Do you have cellular shades (the honeycomb type)? And do you want to keep them looking and going up and down like new for years to come?
Bet you do. Glance below at a few suggestions about how to do it.

 

 

You can use a feather wand duster to regularly get a small layer of dust off their shades. The electrostatic properties of the duster attract the dust particles to it and away from the shade. If the dust layer’s become too much to handle for the wand duster, gentle vacuuming with a soft-bristle attachment is your next step. As with any blinds and shades, being consistent and regular with your cleaning brings the best results. Dust simply doesn’t have the chance to gather in harder-to-clean layers.

 

 

Spot cleaning for on-the surface spots needs a soft cloth, or a sponge, and a mild detergent dissolved in lukewarm water. Gently spot-clean the soiled areas.

Take extra care with delicate fabrics and materials as they can permanently wrinkle.

Before using a tougher detergent and lukewarm water, test your solution on an inconspicuous corner of the shade. As a rule, only mild detergents are the best ones to use on cellular shades.

 

What if you have a few tough-as-nails stains?
Some manufacturers (check with yours first before going ahead) suggest to take the soiled shade off the window and soak it in warm water. A few drops of mild detergent may be added to the water. After about 4-5 minutes of whirling the soak water around the shade, rinse the shade using clean water. To refresh the pleats, close (draw up) the shade tight. Gently squeeze to remove excess water. The shade goes back on the brackets now. Lower the shade fully and allow it to dry.

 

Strong detergents, spot removers, ultrasonic cleaning and dry cleaning are not recommended. Some cellular shades materials are unsuitable for soaking.  If in doubt, contact the manufacturer of your cellular shades for advice.

 

 

Cellular shades can get much “physical abuse” from hitting the window hardware while going up and down (for example: Window cranks, locks, screens, no hold-down brackets on a door installation).

A heavy-duty workout for an extra wide cellular shade happens when the moving rail is naturally heavy to lift by the draw cords (the bottom moving rails often have weights in them to pull the “springy” fabric down).

What can you do to reduce the wear and tear on your cellular shades?

Install your cellular shades as far as possible from the window hardware (minding the travel path when they go up and down). As that is not always possible, use both your hands and help the moving rails clear the obstacles as they go up and down.

If you have a wide and heavy moving rail, reduce the wear out on the strings and the clutch by lifting the rail with one hand as you draw on the cords with the other.

If you have a cellular shade “flapping” on a door without hold-down brackets, get some and install them as soon as possible. You’ll be glad you did.

 

Note :
Be especially careful lifting cellular shades around the exposed hardware after removing window crank handles. You’ve seen them around. They are the tilting, folding, or butterfly type handles. The exposed metal spindle may rip the honeycomb material if the shade is pulled up without care.