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.

It seems that everyone is super busy these days, working, looking after family, volunteering in community organisations, pursuing leisure activities and trying at the same time to keep their homes clean and tidy. Cleaning the window blinds is just one of many tasks that home occupiers once did themselves, but, with time being such a precious commodity, they are now looking for outside help to get things done.

Want Your Blinds to Last? Regular Cleaning is the Answer

It has been proven that regular cleaning prolongs the life of blinds considerably, but with all the different types of materials now being used in blind manufacture, it is important for home owners to get the right type of cleaning product. People these days are almost more environmentally aware than previous generations, and they are reluctant to use cleaning products that will end up in our rivers and oceans, and impact on our wildlife.

Blind cleaning is a large part of our business, and based on our many years of experience at cleaning and renewing blinds, and positive feedback from our customers, we know we are on a winner with ultrasonic cleaning technology. Blind Concepts uses this method for all blind cleaning, because we know it is effective and environmentally responsible.

Sound Waves and Energy Bubbles – Cleaning Magic

Ultrasonic cleaning technology uses high frequency sound waves in conjunction with water-based cleaning solution to lift dirt from every part of the blinds. These sound waves generate millions of tiny energy bubbles, and when they implode, they remove every trace of grease, grime, dirt, insect residue and anything else that has found its way onto your precious blinds.

No Scratching – No Damage

There is no hard scrubbing that can damage the surface, and the bubbles are so small that they find their way into even the smallest space, lifting away dirt that previously was almost impossible to access. New blinds that are cleaned right from the start, using this method, will never be subjected to brushes that can scratch and damage, but this method is just as effective on older blinds.

Kind to the Environment

The water-based solution we use has a tiny amount of bio-degradable detergent added that is so gentle, it is suitable for the most delicate parts of the blind, including the cords. We also don’t need to use a lot of water with ultrasonic cleaning, so we are not only keeping our waterways clean, but also conserving one of our country’s most precious resources.

We return your blinds within 24 hours, clean, sanitised, deodorised and lubricated, ready for re-hanging. Even old and worn-looking blinds will look so good, you will forget about replacing them, saving you buckets of money, and that is the best part.

Choosing the right style of blind to suit the windows in your home is an important decision because they add to the street appeal of the property. The correct choice adds value to any property, whether domestic or commercial, but a poor choice detracts from its appearance just as much as an untidy yard, rubbish left lying around or a peeling paint job.

Here in Australia, there are several styles of blinds that are always popular and while colours and patterns go in and out of fashion, these styles are at the top of every decorator’s list. Venetian, Roman, roller and block out blinds are the top choices of most property owners. If you are just starting the search for your ideal blinds, one of these will be the right style, either for a specific room or for all your rooms.

At Blind Concepts we are no stranger to these styles, as much of our business is to provide our clients with blind cleaning and repair services. We offer an ultrasonic cleaning method that is cost effective and environmentally friendly, and uses minimal amounts of chemicals and water.

Versatile Venetians – Timeless Look, Modern Materials

Venetian blinds are very versatile and nowadays they are available in a range of materials including PVC, timber, plastic and aluminium. They are enjoying a resurgence of sorts, due in part to these new materials, which are easier to clean than those of some years ago. The sleek lines and narrow blades of the new style of venetians suit modern décor, and all but the timber ones are suitable for wet areas.

Soften a Harsh Vista with a Roman Blind

Roman blinds are made of fabric and are a popular way to add a splash of colour to a room. Their wide, horizontal panels have a softening effect on both a window and the rest of the room. They are often paired with curtains in the same fabric, creating an elegant, co-ordinated effect, and their insulation qualities make them suitable for colder climates.

Keep Costs Down with a Roller Blind

The ever-practical roller blind was once kept to the bedrooms and kitchen, but new fabrics, fashionable colours and trims have given it the style to grace any room. The easy up and down motion lets in maximum light and breeze, and its unobtrusive presence allows the furniture to set the style for the rest of the room. Choose a light-filtering, block-out or sunscreen fabric and you have the elements under control.

Getting the right style to suit specific rooms, climate aspects and window shapes needs some thought, but it is worth the effort for the comfort of the occupants and the street appeal of the property. When it comes time to clean your blinds, regardless of what style you have chosen, give us a call.

For many years, no self-respecting home owner would dress their windows with blinds unless they were accompanied by curtains. In fact, blinds were the poor cousin to curtains of all fabric types, lengths, styles and colours. Blinds existed just to control the light and curtains were able to strut their stuff in every window of the dwelling, which included the toilet.

Can Blinds Replace Curtains? Yes, if You Choose Well

The wheel has turned full-circle and these days, curtains are optional, an extra that may not be needed because the range of blinds available today are not only functional, but also elegant, stylish and in many cases, simply beautiful. No other window statement is needed if you get the right blind to suit the window.

Naturally, with a business name like Blind Concepts, we know quite a lot about blinds, especially about keeping them looking like new. We clean and repair various types of blinds so that you get the maximum value out of them, instead of replacing them when they begin to look shabby. We do the work on our premises so there is no disruption to your household routine.

Perennial Favourite – Roller Blinds

Roller blinds are functional for most areas, especially utility areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundries. They are easy to clean, and available in sheer, semi-sheer, opaque and block-out fabrics, giving you complete control of the amount of light entering the room. They also come in a range of colours and patterns to suit your décor.

Romans for Classical Elegance

Smooth when opened and neatly folded when closed, roman blinds have been around forever, and have a classic look that suits a minimalist decorating style. They look good in any type of room, and come with a cord that allows you to choose how much area you want covered.

Modern Venetians are Versatile

A Venetian style of blind nowadays comes in many different materials. People who had them in their homes fifty years ago remember them being hard to clean. Modern venetians are much improved with thinner, more elegant slats that are coated to resist dust. Available in several different types of timber including cedar and wood-composite, as well as aluminium and other materials, they are versatile, attractive and suit most types of windows.

The Newcomer – Honeycomb Blinds

Modern additions to the range are honeycomb or cellular blinds. They are excellent at filtering light, with the bonus of being an efficient insulator of both heat and cold. This helps with energy costs and the cells, from which they are made, come in different varieties and sizes, allowing you to choose what best suits your windows.

There are other styles available, so decide what you want from your window blinds before you purchase. When they are ready for cleaning, just give us a call.

Has the time come to replace those tired, old window blinds with bright and modern new ones? Have you checked the internet, looked through magazines and watched the latest home improvement programs for ideas and colour schemes? Perhaps you have already made some style choices, but have you based these choices on fashion only, or did you consider other aspects like functionality, and more importantly, safety?

Mandatory Standards Ensure Product Safety

Every blind manufacturer wants to create a product that is popular with the public and which sells well. They put a lot of effort into design so their blinds are practical, and they use materials and colours that look good. Now, there are mandatory standards in place to ensure that they are also safe to use in the average household.

This is something we are aware of as a provider of blind cleaning, repair and replacement services. At Blind Concepts, we offer an alternative to spending a lot of money on fully replacing your blinds. We restore damaged blinds by replacing slats and slat hangers, resewing where necessary and replacing chains, cords or wands.

New Rules for Labelling, Packaging and Installation

The Competition and Consumer (Corded Internal Window Coverings) Safety Standard 2014 came into effect on 1 January 2015 and this applies to all corded internal window coverings supplied from 31 December 2010. Now, there are requirements for the labelling and packaging of these types of blinds, as well as the installation.

Specific Measures Designed to Prevent Accidents

Corded internal window coverings must be installed so that a loose cord cannot form a loop 220mm or longer at or less than 1600 mm above floor level. A cleat used to secure a cord must also be installed at least 1600mm above floor level. These requirements are to prevent a repeat of several tragic instances of babies and toddlers who lost their lives when caught in these cords.

Anyone installing a corded internal window covering must label it with the name and contact details of the installation company and must not remove any warning label or swing tag supplied with the product.

Not the Only Standards and Regulations

These are not the only manufacturing and installation standards and regulations that apply to window coverings. All of us working in this industry must ensure we know what is expected of us to provide the best products and services to our customers.

Don’t Throw Out Compliant Blinds

If you have blinds that meet all these standards but they look shabby, think carefully before you decide to replace them with what could be an inferior product. Well-made blinds respond well to both our restoration and ultrasonic cleaning processes. If your existing blinds are compliant, we can have them looking awesome at a fraction of the cost of new ones.

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.

If you are a sufferer of hay fever and asthma, keeping the home free of dust is essential to your overall health and comfort. There are various triggers that can start a bout of either condition such as exposure to some pollen and other allergens. However, you probably know that household dust mites are one of the most common causes.

Careless Dusting Technique Contributes to Hay Fever Symptoms

This makes cleaning an unpleasant task, especially if you are careless about your dusting technique. Dust cloths and feather dusters are notorious for flicking dust particles into the air where they are inhaled by everyone in the house. These particles also cling to curtains, blinds and other household furnishings, keeping the hay fever sufferer in a never-ending cycle of sneezing, itching eyes, runny nose and tickling in the back of the throat.

Is There an Alternative?

We have another alternative to these traditional cleaning methods when it comes time to clean your window blinds. Not only will there be no dust floating around the furnishings, but also you will not have to raise a finger to get your blinds cleaned. We will pick up your blinds from your home, put them through our process at the Blind Concepts workshop and return them to your home within 24 hours, ready for re-hanging.

Ultrasonic Cleaning – Just a Little Water and Sound Waves

Our process is called ultrasonic cleaning, and it works by using high frequency sound waves that produce millions of tiny imploding energy bubbles. These bubbles remove all the dirt, grime and grease that have become embedded in the blinds over time. There is no harsh scrubbing that can damage the surface of your blinds, and the bubbles get into every nook and cranny that brushes often don’t reach.

A Friend of the Environment

This process is also environmentally friendly. It uses a water-based solution that is safe and gentle to use and only the tiniest amount of bio-degradable detergent is needed. During the cleaning process, the blinds are also sanitised, deodorised and lubricated, restoring them to an almost-new look at a fraction of the cost of replacing them.

Spotless Windows – Blinds Look Brand New

While your blinds are away being cleaned, take the opportunity to clean the windows and wipe away any built-up grime or dust on the window sills and frames. If you have curtains on these windows as well as blinds, make it a clean sweep by taking them down and wash them yourself or have them dry-cleaned.

Say Goodbye to Irritating Symptoms

When we return your blinds to be hung at your now spotless windows, you will have the whole job completed and the dirt and dust will have disappeared. You will appreciate not only the pristine look of your window coverings but also being free of those irritating symptoms of hay fever.

No caring parent would leave poisons accessible to very small children, or have an unfenced pool in their back yard. They put hazardous substances out of the reach of children and install a regulation pool fence. They also make sure that they have Australian standard, age appropriate child seats and restraints in their vehicles and keep their little ones away from busy roads and other dangers.

Strangulation the Main Risk to Young Children

Why then, has it taken us so long to become aware of the danger of some types of window blinds to very young children? Since 2001, there have been at least 21 deaths of young children in Australia, who were strangled when they became entangled in loose blind and curtain cords.

Follow the Safety and Installation Instructions

Following a public awareness campaign and new regulations requiring all blinds sold in Australia to have warning labels and safety features, the number of accidents reduced. However, every death is still one too many. With a little thought and effort, these tragedies are completely avoidable.

Unless the safety instructions are followed when the window blinds are installed, children remain in danger. This is an issue that is very much in our minds when we install replacement or repaired blinds for a client. At Blind Concepts, we do our part to minimise the danger, as the repair of bottom chains, cords and wands are part of our service.

Check every Window in any New Dwelling

For example, when a family moves into a new dwelling, we recommend that the adults check every room for blinds or curtains where cords are dangling loose. This also includes holiday accommodation, as everything there is unfamiliar. Secure loose cords with tie-downs or other devices that can be purchased very cheaply from any hardware store.

Move Furniture Away from the Hazard

Sometimes the solution is as easy as rearranging the furniture. Little ones who have just learnt to stand love testing their skills by grabbing playpen or cot rails and reaching up to anything that looks interesting. Blind cords moving in the breeze will attract their attention and if they can reach them, the danger is immediate.

Check Out the Other Options

There are several other options available to the home owner. One is a cordless blind that is raised and lowered manually, and locks into place when hand pressure is removed from the bottom rail. Another is a retractable pull cord that retracts to a pre-set position, inaccessible to the younger age group who is at the greatest risk.

For those who want to dispose of cords altogether, wands are an excellent solution. A single plastic rod replaces the chain and/or cord, is non-intrusive and easy to use. However, the best protection comes from choosing blinds from reputable companies like ours that comply with safety requirements.

Blinds have proven to be a practical and popular alternative to other window coverings, and readily adaptable to our climate extremes. Where once they were available only in timber, in our modern world there are now multiple choices in materials and finishes, enough to keep every interior designer happy.

Advantages Differ Depending on Type

The different types of blinds have their own characteristics and advantages. Their versatility makes them just as popular in the heat and humidity of Darwin as they are keeping out the winter chill in Tasmania.

We are very familiar with all types of aluminium and timber blinds, and over the years we have been in business, it is likely that we have attended to every type on the market. At Blind Concepts, we clean and repair timber blinds, poly-resins, wood composites, aluminium and cedar blinds. Our service breathes life into old, worn and damaged blinds, extending their usefulness and making them look like new again.

Western Red Cedar a Popular Choice

Interior blinds are usually made of timber, and we know that western red cedar is a popular choice as indicated by the numbers that go through our cleaning process. It is light but strong, making it the perfect material for spanning large spaces without the need for additional supports. This makes it ideal for buildings with a view, as the vista is uninterrupted.

Insulation Qualities another Advantage

Western red cedar also has superior acoustic and insulation qualities. It shields occupants from external noises such as busy roads and saves energy costs due to its ability to keep the heat out in summer and retain warmth in winter.

Attractive Powder Coat Finishes are an Advantage

Aluminium is another popular material that our process can restore. These blinds are available in many different powder coat finishes and colours, which is one of the advantages. It gives the property owner or interior designer many options for colour matching the blinds to the rest of the interior décor.

Aluminium Suited to Sliding Doors

Another advantage to installing aluminium blinds is their aesthetic appeal. They are thin and light, giving them an appealing elegance. When fully opened, they reveal the entire window, allowing in light and a view to the outside. Privacy and protection from the elements is assured when they are closed. 

Aluminium and timber blinds are easier to keep clean than curtains, as they can be brushed over with a cloth or duster while still hanging on the windows. They do not go out of fashion, and if, after normal wear and tear, they need repairing as well as cleaning, we can do that too.

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.