Blinds for fabric: photo, color. How to wash vertical fabric blinds?

To decorate the windows of offices or houses modern designers actively use blinds. Cloth blinds are increasingly replacing traditional window curtains. All the advantages of this can not be overestimated: ease of use, durability, the ability to adjust the degree of natural light, a high level of protection from blinding light, reducing street noise ...

However, to ensure that the fabric strips have long served and have not lost their appearance, it is important to follow all the rules of operation. Let's consider the important question concerning careful maintenance of this kind of window decoration: how to cleanse without any damage from dirt and dust and how to wash vertical fabric blinds, depending on the material of manufacture.

About blinds

The first window blinds appeared in the cities of Russia and neighboring countries not so long ago, only in the early 90s. First, the first "European curtains", like the plastic windows that came into the country at the same time, were perceived by most people as a beautiful, but not too cheap western curiosity. At that time, more often such a novelty could be seen in business offices, and for home decoration of windows, even designers still preferred to use the usual textiles - tulle and curtains.

Today, the blinds have managed to replace the usual curtains, tulles and curtains in many houses. The owners of houses and apartments managed not only to appreciate such qualities as functionality, durability and convenience of use, but also to understand that the blinds can be an excellent decoration and complement the interior of the room. This is not surprising, because modern manufacturers increasingly rely on a variety of materials and a wide range of colors.

Types of blinds

All the blinds can be initially divided into two types: vertical and horizontal. This division is based on the location of the lamellas - the curtain strips, relative to the eaves.

The most popular in the home interior blinds - fabric lamellae, fixed on the PVC-cornice - always vertical.

Color palette, types of materials used for fabric blinds

Many will recall that the very first blinds were most often either white, or solid, neutral pastel shades. Later, manufacturers significantly expanded the range of catalogs offering fabric blinds. The colors of the palette that exists to date, please their diversity. At manufacturing textured and smooth fabrics, monophonic materials or fabrics with a drawing, gold and hot stamping are used. Home interior designers have the opportunity not only to pick up the shades of the shade, combined with the overall range of the room, but also to apply a very topical artistic method - to make bright, unusual strips the main color accent of the interior.

One of the most effective and beautiful materials for the manufacture of lamellas is jacquard cloth. Natural jacquard with the content of cotton and linen thread is very high quality and has high light-shielding and noise-insulating properties.

Another natural material is cotton. Cozy and natural, this material, however, has a significant drawback: when washing, cotton fabric can "sit down". In this regard, consultants recommend immediately acquiring cotton blinds a little longer than necessary.

The most budgetary option - synthetic fabrics, often polyester. While the synthetics "lose" the natural jacquard, the indisputable advantage of this material is that it is unpretentious and does not require particularly careful care.

General recommendations before washing the fabric blinds

The first and most important rule: read the instructions. The composition of the fabric and the order of washing and cleaning should also be on the label of quality blinds.

Fabric parts of the blinds are always covered with a special protective compound that repels dust and other impurities. For this reason, lamellas during washing can not be crushed, rubbed, twisted and squeezed - all these actions destroy the impregnation and can disable the fabric strips. For the same reason, the fabric blinds can not be washed too often.

IMPORTANT: for washing any fabric blinds, only use gentle cleansers that do not contain bleach or stain remover.

Obligatory actions before washing - to wipe or vacuum dust on the blinds and wash the window.

Optimum water temperature when washing slats - 30-35 degrees

If the material contains fiberglass (designation as part of GF or GL), these blinds do not erase!

Care and cleansing: "dry" cleaning and washing, without removing the blinds from the ledge.

Dry cleaning with a vacuum cleaner or brush is usually recommended for blinds made of metal, plastic or wood. For tissue lamellae, the application of this method alone is not very effective. Even without dismantling, dry cleaning will have to be combined with a damp "washing".

Fabric blinds can be cleaned without removing, in the following way: apply a special cleaner for furniture and carpets to the prepared and dust-free lamellas with a soft sponge. After drying, remove the foam according to the instructions of the detergent.

How to wash blinds at home?

Of course, dry cleaning of lamellas is convenient already in that it is carried out without using a variety of detergents and without dismantling. But the downside of dry cleaning is that, for the most part, against strong or chronic dirt it is not very effective.

In the case where washing is not avoided, it is easiest to dismantle the lamellas and turn them into chemical cleaning or contact a cleaning company that professionally provides the services of washing the blinds at home at the customer's premises. If the services of professionals are not credible or difficult for financial reasons, you can also clean the blinds yourself.

How to wash fabric blinds without resorting to dry cleaning services? It is important to immediately warn: washing, of course, you can effectively clean the blinds (fabric). But if you violate the mandatory rules of washing the fabric slats, they can be damaged, significantly reducing their service life, or even hopelessly spoil.

Before washing, the fabric strips are carefully, without kinking or twisting, removed from the eaves and freed from weights and chains. After that, the lamellas must be twisted into a loose roll, each separately, and placed in protective fabric bags for washing (suitable and ordinary gauze).

Why is it better to put each part separately? Experts consultants companies that manufacture or sell these products, do not recommend in the process of machine washing, put together all the lamellas that make up the fabric blinds (photo below).

The lamellas folded in this way, even when using a protective bag, can be twisted and torn in the washing machine.

In the washing machine you can wash only the lamellas made of cotton and synthetic fabric. The method is as follows: pouches with fabric strips are placed in a washing machine and washed in a delicate washing mode at 30-35 degrees of temperature. Without pressing and automatic drying!

The lamellae of Jacquard fabric is only washed by hand, preferably not more than once a year! It is done this way: strips of cloth soaked in an aqueous solution of detergent for half an hour. After the strip should be thoroughly rinsed with running water. If there are any contaminations, repeat the entire washing process.

After washing and rinsing the blinds, the fabric strips can not be squeezed, so as not to disturb the protective layer! Dry the lamellas best in a suspended stretched state, that is, still wet immediately hang on the cornice with a sinker. In no event should the drying of the blinds be affected by hot or warm air, especially artificially created. Simply put, do not try to dry the lamellas with a hair dryer. It is also not necessary to iron the lamellas.