As with many less obvious elements of household cleaning, window shutters sometimes go unnoticed. This is a shame since they are quite a classy addition to any home, and a thick layer of dust and grime definitely reduces their impact. Don’t worry, it will be quick and easy to have your shutters looking shiny and new once again, just follow our list of helpful hints.

Dusting and removing stains:

• Use a dry microfibre cloth, duster or a specialist slat cleaning tool to clean your shutters. Tilt the slats to the open position and wipe each individual one from the centre to the outer edge. 
• To remove small bits of built-up dirt from the corners scrub with a soft, new toothbrush.
• If you have thin, delicate blinds, such as metal ones which bend easily, you can wrap a sock around a ruler to clean them.
• When time is limited just slip a sock onto your hand and run it between the slats, this will clean both sides.
• For stubborn stains that you can’t remove with a duster, use a damp cloth, rub carefully, and then dry the area thoroughly afterwards. 

Vacuuming: 

• An alternative to dusting is cleaning your shutters with the soft upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Do this by opening the slats and softly sweeping the vacuum nozzle over each one, or by closing the slats and brushing over the whole shutter.
• You can use the vacuum attachment to lightly clean the surrounding frame of the shutters as well. 
• The vacuum is also useful for removing dust in hard-to-reach spots, such as on tall windows.

Things to avoid:

• Don’t use excessive amounts of water on your wooden shutters. Wooden products don’t cope well with moisture; they swell up and then shrink back down as they dry, which results in warped and damaged shutters.
• Try not to spray any water or cleaning products directly onto the slats, even with shutters which aren’t made of wood. 
• Avoid using furniture polish or any other cleaning fluid on your shutters as they can damage the finish on your slats.

Maintenance: 

• Sometimes shutters will become loose over time and not hold position as well as they used to. This is normal because they are operated regularly and the panels settle after installation. To fix this go to the side of the panel, where there is a hole with a screw, known as the ‘tension screw’. Tighten this carefully with a screwdriver and the shutters will become more secure. 
• To keep dust to a minimum, rub a fabric dryer sheet over both sides of the slats. This won’t stop the dust completely, but the static produced by the dryer sheet reduces the amount that clings to your shutters. 

If you regularly clean your shutters it will help to prevent the build-up of dirt so that deep cleans won’t be necessary, and you can easily enjoy a fresh, stylish house. 

Fraser James Blinds is a local, family-run company, supplying bespoke, made-to-measure blinds and shutters throughout the Leicester, Coventry and Northampton areas. Get in touch for more information on our services.