Tips for Cleaning PVC Shutters and Blinds

Some say the eyes are the windows to the soul – so shutters and blinds are the equivalent of shielding these eyes.  Whether from the sun, the weather, or prying eyes, these coverings are an important part of any home.

However, these pieces of plastic can be hard to maintain, given their tendency to collect dust and grime easily.  Don’t fret, as the following guide will walk you through a painless way to handle these pretty shutters and blinds.

What are PVC Shutters and Blinds?

Your shutters and blinds are your home’s number one safeguards for your privacy.  They are a good alternative to heavy-duty drapes, lightweight curtains, and flimsy cloth shades.  Shutters and blinds can definitely afford you more control over the natural light you let into your room, as well as your privacy.

PVC or polyvinyl chloride is a popularly used plastic polymer.  It is a versatile material and is known to be strong and durable. It’s long-lasting property is why it’s so commonly used for construction and home equipment.  Is is strong as is it is flexible.

What are the Best Cleaning Materials to Use?

Before you start your journey in cleaning your PVC shutters and blinds, you need to arm yourself with the right materials and cleaners.

• Dishwashing soap – It doesn’t take a specialty cleanser or a heavy-duty cleaning job to get PVC materials spic and span. Just ordinary dishwashing soap from your kitchen will do.  Note that while this soap mix might be fine for PVC materials, other materials such as wood should not be in contact with this solution – practice care as you clean.
• Microfiber cloths – These are the most ideal types of cloths to use for cleaning because of how efficiently they wipe up surfaces.  Whereas regular cotton cloths will do little more than  rearrange the dust on the blinds and shutters, the special weave of the microfiber allows you to pick up dust that will hold to the cloth well.  Afterward, you can also directly deposit them in the laundry for cleaning without spreading dust further around the home.
• Feather Duster or other Dusters of Choice – Feather dusters can also be useful, however, you will not be able to exert enough pressure to remove heaver deposits of dirt.

What are the Best Practices for Cleaning PVC Shutters and Blinds?

Are grimy shutters and blinds getting you down?  Here’s a recipe for a cleaning routine that will efficiently clean your shutters, as if it were the same day you installed them!

• Make a soapy mixture for an effective cleaning solution – Mix just a little amount of dishwashing liquid into water, just enough to create suds.  You can use the solution as is, or funnel it into a spray bottle to get an even misting of the cleanser over each surface of the shutters or blinds.
• Utilize two cloths, one wet and one dry – In combination with the soap mixture above, be prepared with two clean cloths – one that is wet with regular water which you use to wipe away the soap mixture and dirt, and one that is dry to clean off the excess moisture left over from step one.  You don’t want to leave water on the surface of the shutters and blinds that might not dry off.  That would be a magnet for grime once again, and even worse, bacteria.
• Dust your shutters every week – Dust will accumulate very fast. If you don’t keep up with it, it will create a problem, and that’s not what you want!  Blinds can particularly be pain because dust easily settles on every single surface of the plastic.  Sweep your duster of choice between each slat and move the dust from the PVC surface to the floor.

Once you have this routine down, you can no longer say that cleaning your shutters and blinds is a difficult job.  Congratulations!