Eight Tips for Shutter Care and Maintenance
Window shutters look amazing and enhance any home decor. But the opposite is true for shutters that are grimy and dusty! To maintain their aesthetic integrity, window shutters, like everything else, need cleaning.
Understandably, you’re too busy to deep clean shutters very often. That’s why it’s recommended to simply dust your shutters regularly so you don’t have to deep clean them, typically, more than once or twice a year. Apart from cleaning, if you take care to open and close them in the right manner, you increase their durability and help to maintain them in top-notch condition. That’s all it takes to keep your shutters working and looking fabulous!
Regardless of the type of shutters, a little TLC (Tender Loving Care) goes a long way in keeping them operable as well as beautiful, clean, and shiny, almost as good as new. To assist you in caring for and maintaining shutters, we’ve compiled eight easy and efficient tips on how to care for shutters.
Tips for Easy Care and Maintenance
Fortunately, shutters don’t require intensive cleaning if you dust regularly. If you routinely follow these eight quick and easy tips to care for and maintain your shutters, they will retain their functionality and beauty for years.
One: Use Suitable Cleaning Products
Shutter material varies, ranging from vinyl and aluminum to wood and real wood, to name just a few. You can dust all types of window shutters with a clean, soft cloth, regardless of their material. However, when deep cleaning them, you need to be careful as some materials are more sensitive than others.
For instance, wood can become warped or discolored when it becomes wet. It’s best to clean wood shutters with a duster or cloth lightly sprayed with furniture polish or lemon oil. If you do get the wood wet, wipe it dry immediately. On the other hand, aluminum, faux wood and vinyl shutters can be cleaned with water and a mild detergent, rinsed, and wiped dry.
Two: Regularly Wipe Away Dust
All you need to do for maintaining shutters with proper dusting is to close them as flat as possible and wipe the dust off each slat with a clean cotton or microfiber cloth or dry sock slipped over your hand. Remember to start from the top slats and work your way down. Alternatively, you may use a vacuum with a small, dry brush attachment on a low setting. Rotate slats and repeat the process.
For increased dust resistance, final wipe with a dryer sheet, or use a duster lightly sprayed with a non-silicone, anti-static spray for aluminum, vinyl, painted wood, and faux wood shutters.
Three: Use a Damp Cloth to Keep Shutters Bright
Interior window shutters can be wiped with a damp cloth once a week to get rid of dirt buildup, especially in the hinges and around the corners of the louvers. For stubborn dirt or dust, use a paint brush or toothbrush in the hinges and crevices. Exterior shutters can be wiped with a damp cloth once a month, depending on the weather in your area. Wiping with a damp cloth on a regular basis eliminates the need to deep clean them frequently.
Four: Clean Exterior Shutter Hinges Once a Month
If you live in an area with excess pollution, dust, and dirt it’s good practice to clean and oil hinges of exterior shutters once a month. Hinges may become stiff or squeaky and this can be easily fixed with a drop of a household lubricant. Brush away any dust or dirt and place the drop of lubricant or oil at the top of the hinge just under the head of the hinge pin. Then open and close the shutters several times so the lubricant works its way in. This will ensure that your shutters always swing smoothly.
Five: Cleaning Shutter Stains
Stains can be bothersome; however, most shutter stains can be removed by spot cleaning with the appropriate cleaning solution. Use a clean cloth to treat the stain, then rinse and pat dry. For stubborn stains, it may be necessary to treat the stain more than once to completely remove it.
Six: Grab Louvers by the Middle to Operate Them
Proper operation of shutters is essential to prevent damage. For shutters with visible, tilt-rod controls, always open and close the shutters using the rod. For a hidden tilt rod or invisible tilt rod, grasp one of the louvers in the middle and tilt it to operate all the louvers. Avoid opening the shutters from the end of the slats as this can eventually weaken the operating mechanism.
Seven: Avoid Moving Louvers with Excess Force
A little gentleness when operating shutters also goes a long way in maintaining them. In case shutters are too stiff to operate or too loose to hold the louvers in position, use a screwdriver to adjust the screw at the upper end of the shutter panel. The proper tension will make it easier to operate your shutters without having to use excessive force.
Eight: Replace Old with New for Practicality and Style
Hopefully, our tips on maintaining shutters will keep your shutters looking as fabulous as new and working as smoothly, too! If your shutters need much more than regular TLC, perhaps it’s time to replace them! The shutters available today at Budget Blinds are made from modern materials and can be motorized with smart home technology. At the same time, we have both classic and modern styles to choose from, to suit every home style.
Schedule a complimentary in-home consultation to discuss your requirements with your local Budget Blinds Style Consultant! Our experts not only assess your requirements but also take precise measurements to fit your windows accurately with exactly what you need!
