19 Jan How to Clean Your Indoor Shutters

How to Clean Your Indoor Shutters

Window shutters are a great addition to any home’s interior. They are one of the most attractive, yet functional pieces you can add to your home. However, your shutters begin to lose their appeal when they get too dirty. No worries! One thing that you probably love about your indoor shutters is that they are so easy to clean.

Nevertheless, using the wrong tools can produce more harm than good. In this article, we’ll cover the proper ways to clean both wood and vinyl shutters, as well as offer some additional tips for safety and success.

Wood or Plantation Shutters

You’ll want to clean your wood shutters both weekly and monthly. Every week, use your vacuum cleaner hose with the soft brush attachment to remove pet hair, dust, and bugs. Then, go over each slat with a cloth slightly damp with water to remove fingerprints and stains.

This is the most effective way of lifting all dirt and particles from your shutter slats, but if you would prefer a different method, simply use a dry, microfiber cloth for dusting and follow with a damp cloth.

Once a month, lightly spray a cloth with furniture polish and run it along the slats after your regular cleaning. If your shutters have grooves in the wood, use a toothbrush sprayed lightly with furniture polish to clean dust and grime from the dents and ensure a nice finish.

Vinyl or Painted Shutters

Though the process of cleaning this type of shutter is similar in nature, pay close attention to the difference in tools.

Once a week, follow the instructions for the wood shutters and use a vacuum hose with the soft brush attachment to remove dust and debris. Then, mix up a bucket of one teaspoon dish soap and one quart water to form a gentle cleaning solution. Dampen your cloth in the mixture, and run it along the entire surface of the shutters, paying special attention to fingerprints and stains. Use a toothbrush dipped in the sudsy water to clean out the grooves.

Next, use a second cloth dampened by just water to rinse away any soap residue. Thoroughly dry your shutters with paper towels. Do not use a towel, since the towel will likely leave behind a lint residue.

Additional Tips

• Never stand on a chair or table to clean your shutters. Use a secure step stool.

• Do not use water to clean your wood shutters. The water will eventually warp the wood and ruin the finish. A damp cloth is okay.

• Do not use harsh, all-purpose cleaners like 409 or Clorox on any type of shutters. Stick to the mild soap and water mixture for the painted or vinyl shutters only.

• Always adhere to your owners manual for special instructions on cleaning and maintenance.

These tips should be all you need to keep your shutters clean and maintained, but if you run into problems, feel free to give us a call for some expert advice. Read more if you want to learn how to maintain your plantation shutters or how to repair your shutters.