How to Choose and Maintain Your Windows, Curtains, and Blinds

Even if you are staying in one place, you might want to choose and maintain the windows, curtains, and blinds in your house so that maintenance is neater and easier. You don’t want to spend hours scrubbing smudges off of windows or days picking up fabric pieces from a broken curtain rod.

Here are some tips on how to choose your windows, curtains, and window blinds:

Selection of Windows

Window Frames

Window frames should be made of wood; vinyl is also good but durable. If you have aluminum windows that can rust easily because they are exposed to moisture (especially near the coast), make sure the paint covering them will stand up against it.

Long-Lasting Caulk

Also, make sure you get a long-lasting caulk when sealing around them to prevent water damage under the window sills.

Frames should be sturdy:

Window frames should be sturdy; make sure they are not flimsy.

They Must shut tightly.

Windows must shut tightly and lock well (to prevent burglary).

Double or triple Paned Windows

Use double or triple-paned windows, especially if your house is cold in the wintertime. Triple-paned windows give you excellent insulation against cold air; if you’re buying two sets of single panes, go with Low E glass because it provides better insulation than regular glass. Also, consider using storm windows to increase effectiveness even further (although this isn’t done in every house).

Window Treatments

Blackout Covering

All window treatments should be blackout if you want them for sleeping purposes; they do not have to cover the entire window as long as the effect is achieved.

Thermal Curtains

If you have windows that face the sun, consider using thermal curtains to block heat during the summer and heat in winter; even better would be blackout curtains so you can sleep during the day and keep your home cool when no one is around to open windows or doors.

Curtains should be versatile and match the interior.

They must also be versatile enough to work with other things in your house (such as your bedding). They should also coordinate well with different fabrics used elsewhere throughout the house (especially on furniture).

Also Read: 4 Tips to Select Curtains: Step-by-step Instructions

Rules for window treatments:

 

• Always hang them higher than people’s eye level whenever possible;
• Never let them touch the floor; leave an inch of space between them and the walls so air can circulate from under them, and turn your drapes at least a quarter of a turn every few months to prevent wrinkles.
• Place your drapes close to the corners of your windows for an even better seal against cold air during winter, as well as reduce how much light comes into your house on cloudy days.
• Be sure your sills are free of cracks or chips; fix any damages immediately, so water doesn’t seep in.
• Use a steamer to remove wrinkles from curtains but always start by testing this method on a hidden part of the fabric first. You might end up damaging it with the heat otherwise! To keep drapes clean, use blinds instead of curtains whenever possible (especially if you have pets) because these are much easier to wipe off.
• When storing window treatments, make sure they are dry and dirt-free before putting them away; consider using acid-free tissue paper or dust covers when packing them too.
• Hang your drapes as close to the ceiling as possible for a more elegant look, but make sure their cords are tied back, so they don’t obstruct your walking path.
• To keep blinds and shades clean during the warmer months, close them whenever it’s not raining outside and open them as soon as possible after it stops.
• Make sure that your window treatments aren’t blocking any vents or radiators, which may cause heating bills to rise during the colder months! Curtains should be at least one foot away from any heat source for this reason.

Curtain Material

Choose drapes made from natural fibers for better insulation, as well as fabrics that don’t wrinkle easily since they’re going behind furniture most of the time anyway. Velvet, especially silk velvet, makes an excellent curtain material because it keeps heat in winter and cool air during summer. It also absorbs excess light if you want something that’s not completely blacked out (but still dark enough to sleep).

Choosing Window Blinds 

When choosing blinds, make sure their slats are wide enough apart from each other for maximum sunlight coverage control during different seasons. You want the slats to open up as much as possible during winter so the sun can shine inside and keep your home warm, and close them a little during summer to prevent too much heat from getting into the house.

Also Read: How to Choose a Window Blind: A Step by Step Guide

Blinds Material

Wooden blinds are still preferable, but metal blinds now have their place in modern architecture because of their sleekness and durability.

Fabric

Choose fabrics that go well with your decor and ones that don’t fade easily with exposure to light; if you want dark shades, make sure they can block out most infrared beams (heat).

Avoid extremely thin fabric blinds, like sheer or semi-sheer: These types might save you money on curtains and window treatments initially, but they will need to be replaced more often.

 

Safety For Kids

If you have children, look for safety features on your window coverings before buying them. Some blinds are made with small slats that are easy to break but difficult to swallow; others have long cords that can strangle little ones if they get wrapped around their necks.

Selection of shades

For kids’ rooms, consider using sound-absorbing shades because these reduce noise better than sheer window treatments do. Moreover, ensure each child in the house understands how to raise and lower blinds safely before letting them play with them unsupervised (to prevent finger pokes).

Window Blinds and Curtain Maintenance

Below are some great tips that can help you maintain and clean your window curtains and blinds. These are given below:

Vacuum Them first

When cleaning fabric blinds and shades, vacuum them first before wiping them down with a lint-free cloth dampened with diluted dish soap (1:10 ratio).

Keep Indoor and Outdoor Windows free of smudges.

Keep both your indoor and outdoor windows free of any smudges or sticky materials as much as you can because even small amounts of dust here will reflect light into your house during wintertime, creating an unpleasant glare on top of making it harder for you to see outside. To do this, use newspaper pages instead of paper towels when cleaning windows; avoid using paper towels because these can scratch glass.

Clean Dirt and Dust off of Curtains

Clean dirt and dust off curtains the same way you would do with blinds; make sure to rinse them thoroughly if they get wet too (so detergent doesn’t remain on their fabric).

Store them in the sun or heat

If you want to protect your window treatments from moth damage while not using them, store these out in the sun or near a source of heat; this will drive insects away more effectively than chemical solutions made for this purpose ever could and won’t leave behind any harmful residue either.

Prevent curtain hems

To prevent curtain hems from falling apart quickly, sew some spare cloth underneath the hem, so it extends below the lower hemline; this way, it will absorb all the strain and tugging that occurs when you slide these window coverings open and closed. Pull-tabs sewn at regular intervals along both sides of your curtains will help you pull them back and forth with ease too.

Onion Peels

For natural, low impact dyes, use onion peels, beets, blueberries, and other fruit rinds. They are used to dye your curtains; these will give them a rusty-looking red hue that complements most color schemes (red is the most easily seen color by the human eye). Dry onion skins can also be sprinkled on white or neutral-coloured curtains for an added pattern.

Place some dry Flowers.

To get rid of musty smells inside your house quickly, place some dry flowers in with your window treatments; if you’re lucky, this smell may fade away in just one day! 

Salt Dissolved water

Don’t spend money on expensive curtain cleaning solutions when salt dissolved in water works just as well without leaving residue or streaks behind — it’s just not necessary! Saltwater only causes streaks when it dries up on your window treatments’ fabric (causing white, pearly residue), so make sure to use plenty of water and soap for this purpose.

Use Old towels

Use old towels or other cloth items as temporary shower curtain liners when these need to be replaced; they’re inexpensive and will help prevent mildew buildup in the meantime (and don’t forget to clean them thoroughly before hanging them up again).

Use a Sequence

To keep bathroom window treatments from sticking together when they get condensation on them, use a squeegee to remove excess moisture from these window coverings.

Adding Vinegar

To make your shower curtain last longer and require less soap, add vinegar to the water while you’re taking a soak; it will cause mildew and mould buildup to decrease significantly over time.

Use Newspaper or old magazine

Save some money by using newspaper or an old magazine as a liner under your bathroom or kitchen sink. Since they’ll absorb excess moisture without leaving any residue behind on your countertop (and can easily be disposed of when necessary). Use one sheet for smaller cabinets and two sheets for larger ones.

Spray blinds with Isopropyl Alcohol

To clean blinds quickly and without leaving too much behind on the wood, vinyl, or metal strips that they’re attached to, spray them down with a mixture isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Let this solution dry completely before gently wiping it away with a soft cotton cloth for best results!  

Wipe Blinds with Automotive Wax

If you want your blinds to look as shiny as possible over time, wipe them down with automotive wax at least once every three months; do not use any other type of cleaner for this purpose because they won’t leave these window treatments looking shiny; in return!

Use water and Baking Soda for Vinyl or PVC window Treatments.

If your window treatments are made out of vinyl or PVC, then you need to clean them with water and baking soda. This is especially important if you have excess oil on your skin that needs to be removed before applying soap or alcohol-based solutions.  

Use of Old pillowcase or handkerchief

If you need to remove dust from blinds quickly but don’t have anything else around the house to use, use an old pillowcase or handkerchief for this purpose — make sure not to stretch it over the slats! This will only cause these blinds to fall apart faster than necessary.  

Use of Gentle Cleansers

Make sure that you’re using gentle cleansers when cleaning metal window treatments (like Venetian blinds) to avoid rust stains in the future! These types of cleaners are often available at dollar stores for this very reason.  

Whether you need help choosing the best option or want a little refresher on how to care for it properly, we hope these tips will be helpful! Have any other questions? Reach out and let us know at Curtain Mart Interior Solutions Pakistan.