Caring for Your Curtains and Blinds: Cleaning Tips

A little regular care goes a long way toward keeping made-to-measure blinds and curtains looking sharp and working smoothly for years. Here’s what we’d recommend for each type.

Curtains

• Dust regularly: vacuum with a soft brush attachment every few weeks, or shake curtains out if they’re easy to remove, to stop dust building up in the folds.
• Check the care label before washing: many curtain fabrics, especially interlined or heavier ones, are dry-clean only — home washing can shrink fabric unevenly or damage the lining.
• Rotate exposure to direct sun where possible: prolonged strong sunlight will fade most fabrics over time; lined curtains fade more slowly than unlined ones.

Roller and Roman blinds

• Dust with a soft brush or vacuum attachment: fabric blinds collect dust on the surface, and Roman blinds in particular in the folds — a light regular dust prevents it building up.
• Spot clean carefully: use a barely damp cloth for marks, and test on an inconspicuous area first, especially on coated blackout fabrics.
• Check the mechanism periodically: a roller blind that’s rolling unevenly or a chain that’s sticking is usually a simple fix if caught early, rather than left to wear further.

Venetian blinds

• Close the slats fully before dusting: this presents a flat surface to wipe or vacuum, rather than trying to clean each angled slat individually.
• Wipe wood and faux wood slats with a barely damp cloth: avoid soaking real wood slats, which can warp with excess moisture.
• Aluminium slats can be wiped with mild soapy water: and dry easily without watermarks if you use a soft cloth afterwards.

Interior shutters

Shutters are the lowest-maintenance option we fit — an occasional wipe with a dry or barely damp cloth (or a duster for the louvres) is usually all they need. They don’t hold dust or fade the way fabric does, and there’s no mechanism to maintain beyond keeping the hinges free of dust.

When to call in a professional clean

For deep cleaning of curtains, or blinds that have discoloured or picked up stubborn marks over time, a professional curtain and blind cleaning service is usually the safer option than attempting it at home, particularly for interlined curtains, delicate fabrics, or anything still within a warranty period where DIY cleaning could affect a claim. Good lining also helps in the first place — see our guide to curtain lining for how it protects fabric over time.