How to clean plantation shutters

4:07PM 14 January 2019

Shutters bring many benefits to a home, but perhaps one of the best lifestyle benefits they bring is how little maintenance they need. Put shutters up against blinds and curtains, and we’re talking hours of time saved in cleaning, not to mention trips to the dry cleaners. See, with plantation shutters, there are no hooks, no pleats, no need to get ladders out to take them down for cleaning, and best of all, it’s super quick.

How to clean window shutters

Here are our 5 top tips to the best way to clean wooden and vinyl shutters. You’ll be surprised how little they need…

Dust each shutter slat

To keep your shutters clean, take a dry, no-polish dusting cloth or feather duster, open your slats, and dust each slat one by one. Then turn your slats and do the opposite side. We tend to recommend microfibre cloths if your shutters are within reach to clean such as for cafe style shutters, or an extendable feather duster if your shutters are too tall for you to reach. If you have solid shutters, simply dust down with your cloth for the perfect clean.

Clean the shutter slats up and down

If you prefer to work horizontally cleaning several shutter slats at once, then opt for a slatted blind cleaner. Typically used for Venetian blinds they are perfect for cleaning shutters. Simply work your way from the top to the bottom of your slats.

How to hoover your window shutters

Hoovers are great cleaning tools for plantation shutters. You can easily hoover the dust off your shutters for a deep clean. Be attentive with the nozzle you use, however. Especially if you have light coloured white shutters or grey shutters. We recommend you use the soft brush nozzle, not hard-edged or metal nozzles which can scratch the surface.

Wipe down heavier stains

Shutters that are in areas prone to heavier stains, such as splashes from a kitchen sink, or fingerprints in a child’s playroom are simple to clean. If you have wooden shutters, take a very slightly damp cloth and rub the soiled area of your shutter until it’s clean, then immediately dry it off with a clean, dry cloth so that moisture doesn’t penetrate the wood. If you have Waterproof Polyvinyl Shutters then you can use a damper cloth for wiping any stains away. Waterproof shutters are built to withstand splashes and are water-resistant.

Paint over stains that aren’t budging

If your shutters have seen wear and tear or if on the odd occasion, there’s just no removing that pesky stain, we provide all of our customers with a small bottle of shutter paint in their shutter colour. Use a small paintbrush to touch up the stained area, and your shutters will look as good as new.

We hope this guide helps you keep your shutters looking as perfect as the day they were installed.

Interested in fitting shutters to other rooms of your home? Our shutters are a fraction of the cost of a full-service shutter installation, and easy to fit yourself. Take a look at our customer’s rooms for inspiration. 

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