Most of us like our home to be a place where we can relax and be ourselves at the end of a busy day. When we step over the threshold we want to feel comfortable, and a big part of that is living in a clean and tidy environment. While most times a routine cleanup will get everything spic and span, at some point, window dressings such as curtains and blinds will need a more thorough cleaning.

Use Care When Cleaning Genuine Wooden Blinds

If you have genuine wooden blinds, there are a couple of things we recommend you take into consideration before subjecting them to a vigorous cleaning technique. Even though these blinds are made of wood, they are not robust, and can be easily damaged. They should not be dipped in a bath of soapy water like plastic blinds, as the timber absorbs the water, then swells and cracks.

We consider ourselves to be experienced at cleaning all types of blinds. Here at Blind Concepts, we offer a blind cleaning service to customers who would rather outsource this task to professionals. However, if you are careful, you can do them yourself. To help you out, here are a few suggestions.

The Vacuum Cleaner is the First Step

First, close the blinds up and gently go over one side and then the other with the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. This should remove most of the surface dust, especially if you have been regularly dusting them as part of your weekly cleaning routine.

Clean Each Individual Slat as the Second Step

Second, open the slats and with a damp cloth, gently wipe each individual blade. A quick way to do this is to put a damp sock on your hand, carefully hold the slat between thumb and forefinger and run your hand along its length. Do this with each slat in sequence and you are cleaning both the front and back at the same time.

Final Step is a Wipe Down with a Dry Cloth

Follow this up with a wipe down with either a dry cloth or a dry sock, using the same technique. This is important because it will remove any remaining moisture that if left, can damage the wood over time. A good rule is to treat your wooden blinds just like wooden furniture and use only mild wood cleaners. Always check that your cleaners do not contain bleach, as this will cause discolouration.

There is Always a Professional Alternative

If your wooden blinds need cleaning and you prefer a professional touch, we will pick them up, put them through our cleaning process and return them to your home ready to hang, usually within twenty-four hours. Our ultrasonic cleaning technology uses high frequency sound waves to remove dirt and grime gently, even from those tiny hard to get at places. Your blinds will look like new and they will last much longer.

As a society, we are all struggling with the choices we make as consumers and the way those choices impact on the environment. We know that our natural resources are being depleted and we are looking for sustainable alternatives to reduce our carbon footprint. From small beginnings, sustainability has grown to become an important contribution to countering the effects of climate change.

Lots of Choices Available in Sustainable Products

Choosing sustainable products is becoming easier as more and more alternatives become available. For example, window coverings are an area where eco-friendly materials are now offered as a viable alternative to traditional materials. Blinds and curtains protect structures from the elements, reducing the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling. When these blinds and curtains are made from eco-friendly materials, the environment wins twice.

Our Process Reduces Waste

At Blind Concepts, our business is based on getting the most out of your window coverings by cleaning and repairing them, so they look like new. Blinds that have been through our process look so good that any thought of throwing them out and buying new ones disappears. We have an excellent record of preventing unnecessary waste, and our cleaning process uses very little water or detergents.

Eco-friendly Materials Look Great on Windows

There are several materials now being used by manufacturers that are kind to the environment and look sensational on your windows. Hemp, recycled paper, bamboo, timber from sustainable plantations and natural fibres such as organic cotton are all being used to make blinds.

Roller Blinds a Perfect Choice for Sustainable Fabrics

The uncomplicated design of roller blinds is a perfect example of how a fabric made from hemp or bamboo or even recycled paper can be made into a product that would grace any window. With the advanced manufacturing techniques now available, such fabrics are indistinguishable from traditional types.

Ancient Bamboo Still in Favour

Bamboo blinds have been traced back to Ancient Eastern cultures, with these early peoples using whatever natural resources were available to them, in the absence of an organised manufacturing industry. Bamboo is still being used today to make blinds, although these most likely are finished with a level of precision and quality that would not have been available to the ancients.

Ultra-Cleaning Process Gentle on Eco-friendly Materials

Our repair and cleaning process is already being used with great success on timber blinds. Because ultra-sonic cleaning uses little water, with most of the work being done by high frequency sound waves, it is proof that eco-friendly blind materials can withstand cleaning. This is an important point to make when marketing these materials, as people may think that eco-friendly means fragile.

Next time you are shopping for blinds, ask about eco-friendly materials and do the environment a huge favour.

We have seen many changes over the years to home decorator features, but the window blind has outlasted the fads and fashions. Apart from a few changes brought on by improved technology, the basic design of each different type of blind remains unchanged. Venetians, verticals, Holland blinds, wood composite and other types of blinds are relatively unchanged and still providing privacy and protection from the weather.

The Vacuum Cleaner Makes Things Easy

However, window blinds gather dust over time and require a regular dusting regime. The vacuum cleaner is the first line of defence and should be used weekly on your blinds. Using the brush attachment, start at the top and work down, moving the cleaner over the whole blind. This removes the surface dust and reduces the amount of effort needed to get the blinds completely clean.

Horizontal and Vertical Blinds

When the times comes for a more thorough clean, there are no trick techniques, but some blinds require more work than others need. For horizontal and vertical blinds, wash them over using a microfibre cloth and some warm, soapy water. There is no need to take them off the window if you are careful. Open the window when you are finished and let them air dry.

Fabric Blinds Need Some TLC

Fabric blinds need a little more care and attention, especially if regular vacuum cleaning has been neglected. Wash both sides with warm soapy water using a sponge, rinse with clean water and wipe over with a clean towel to remove the excess. If they are badly discoloured, you may need to take them down from the window to do this, but if you can clean them in situ, again, open the window and let them air dry.

Blinds with Wooden Slats

Even though these types of blinds may have been vacuumed regularly, they eventually trap dirt in hard to reach places. First remove as much of this accumulated dirt as possible using a dry cloth by wiping the top and bottom of each individual slat. Stubborn areas will need scrubbing with a wet cloth, followed by drying off with a clean, dry cloth. This is important as leaving water on the slats may make them warp.

An Easier Alternative

If this is too time-consuming or difficult, we can offer an alternative. At Blind Concepts, we have a blind cleaning service using the latest ultrasonic cleaning technology. This uses high frequency sound waves as an alternative to hard scrubbing that can damage the blinds. We take your blinds to our workshop to clean them, and return them ready to hang.

Keeping your blinds looking new and fresh is a much cheaper option than replacing them. Regular cleaning will extend their life and your windows will look sensational.

There are some people who have so little interest in keeping their living space clean that friends need a bio-hazard suit to visit, and there are others who clean everything every day. Somewhere in the middle there is a comfortable, balanced state where the home is comfortable, clean and tidy, and a place where friends and family feel welcome and safe.

Cleaning Frequency Dependent on Exposure Levels

Professional cleaners usually perform a range of cleaning tasks to a schedule that is part of the contract between their staff and the owner or lessee of the buildings they clean. Tasks are done daily, weekly, monthly, three-monthly, half-yearly and yearly so that in any given year, every part of the premises has been cleaned. The duration between each clean is dictated by things like the amount of use, the level of exposure to dirt and dust and other similar factors.

Private Homes Set Their Own Cleaning Schedules

In most dwellings, high-traffic floors other than carpets may need to be swept daily and washed weekly. Toilets and bathrooms could be a couple of times a week, kitchen benches and sinks should be daily not just for looks but for basic hygiene and insect control. Dusting furniture could be done daily if you have the time, but like most of our cleaning regimes, it all depends on the number of people living in the dwelling.

Vacuum Cleaners Make Light Work of Blinds

Vacuum cleaners were invented to make housework easier, especially cleaning carpets. A quick run-over with the cleaner and they look like new, but can the same be said of all your window treatments? The doyen of American housekeeping, Martha Stewart, recommends that all window treatments, including blinds, be cleaned once a month.

Anyone who takes Martha’s advice and washes their curtains every month has far too much time on their hands and should go to the nearest charity and volunteer for something. However, blinds are a different story. They are easily kept dust free with a quick whisk over with a duster followed by our friend the vacuum cleaner once a week.

When Extra Cleaning Effort is Needed

There comes a time, however, when your blinds will need something extra to keep them looking good and to prolong their life. This is where Blind Concepts can help with our ultrasonic cleaning technology. This technique uses high frequency sound waves producing millions of energy bubbles that lift the dirt, grease and grime out of your blinds without the hard scrubbing that can damage the surface.

The process is environmentally friendly, using very small amounts of a water-based solution. Cleaning takes a few hours in our workshop, and once we have picked them up from your home, we will have them back to you within 24 hours, cleaned, sanitised, deodorised and lubricated. Call us for a quote.

In temperate South East Queensland we are currently in the middle of winter, which means spring is just around the corner.

For the Blind Concepts staff a spring clean is a tradition. After being cooped up without the windows open for a few months our homes are ready and waiting for a good airing, as well as a good clean. The weather during spring is a lovely time to be doing some hard work; that is for sure.

The flowers are coming out, your bulbs are blooming and it is warm without being hot. This is ideal cleaning weather for our sunny part of the world. If we wait any longer to clean we will be doing it in sweltering summer heat.

Don’t Forget Your Window Dressings

It is amazing how much dust can settle onto your window dressings. Especially if you have a fire going over winter. The dust and particulate seems to increase during this time even with the windows closed.

One of the very best things you can do for ANY blind is to give it a once over with the vacuum cleaner every now and then. You will be amazed at how good they look just from doing this and if you do it regularly you can push out the need for a deeper clean.

To vacuum horizontal blinds simply close them and hold them at the bottom. Vacuum the side facing you with a simple left to right motion starting at the top. Close them facing the other way and repeat.

For vertical blinds, again close them but work from top to bottom. If you have long blinds you may need to ask someone to hold the bottom firm for you. Repeat on the other side.

Deeper Cleaning Tipsdeeper clean

The world became a better place the day microfibre cleaning was discovered! This amazing cloth can clean ANYTHING and usually without any cleaning solution assistance.

If you find you do need a little extra assistance when using it, a few drops of detergent in a bucket of water or a fifty-fifty mix of vinegar and warm water is more than sufficient for cutting through grime and cooking grease.

You can buy mitts made with microfibre that allow you to easily slip your hand between the slats of timber, vinyl or metal blinds with ease. Even wrapping a couple of them around your tongs works well.

It is important not to saturate your blinds when cleaning. Quality microfibre cloths are able to be rung out very well and they leave little water behind.

We also highly recommend that you should have blinds professionally cleaned ultrasonically every couple of years. This helps to loosen and clean any dirt and grime that may be trapped within the fibres where a cloth cannot reach.

If your blinds are in need of a good thorough cleaning you need to contact our team at Blind Concepts. You can keep blinds clean yourself by following some simple maintenance steps and tips but over time they will need a professional clean.

This is because grime and dust builds up in all the hard to reach places that cleaning by you won’t get to. At Blind Concepts we highly recommend you get a professional clean carried out by us at regular intervals to ensure optimum hygiene longevity of your blinds.

Why is ultrasonic cleaning best?

Along with getting into all the tight and small spots where you can’t, there are other benefits to ultrasonic blind cleaning. When you choose to get blinds cleaned in this manner you are increasing their lifespan, which will result in not having to replace or repair blinds sooner than necessary.

Ultrasonic blind cleaning is also the best option for the environment using less water and biodegradable detergent that is environmentally safe. So what is the process?

What happens during the cleaning process?

We will collect your blinds from your home. This will ensure they are removed and transported without damage due to an inexperienced person removing them.

Once in our workshop a small amount of our environmentally friendly water based cleaning solution is added to the water in the machine. Your blinds will be carefully placed in the machine and high frequency pressure sound waves are used to agitate the liquid and create cavitation bubbles.

More intricate cleaning is carried out by using a higher frequency. The process will then remove all dirt, grime and contaminants from the blinds and penetrate all areas including the small moving parts you are unable to access yourself.

We understand your privacy and that the protection of valuables is important. This is why we work efficiently to get your blinds cleaned and back to your home for reinstallation within 24 hours.

The last part of our ultrasonic blinds cleaning process is for you to enjoy the breath of fresh air your blinds breathe into the room. Now hygienically clean so they are safer for your family to be around and looking sparkling and new again.

Ultrasonic blind cleaning is a far simpler and cheaper process than buying new blinds. Don’t think that tired, old and dirty blinds need to be thrown away. Save yourself time and money by contacting our team today to organise your ultrasonic clean today.

When you pay to have blinds installed in your home it’s nice for them to always look good and last as long as possible. When you take care of them and keep them clean it means you won’t have to spend the money to replace or repair them as soon as if you had not taken care of them.

Keeping your blinds clean has some other benefits, too. Blinds are the perfect spot for allergens, dirt and other pollutants to hang around on in your home. This means anyone who suffers allergies or has respiratory issues will soon feel the effects of blinds that are not kept clean.

If blinds are really left to get filthy though, they can even pose an issue for people who don’t have any pre-existing health issues such as allergies. In a nutshell, blinds that are left dirty are just as bad as carpets that are not cleaned regularly.

Of course, just as you can vacuum carpets and mop floors you can clean blinds yourself with dust brushes, vacuums and damp sponges. And just like carpet, a professional clean from Blind Concepts is really the only kind of cleaning that can get rid of every trace of dirt, dust and other nasties hanging about on blinds.

DIY doesn’t get everywhere

While you can clean slats by vacuuming and dusting, it pays to remember that there are moving parts, chords and other bits in blinds that they are unable to reach or don’t even consider. As a result, blinds are never really cleaned properly and the build up on them becomes worse, creating a bigger possible health issue in the home.

Mildew, pet dander, mould and other irritating particles settling in the crevices of your blinds you can’t reach, will only make you suffer.

Professional cleaning the only way

The only real sure way to have your blinds thoroughly cleaned is professionally through ultrasonic cleaning. All the grime, grease, pollutants and more are effectively removed from the entire blind set up leaving them looking brand new again, and much safer from a health perspective to have in your home.

Basically, there is no point in keeping on top of dusting, vacuuming and mopping the rest of your home if you allow your blinds to remain unclean and dusty. If you have been putting off cleaning your blinds then contact the team at Blind Concepts today to find out more about their highly efficient and professional blind cleaning service.

We have all heard the catchcry Reduce, Reuse, Recycle from that famous children’s character we all know and love.

Blind Concepts believe there should be another “re” added to that list and that word is Rejuvenate. Rejuvenating represents a cost saving not only to the homeowner but to Mother Earth herself as it also incorporates the reduction of waste.

You may have your home décor just the way you like it and you are very happy with it but there is just that little problem of the cooking grease that settles onto your blinds. It mixes so nicely with the airborne matter that flows through your windows and circulates through the rooms of your home.

The combination is making your blinds look quite tired and old.

Before you consider replacing those weary blinds with something new why not get them cleaned with the efficient blinds cleaning service that Blind Concepts has to offer, called Ultrasonic Cleaning? You Will Not Believe the Astounding Results.

The Modern Cleaning Method

Many people are waking up to the amazing new technology cleaning service called ultrasonic cleaning.

Yes, you read correctly. Ultrasonic cleaning uses high-frequency sound waves to produce many millions of tiny microscopic bubbles of detergent. The detergent used is biodegradable and the amount used is so small it would put any at-home efforts to shame in the use of it.

The added bonus is you do not need to scrub with this technology so the blinds come out of their treatment glowing and looking brand new with none of the usual marks or scratches caused by abrasive cleaners.

This product will in no way damage slats or soft furnishings of any blind, such as rope pulls and fabric blinds.

Collection and Delivery Service

The aim is to keep the amount of time your windows are without their “clothing” to the absolute minimum. Thus offering the least possible disruption.

This is why your blinds are collected on a nominated day and returned to you within 24 hours so that they can be rehung immediately.

Blind Concepts also offer a repair service for damaged blinds of all kinds such as slats, vertical blinds, roman blinds, Holland blinds, including chord pulls, chains, and wands.

To see some incredible before and after shots and get more information regarding the wonders of ultrasonic cleaning why not visit Blind Concepts and see for yourself.

Window blinds will look old in just a short amount of time as dirt and dust build-up on the slats as well as in the other components of the blinds. Regular cleaning and maintenance are vital in making sure your window blinds reach their optimum useful life. There are several benefits to using ultrasonic cleaning in removing dirt and grime from your blinds.

More Effective than Other Cleaning Methods

Ultrasonic cleaning delivers a higher level of cleaning than most part-cleaning technologies such as spray washers or oscillation parts washers that do not have ultrasonic components.

With spray washing systems, the only part areas that are thoroughly cleaned are those directly hit by the spray action. Difficult-to-reach areas will not be completely cleaned using spray washing units, even those that feature turntables or moving spray heads.

Oscillation parts washers can be effective in getting rid of light oils, shop contaminants, and coolants, but cannot remove bonded contaminants, or dirt that is thicker and tougher to remove.

Ultrasonic cleaning systems can clean the interior of holes the size of human hair or smaller. Since the action generated is microscopic in size, ultrasonic cleaning can clean details that are normally missed by other cleaning methods. Ultrasonic cleaners can also clean the interior of objects that cannot be cleaned by spray or oscillation techniques, like the inside of tubing and injection mould gas cavities.

Significantly Reduced Maintenance and Operating Costs

Spray washers need considerably more maintenance, and are more expensive to operate because of the evaporation of water. These systems also require more electricity because the cleaning fluid temperatures are normally higher in these systems. In addition, spray nozzles need periodic removal and cleaning to ensure the systems continue to function properly.

In contrast, it is very simple to maintain an ultrasonic cleaning system. It requires no specific maintenance other than making sure the tank is always clean and avoiding the buildup of contaminants on the tank bottom.

Spray washing and oscillation parts washers cannot generate very intense cleaning action, thus they need the aid of cleaning fluids. The cleaning fluids used in these systems are more aggressive than those used in ultrasonic cleaning systems. As a result, disposing of the cleaning fluids in spray washers and oscillating parts washers may be more expensive and tougher.

Ultrasonic cleaning generates a powerful cleaning action that gets rid of bonded dirt, bacteria, grease, and grime without damaging the material of window blinds. The cleaning fluid used is water-based, making it environmentally friendly, as well as safe and gentle on the slats of the blinds. Only a small amount of biodegradable detergent is used, thus significantly reducing water usage.

Instead of throwing dirty blinds away, consider sending them to a blind cleaning service that uses ultrasonic cleaning technology. This technique will ensure that your blinds will look clean and brand new once again.

If your blinds are looking a little tatty or dirty, you need to consult the professionals. Blind Concepts can help you to get your blinds looking and working like new. They will clean, repair or replace your blinds or install new blinds for you from scratch.

They are able to offer a premium service at a reasonable price and they are able to deal with several different types of blinds from traditional Venetian blinds to vertical blinds.

The Best Technology

Blind Concepts makes use of the best technology available today. They make use of the ultrasonic cleaning method as it is highly effective at removing stubborn and ingrained dirt with minimal impact on the environment.

The ultrasonic method used allows them to use smaller amounts of water and chemicals. This makes it a very cost-effective method of cleaning and also helps to restore the blinds to a more pristine condition.

How it Works

You simply call in and get an estimate as to the cost – this will take the size, type, and the number of blinds into consideration. When they get your go-ahead, they will remove the blinds and take them to the workshop to be cleaned. Your blinds will be returned and ready to hang within 24 hours.

Blind Repairs

They also offer a blind repair service – a lot of the time, blinds simply have a damaged slat or mechanism and this can easily be repaired. It is much more cost-effective and environmentally friendly to repair the damaged part than to replace the whole set of blinds.

Blind Replacement

You can also choose the blind replacement service – for the replacement of a single slat or a number of slats or even possibly a whole set of blinds. They have a whole variety of colours for you to choose from allowing you to change the look of the blinds as a whole.

This replacement service is also a great way to save yourself some money – it saves you from replacing the blinds completely.

All it takes is a simple call to give some details about what blinds you have, how many you have, et cetera, and what you want to have done. They will then advise you regarding the solution and what the cost will be.

For more info go to Blind Concepts.