There are many different types of blinds: fabric, aluminum, roller blinds, but regardless of the type, all of them must be periodically removed and cleaned. Since they are all made of different materials, the frequency of their washing is different. But in any case, in order to do this, they must first be removed from the window, which can cause some difficulties for the housewives.
Dismantling for washing or cleaning
Removing the blinds is not difficult if you do this work accurately and accurately.
It doesn't take too much time and effort to remove vertical blinds:
- Arrange the lamellas evenly along the eaves and unfold them in a row.
- Unfasten the cover from the sides. To do this, you need to raise it, deflect it and remove it with a sharp movement.
- Carefully take out the chain that connects the canvases;
- Remove the weights from the lower lamella compartments;
- Separate and fold the canvases one at a time.
Removal of aluminum and plastic products occurs in a similar way, and when dismantling wooden structures, the clamps are removed from both sides in advance. When removing the curtain, it is necessary to remove the cornice from the ceiling by pressing the latch tab and holding it. It is very important to remove the plugs from the ends of the strip fasteners so that these parts do not rust during washing.
Before removing horizontal blinds from windows, they must be vacuumed and wiped with a dry cloth. For dismantling, you will need a screwdriver, several bolts and self-tapping screws. You can only remove the curtains when the window is closed. There will be no problems with dismantling horizontal blinds if you follow the sequence below:
- Be sure to remove the box (if there is a decorative cover) by prying the fasteners with a screwdriver.
- Raise the planks, holding them with one hand, up to the tabs on the top border.
- Find the brackets latches (tabs on the edges) and remove from the mounts by sliding them towards you and to the right.
- Gently pull the slats towards you and detach them.
- You can remove the curtains on the mountings from frames or walls. The brackets are usually installed on metal corners. They are removed with a screwdriver or hexagon.
Do not jerk the fasteners sharply if they do not give in, as some parts are rather fragile. By doing the job accurately and correctly, it will be fairly easy to separate the regulating system from its fixing brackets. If dismantling fails, you can try to detach the system from the frame without detaching it from the brackets. For this there is a method of fixing the curtains to the frame (with / without additional corners for fastening). If there are such corners, then it is worth trying to detach them from the frame - they are usually fixed to the frame with hexagon screws. To do this, you need a wrench to unscrew these bolts. The blinds can be removed from the window as soon as the corners are separated.
Be sure to carefully familiarize yourself with the bracket mechanisms before removing the blinds. Usually they are secured with a socket wrench, turning clockwise. To remove the system, you will need to turn it in the opposite direction.
Roller blinds are a simple design, and therefore there are no particular difficulties with them. It is possible to remove and hang them without any problems, since they are attached without drilling frames or walls. If there are fasteners, then it is easy to understand how the curtains are held on them and how to remove them: you need to disconnect either the shaft with the fixed canvas, or the entire structure with a decorative box.
If it is impossible to disassemble the structure, then it is necessary to unscrew the screws from the lower ones, moving to the upper ones, so that the fastening system does not deform.
Blinds with Velcro or special hooks are the easiest to detach.
With any system of fastening, it is necessary to remember how the blinds were removed, since they will have to be hung in the reverse order. On plastic windows and attic, the blinds are attached to special clips using socket wrenches, which were mentioned above. This key is also turned clockwise to fix the filter.
When removing such curtains, you need to use the holding key, turning it in the opposite direction - counterclockwise.
How to wash?
Horizontal blinds made of aluminum are wiped with a wet sponge directly on the window or washed in the bathroom under the shower. Lamellas can be hung on clotheslines or attached to tiles on suction cups for convenience. Next, you should treat the surface of one side with a detergent from a spray bottle, wash off the dirt with a jet of water, turn it over and repeat the operation. The lamellas are slightly curved, so the water must be guided at an angle for optimal cleaning. If there is grease or a thick layer of dust on the surface, then the planks should be left to soak for a while.
Cleaning will be accelerated by using a steam cleaner. The upper (non-removable) cornice and the lower strip of horizontal blinds must not be wetted, since they are made of iron and are subject to corrosion, therefore, after washing, it is necessary to carefully remove moisture that has got on them.
Upright fabrics should be washed about twice a year to keep them clean. Such curtains should be washed as follows: pull out the chain with weights from all canvases from below, remove all the slats from the eaves. Then put in a bath and soak in warm water with powder or use a steam cleaner. The fabric can be rubbed lightly with a brush and detergent. Instead of dry washing powder, you should use gel so as not to ruin the fabric.
A stain remover will help to remove stains, a light-colored fabric should be treated with bleach. Do not use ammonia cleaners when washing white curtains, as they cause yellow stains.
When cleaning the perforated plates with a stream of water from the shower, rinse the foam from all the strips. When drying the fabric, do not wring it out or twist it. Before installing vertical curtains after washing, let them dry completely. Attach them over the tub so that the water will gradually drain off the planks. Otherwise, dust will begin to adhere to them, respectively, the entire effect of washing will be reduced to zero.
When washing in the machine, use only the manual mode, without spinning and with mild detergents. The temperature must be set to 35 degrees or less. The lamellas need to be put into a washing cover or pillowcase, and tied. When there are a lot of rolls, then you need to wash it several times. Do not wash them too often in the machine, as the fabric may become softer - it is preferable to wash such products by hand.
Materials such as wood do not tolerate excess moisture, so it is best to simply wipe them with a damp cloth and wipe dry with paper towels. Wooden slats must not be washed with clean water, as this can cause deformation. Do not place them in highly humid rooms for the same reason. You can use a melamine sponge for stubborn dirt.
Some fabric curtains are not recommended to be washed because they are impregnated with a protective agent. In this case, you should apply a vacuum cleaner or ultrasonic cleaning by specialists.
So, depending on the material, blinds use different methods of cleaning them:
- Aluminum is washed with warm water and soap.
- When cleaning thick fabrics, use the soak and delicate wash.
- Wooden slats are wiped with a damp sponge.
- Pleated curtains are briefly soaked in warm water with a non-aggressive detergent.
- Roller blinds can only be dry cleaned.
- Curtains with fiberglass slats should never be washed.
How to install it back?
If, when removing the vertical blinds, the cornice was also removed, then before installing the curtains back on the wall, collect all the slats on one side. Eliminate all bumps and folds and secure with a paper clip (rubber band), then they will not interfere with the installation of the curtain rod. It is easy to attach with two clips without the need for additional tools. The only thing is that it may be difficult to place the cornice as evenly as possible, so that the fasteners fit perfectly into the grooves. If the structure is too large, then ask someone for help. If the lamellas were removed separately, then in this case, simply install them one by one into the holders.
The installation process will be much easier and faster if you use the mechanism to move all the runners to one side before installing the curtains. After securing all the slats, attach the weights back, and then use a chain to connect all the lower parts. As mentioned at the beginning, it is not at all difficult to assemble and clean the blinds, so it is almost impossible to spoil or damage the mechanism and the canvases themselves, subject to the exact procedure and accuracy.
After washing and drying, the lamellas must be wiped with a soft dry cloth (sponge) on both sides. You should not immediately assemble the structure, that is, install plugs and a cover. It is recommended to do this in about a day, when all parts of the structure are completely dry. Installation is absolutely opposite to the process described during removal: attach the lamellas to the brackets, turn the latches clockwise.
It would also be nice to lubricate the mounting and lifting mechanisms of the slats with oils or auto spray.
Care Tips
To keep your blinds in perfect condition for as long as possible, stick to a few simple tips for caring for them:
- Individual strips can be replaced, if they have strong pollution, but it is highly discouraged to bring them to such a state, since the replacement process is quite expensive.
- In the kitchen, it is better to use models made of metal or plastic, since they are easier to clean, in the office - vertical views, in the nursery - colored wood or pleated curtains with a print. You should not hang fabric curtains in the kitchen, because in this place they will come into contact with fat.
- A full cleaning is needed at least once every one to two months, as in hard-to-reach places dust and dirt accumulate in large quantities. In this case, their service life will increase, because dirt is often clogged in fasteners and mechanisms.
- In the case when there is not enough time to fully engage in washing, you can clean the curtains without having to remove them from the window. Then they need to be thoroughly vacuumed, tightly closed and wiped with a rag (sponge) soaked in soapy water, leave for a couple of minutes to dissolve the dirt, and then wipe with a wet clean cloth.
- You can ventilate the room with the shutters down - Draft will rid the fabric of accumulated dust. It is most convenient to remove dust from the planks with a wide brush with a soft bristle.
- Sometimes it is very difficult to wash horizontal curtains from greasy stains. To avoid having to constantly remove and hang them, you can simply wipe the planks every day with damp wipes or vacuum them at the lowest power. So a thorough cleaning can be done once every couple of months.
- Having large windows in the apartment, especially with wooden or combined systems, you are unlikely to be able to cope without assistants when dismantling the blinds, so make sure in advance that at this moment there is someone nearby who can help you with their removal.
- Anti-dust compound easy to find in specialty hardware stores. After applying it, the curtains will get dirty less often and less.
Not recommended use fabric blinds in places with high temperature, humidity, dirt. Prohibited allow creases and bends on the canvas during operation.
You will learn how to quickly remove horizontal blinds in the next video.