Blinds--Cleaning & Maintenance

Blinds are a form of adjustable window covering which is usually placed on the inside of a window. Generally, blinds which are place outside the window are known as awnings but are often grouped together with blinds.

Blinds can be used instead of or in addition to other forms of window dressings, including drapes and sheer curtains. Different styles of blinds may include roller or holland blinds, Roman blinds, Venetian and mini-Venetian blinds, and vertical blinds. Roller, Holland and Roman blinds use flat sections of material which are raised and lowered using either gathered strings or spring loaded rollers. Venetian and vertical blinds are constructed from individual slats which are rotated in synchronism by a series of linked cords.

Blinds can be constructed from a variety of materials, from paper and light fabrics, through to wood, aluminium and heavily insulated and coated fabrics; all of which have their own special cleaning challenges. As all blinds contain some type of moving parts, eventually they will also need some form of maintenance. One of the most common maintenance issues with blinds is wear and tear on the cords which are used to adjust the blind; frayed, knotted and jammed cords are very common. Another common maintenance and repair issue is the springs which are used to control the raising and lowering of Holland and roller blinds.

Each different style of blind uses different mechanisms to adjust the blinds, all of which need to be regularly cleaned and properly maintained to keep them in top working order.