other hand, curtains provide an unbeatable level of insulation from the heat and cold. They’re flexible and customisable, whichever colour, pattern, design, or finish you want. If you desire a window treatment best for privacy in your bedroom, you don’t have to look for other options than curtains.
Importance of Window Treatment Maintenance
Window treatments protect your home and its occupants from external and internal environmental conditions, such as heat, strong winds, and ultraviolet exposure, to name a few. Their aesthetic value can also influence your home’s ambiance and mood. In exchange, are you treating your window treatments well?
Blind and curtain care is essential to your health and longevity. It can be easy to neglect window treatment maintenance if you don’t get to see them up close covered in dirt and dust. Dirty blinds and curtains can be a breeding ground for indoor pollutants, allergens, and discoloration, all of which negatively impact your health.
Tips In Maintaining Your Blinds and Curtains
Once you’ve decided to perform regular maintenance on your curtains and blinds, where do you even start? To ensure that your window treatments are in their tip-top shape, try these savvy blind and curtain maintenance tips:
1. Clean Your Blinds Regularly
Blinds are among the window treatments that require regular cleaning as their panels can collect dust and grime in a short period. Whether your blinds are made of wood, plastic, or aluminum, they can pretty much accumulate dirt because they’re located on your windows.
Therefore, here are three ways you can clean your blinds:
• Once a week: Sweep dust away from the blind panels using a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment.
• Once a month: Use a dry sock or microfiber cloth to rub the sides of each slat. Clean noticeable stains and dirt with a non-abrasive sponge.
• Once to twice a year: Spray a cleaning solution onto the slats and wipe them with a dry towel. For non-wooden blinds, you can submerge them in soapy water and let them sit for a while. Then, hang them back up and allow to air-dry.
2. Vacuum Your Curtains Monthly
When it comes to window treatments exposed to impurities daily, it’s better to clean them consistently and gently than a one-time vigorous cleaning. To keep your curtains and drapes clean, you can use the same method for cleaning your blinds—vacuuming them with a brush attachment. Before vacuuming your drapes and curtains, make sure that small embellishments and accents are either secured or removed.
If you’re a dog or cat owner, it’s paramount to increase the frequency of vacuuming your curtains, as pet fur and dander can easily cling onto fabrics.
3. Wash Only Washable Draperies
Not all types of curtains and draperies are made of fabrics, calling for a different cleaning method aside from washing. Refer to your window treatment manufacturer’s instructions or installer to determine if your curtains are washable or non-washable. If you’re in doubt, always wash test a small area first.
In terms of thick and heavy fabric curtains and drapes, professional washing and cleaning are your best options. For lighter fabrics, use a mild detergent and cool water for washing them.
Before DIY washing or professional cleaning, don’t forget to remove decorations, embellishments, trims, and hooks from the curtains as they’re non-washable and colourfast.
4. Consider Dry Cleaning Sensitive Fabrics
While only washable curtains and draperies are allowed to be washed, it doesn’t mean you can’t maintain other types of curtain materials. These materials won’t be used to create drapes if you can’t clean them. Instead of washing, you can dry-clean non-washable curtains instead.
If your curtains are thick and heavy with pleats or linings, don’t think twice about dry-cleaning them, as hand- or machine-washing may only cause the pleats to lose their shape and the linings to shrink and hang poorly.
There are many other curtain washing guides you can refer to online.
5. Avoid Exposing Dark-Coloured Curtains To Sunlight
Light-coloured curtains are great for reflecting sunlight and resisting fading, but dark-coloured ones are quite the opposite. To maintain the vividness of your dark-coloured curtains and drapes, avoid placing them on windows exposed to direct sunlight. However, if you have no choice, you can add another window treatment like shades and blinds to protect the fabrics.
6. Clean The Cords
Pull cords do all the lifting and lowering of the blinds’ pleats, but many homeowners tend to neglect them during cleaning. On your blinds and curtain cleaning sessions, don’t forget to clean the pull cords as they go directly in contact with your hands.
For a deep clean, soak the cords in a 50-50 mixture of bleach and hot water in a ziplock bag. Allow them to sit overnight, then air-dry, and your pull cords are good as new!
Takeaways
Blinds and curtains protect you and your family from potentially harmful elements, and it’s only fair to return the favor by ensuring that your window treatments are in their best condition. After all, proper blind and curtain maintenance lengthens their lifespan and keeps you away from costly window treatment repairs.
