Shutters are a wonderful way to spruce up a room. They offer superb light control, they’re secure and make you feel safe and warm, and they look fantastic.
If you own shutters already you'll know what we're talking about, but if you're new to shutters and hesitant about choosing shutters as your window dressing, don't be. Some people think adding plantation shutters to their home entails extra cleaning, but in comparison to drapes, shutters are the easiest window dressing to keep clean. At The Shutter Store we know a lot about shutters and how best to care for them. Read on for our top shutter maintenance tips...
Our top shutter maintenance tips
An easy-to-clean home is on every householder’s wish list. Shutters should actually help you achieve this, and while – like any item of furniture – they do attract dust, if you keep on top of things with our quick and easy tips there’s no reason why your shutters shouldn’t gleam as bright as your best silver and give you many years of worry-free performance.
The right tools for the job
The first thing to know about your shutters is what they’re made of so you can use the right cleaning products to clean them.
We sell shutters made from various hard and soft woods, fauxwood, and American polyvinyl. The good news is that cleaning our shutters is far from complicated often only requiring a quick dust with a clean, dry cloth, feather duster or whatever you like to use on other furniture. Specialist shutter cleaners are an option too.
Wood hates to be wet, so we advise customers to avoid getting them too damp by using polishes or cleansers. Fauxwood is more hard-wearing however, and polyvinyl is completely waterproof, so your cleaning options are a lot more varied.
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Wipe away the dust
It's easy to clean dust from shutters, especially if you opt for solid shutters as they can be wiped in one simple motion. For slatted shutters, open the slats as wide as you can and give them a wipe with your cloth or feather duster.
Start in the middle of each slat and work towards the edges and back in towards the room so you’re not pushing dust behind the shutters.
Use feather dusters to reach above the tops of your shutters or around the back. Tooth brushes are also great for reaching any nooks and crannies.
Do be careful if you’re stretching or balancing and use a proper step ladder that’s suitable for the height you need to be at.
If you’re in a rush you can always clean your shutters in the closed position. Simply close all of the slats and wipe down with a duster. Of course, solid shutters should be polished this way all the time. If you use cleaning products remember to check they’re appropriate for the surfaces they’re used on.
Treating shutter stains
If your shutters get stained or marked then simply treat them as you would any other piece of furniture. Use a damp cloth for easier marks, and cleaning products as appropriate for harder-to-shift stains. Remember, wood needs to be dried after you’ve wet it to prevent it warping or splitting. If you're cleaning shutters from our Waterproof Shutters range, you can use more water with assurance they will not split or warp.
Suck it up
For a thorough clean, you can simply let your vacuum take the strain and de-dust your slatted shutters.
Do not use a floor attachment on your shutters; you’ll need a dusting attachment (sometimes called an upholstery attachment) to avoid damaging the finish.
Polishing shutter hinges
Maintaining hinges is also something you might need to consider from time to time. Your shutters should work well throughout their lifetime but checking on your hinges a couple of times a year will make sure they keep swinging unencumbered for years to come.
You can treat shutter hinges like door hinges and lubricate them twice a year with a light oil. Do this with due care for the surrounding materials and finishes. Use masking tape if you’re a liable to spillages or carelessness and wipe the hinges clean with a damp soft cloth after lubricating.
Check all of the screws in your hinges are tightened when you lubricate them. Use a screwdriver to keep them tight if they start to loosen, or to loosen them if they become too tight. A touch of metal polish to finish off the job should give you the perfect finish.
Simple as that!
Shutters shouldn’t need too much maintenance or cleaning. In fact, it’s one of the biggest benefits of shutters is that they are so quick and easy to clean. Drapes can be real dust traps and need specialist cleaning to revitalize, not to mention hours of time taking them to the laundromat. Most of the time, a quick wipe down is enough to keep your shutters in tip-top condition and even the more involved shutter maintenance tasks are well within the bounds of even the busiest of homeowners.
Thinking about fitting shutters to other rooms of your home? Our shutters are easy to measure, easy to install yourself, and will save you money. Talk to our team for advice!