After you have window shutters installed in Sunnyvale, CA, you want to enjoy their beauty for years to come. With routine care and maintenance, you can keep your window shutters looking as good as the day they were installed.
One part of cleaning window shutters is keeping dust off the slats. The best way to do this is to regularly dust the slats with a fiber-free cloth. The most effective way to clean window shutter slats is to dust from the middle to the outside and from the top to the bottom of the window.
If you don’t have time to clean each window shutter slat individually, you can tilt the slats down and dust them all, and then tilt the slats up and dust them all. If you do this weekly, you will find that this saves you time and keeps your window shutters in pristine condition.
Using a vacuum attachment is also an effective way to clean your window shutters. The upholstery attachment (the one with the soft bristles) works best. Use the upholstery attachment the same way you would use a cloth, going from top to bottom and middle to outside of each window shutter panel.
Don’t forget to clean the corners where the vertical piece comes down through the window shutters. Many times, using a cloth or the upholstery attachment of your vacuum won’t get the dirt out of these.
What you should use instead is a soft toothbrush or a feather duster so that you can make sure you get all the way into the corners. While you may not need to clean the corners of your window shutters as often as you clean the slats, you should make sure you clean them regularly (once a month is usually adequate).
Occasionally, you may find smudges on your window shutters. Resist the urge to scrub them hard to clean them off. Instead, use a damp cloth (no soap) and clean the smudges using very little pressure. Once the smudge is gone, use a clean, dry cloth to dry the damp area.
The material the window shutters are manufactured with will always be a determining factor in how you clean them. For example, you don’t want to use a lot of liquid (cleaning solutions or water) when you are cleaning window shutters made with wood because wood absorbs liquid easily. Once liquid is absorbed into wood, it can cause damage or warping.
However, when you’re cleaning window shutters made out of other materials (such as faux wood), you can use cleaning solutions and water without worrying about damaging them or warping them. However, if you use cleaning solutions, be sure to wipe the window shutters down with afterward with a damp cloth, and then wipe them dry so a film doesn’t accumulate.
Did you know that you can buy tools that are specifically designed to clean window shutters? These tools are designed with dust removing heads spaced evenly apart. This means you can clean a group of window shutter slats at a time, which will make cleanup much quicker and easier.
If your non-wood window shutters in the kitchen get something sticky or greasy on them, you can use a cloth dipped in a water solution with mild detergent to clean them. Once you’ve removed the greasy or sticky spot, wipe your window shutters with a damp cloth to get the soap residue off, then dry them.
If you’d like to learn more about cleaning window shutters in Sunnyvale, CA, you can speak with our experienced staff at Windows & Beyond, Inc.