Posts Tagged ‘home improvement’

Consistent Cleaning of Your Vinyl Mini Blinds

Vinyl mini blinds are in a large portion of residences across America. They have been a consistently popular choice for years and they will continue to be a consistently popular choice for years to come. Why are they so popular? They're popular because they're affordable.

Affordability is an especially high priority in a tough economy. Proper cleaning and maintenance of products is another aspect that is assigned a higher priority during a tough economy. Consumers looking to get the most out of their product realize that properly caring for the vinyl mini blinds can increase their usable life as well as increase their ability to function at a high level. Cleaning them is easy; just follow the steps below.

1. The feather duster is the first step. This will do the majority of the upkeep. If it's done often enough it will be able to knock lose any collecting dust and/or debris easily that is collecting on the vinyl mini blinds.

2. When something is needed that's a bit more thorough than the feather duster owners should turn to a damp rag. The trick with the damp rag cleaning is to make sure it is only damp; not wet. Owners should also develop a pattern so that there aren't any portions of the vinyl mini blinds that are "missed" during the process.

3. Vinyl mini blinds that haven't been properly maintained can collect dust and debris until they require something more intensive than a feather duster or a damp rag. At this point owners need to take the blinds down from their installed position. Take the product outside and spray it off with water from a household hose.

4. In situations where there is no appropriate outdoor area to spray off the products owners should place the dirty vinyl mini blinds in a bathtub filled with warm water and an all purpose cleaner. After soaking for a few minutes the blinds can be jostled around; dirt and debris should wash away fairly easily and quickly.

5. And as a last resort owners can keep the car wash in mind. This would involve transporting wet blinds, but it's worth it if it saves the vinyl mini blinds from being discarded because they can't be cleaned. Owners can take advantage of the affordable high power water spraying devices at the car wash to really spray off the blinds.

In most cases owners of vinyl mini blinds never even have to remove the blinds from their place of installation. Regular feather dusting and occasional damp rag cleaning keep them in top condition. But it is an added advantage that manufacturers took care to leave the possibility for removal available so that blinds that have become dirty can be taken down for cleaning. Owners will find that the removal process is simple and easy, too. There's no intense study required at all.

Chris Stanley is a window treatments expert at Blinds Chalet. Blinds Chalet has over 25 years of experience in the window coverings sector and strives to educate consumers about purchasing and installing window shades before they buy. Focusing on high quality, company tested and approved window treatments at affordable prices, Blinds Chalet is a resource for all things window shades related.

Choose Vertical Blinds For Your Next Window Treatment

With so many window blinds to choose from, it can be literally distracting. Certainly curtains and drapes are lovely traditional options. At one time, these were the only options. And vertical blinds were only considered to be for office decor. But times have changed, and you can find many beautiful kinds that are just right for home use.

Sometimes, you may have a window that just does not look quite right with curtains or drapes. Perhaps the window is too wide, or it gets too much sunshine. You can use window blinds very successfully in these two circumstances. The window blinds can be made to fit the window without adding a lot of heavy yardage, and they can also stop sun and heat from entering your home and ruining your furniture and accessories.

Blinds that have slats that run in a vertical direction are called verticals for short. This is important because older style window blinds were made in horizontal direction and the slats were not attached separately. This made the older style blinds much more difficult to clean and awkward to use. There are so many different kinds of verticals that it may surprise you, particularly if you are only familiar with the older horizontal styles. These new models come in lots of colors, textures, and sizes. You may buy them online or from many home improvement and department stores.

The most common material for window blinds is vinyl because it is the least expensive. Another option is stained wood, but it will be quite expensive and a bit more difficult to clean. Other types of verticals include fabric in a wide array of patterns, and even perforated to improve air circulation in your home.

If you are raising a family, you probably want to have verticals that are easy to clean. So vinyl will be the best choice for you. The vinyl slats are very easy to detach from the unit, clean with warm soapy water and a sponge, and then hang each slat up again. They are also very easy to repair because each slat is attached separately. This is very different from older window blinds where everything is attached to everything else. Those were frustrating, but new verticals are refreshingly simple.

If your home requires a more elegant window treatment, you should look at fabric vertical blinds because the fabric is easily coordinated with the existing fabrics in the room. It is possible to buy sheer verticals that help to filter the outdoor light while still giving you privacy inside your home. Perforated verticals also work well for this use. These window blinds have thousands of tiny holes in each slat to allow light and air to flow through. Some of the best uses of these two types of verticals include large picture windows or sliding glass doors, or large patio doors. If you feel that you need an extra measure of privacy control, then you can always use fabric with vinyl backing.

Premium verticals are usually faux wood or wood. These natural substances can give a warm and cozy feeling to a room. They are expensive, but they do last a long time. They may not be the best choice for rooms that get excessive sun or heat, simply because these two conditions can be harder on wood than other substances.

Verticals should include extra parts in case something breaks, a warranty, and some easy instructions. They are not difficult to install for most people. If you want to avoid the entire process, then you may shop at a larger store where free installation is often included for the blinds with no additional installation fees.

Want to find savings on about vertical blinds, then visit Jerrikat Jennison's site for beautiful and high quality window blinds for your needs.

Vertical Blinds: How They Benefit Your Home

Vertical blinds have become more popular as a style feature than regular blinds since the vertical lines draw the eye up and down. This makes the room appear slightly taller. If you are in the market for blinds and other window treatments, you should consider the advantages of this type of blinds rather than more conventional window blinds.

Vertical shades have blades that hang from an overhead track. Window blinds are opened either by pulling the entire blind to one side or by rotating the individual blades to control the amount of light and heat that enters the room. Because there are no bulky cords or ribbons in front of window blinds, they can almost disappear when the blades are rotated.

Vertical window blinds not only allow for the control of sunlight in the room, they also help to control the temperature of your home. If your home has a large window opening, the summer heat can cause a high cost for cooling the interior air. In the winter season, cold air from the outdoors affects the amount of energy that you need to keep the indoor air warm. Windows are appealing to the eyes, but may be painful to the pocketbook unless you install good blinds.

In the summer, you will reduce your costs to cool indoor air by providing shade in the rooms. In the winter, you want to allow light into the rooms to take advantage of the passive heating of the sun rays. Because the vertical slats can be adjusted to hang at many different angles, you get the benefits of temperature control and energy savings during every season of the year.

Use the vertical blades to direct or block light into your rooms. You will be able to direct air flow when you combine open windows and vertical window blinds. During the hot summer season, using natural air flow can be an effective way to reduce cooling costs in the home.

The individual slats of vertical window blinds are easy to replace. If the bottom edge gets worn or discolored you can remove one or more slats and easily pop in a new blade. This is great for a broken, bent or weathered blade as well.

When you are choosing vertical window blinds, you must be aware of the relative durability of the various materials from which they are constructed. Aluminum blinds are light weight and come in many attractive colors and widths, but they tend to bend more easily and are difficult or impossible to straighten completely once bent. Wooden blinds are warm and rich in appearance but weigh more. The finish on wood may need more care than on some of the other construction materials. If you choose plastic or PVC, the slats wipe clean and the color is all the way through the slat, but some people dislike the possible health issues of PVC. Plastic is more likely to discolor and become brittle when exposed to the sun's rays for a long period of time.

Vertical blinds assure beautiful home window treatments. They also guarantee that your heating and cooling costs will be more manageable. Choose good quality materials and make up the additional cost with your energy savings. You will save even more because these blinds won't have to be replaced so often. If you plan carefully and choose attractive and stylish blinds, you can enjoy them for many years.

Want to find savings on about vertical blinds, then visit Jerrikat Jennison's site for beautiful and high quality window blinds for your home.