Paul Kempler blogs about interior design and window coverings. He lives and works in the Reno, Lake Tahoe area.

Color Design Trends 2010

By Paul | 2010/05/10 22:24 Posted in Interior Design and Decorating, Uncategorized, industry trends | Comments (0)

I want to share with you some information that was recently shared with me at a special training by Hunter Douglas in Colorado.

Color-
These are the latest trends that are taking place right now in regard to color. As you read these comments, please take the time to look around you at the things you are seeing in the stores, on the streets, in the commercials you watch and basically anywhere where color can be seen. One thing to keep in mind overall is that color is determined by mood. If you are the type of person who has a fairly negative outlook on the future, the chances are that you will pick “muddier” colors to surround yourself with. On the other hand, if you have a positive outlook, then you will probably pick happier, more cheerful colors. Let’s take a look at a couple of colors that you will see around you soon.
Reds- Ever since the Olympics of 2008 in Beijing China, red has become a hot color. One of the interesting things about red is that it is a stand alone color, meaning that it has the impact to stand on its own and doesn’t need to be combined with other colors to pull it off.
Black- One of things that I learned about blacks is something so simple, that I had never really considered it. That little fact is that black tends to recede as opposed to impose. Think about a clear starry night. Don’t the stars just jump off of the deep deep canvas of the blackness. This can be such a great way to make accessories stand out, or to create a backdrop for that “Statement Piece”.
Purple- This is a color that has been around a long time, but when done in rich and warm tones it really has become a great designer color. The concerns of some people that it is a feminine color has basically been overrun and if you look at current fashion design for men, you will see lots of purple.
Pink- The same can be said for pinks. The old days of pink being strictly a female color are slowly fading. I can say as a man though, that pink needs to be used sparingly especially if you are not living in a huge metropolitan area. The feedback you receive from friends and visitors may not be to your liking. If you like pink, it is well combined with other more base colors like greys, blues, or greens.
Green- One word, chartreuse! Just take a look around your favorite department store and look at the mannequins and how they are dressed. There are plenty of uses for this color, but for most people it will be used as an accent, and not necessarily as the main color. In the near future, it seems as though we will be heading back into “Olive” tones.
Grey- We have seen a lot of grey on the market for quite a while, but the thing to take from the trend in 2010 is that we are moving into grey and away from beige as a base tone. Grey can be mixed with almost any color and can be used by people who are afraid of black in creating a step-down look from black.
Blue- Again, blues have been the hot ticket for quite a while, but the latest trends are leaning toward much deeper colors, and the catchword for blues is “indigo”. Rich, deep color. The tones are true and not blended with other colors like yellows and greens or oranges. As a sub-category to blues though are some more designer tones. Among those are aqua, teal and turquoise. These are highlight colors though and are not designed to be used on their own.

I hope that you enjoyed learning some of the new things that are happening in color. One thing that I am adding to my standard practice is to encourage my clients to add a color consultation on EVERY job that I do. If I am doing a hard window covering or drapery treatment, I want the color of the wall that I place it on to be perfect.

Natural Woven Shades and Coordination

By Paul | 2010/05/10 08:30 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Here is the first video I shot by myself with my new Flip HD Ultra. Let me know what you think. If there is a topic you would like me to discuss, please comment below or send me an email.

Grandma’s Draperies

By Paul | 2010/05/05 19:33 Posted in Customization, Interior Design and Decorating, Soft Treatments, drapery, fabric, industry trends | Comments (0)

Drapery is a part of the window fashions industry that has come and gone…and come back again. The first thing that people often say when they are looking at re-doing their home is, “that reminds me of my grandmother’s house”. If you want to have drapery that looks like your grandmother’s house, then go to the same department store that she did! If you want current design, and stylish treatments, go to a professional drapery designer.
Here is what a professional will help you to do. First they will consider your functional needs. Are you looking for insulation? Are you looking for room-darkening? Are you trying to frame a view? Would you like to create a statement in that room? There are so many questions that they will try to ascertain in order to help you find the solution to whatever problem you face.
To deal with just one of these issues, let’s discuss what people in my region, (Northern Nevada, Reno and Lake Tahoe) are looking for. Due to the high cost of energy, and the high priority placed on “green technologies”, many people are looking to get a high insulative value from their drapery. Many are choosing slightly thicker fabrics and insulating linings to provide their needs. If you imagine a drapery over a window or door, you can visualize that the majority of the energy loss is at the gap between the panels, or at the sides, but especially at the top of the drapery. For this reason, certain steps need to be taken to minimize heat exchange. For example, magnetic strips can be inserted in the leading edge of the drapery panels to create an airtight alignment. Also, many people choose to place a top treatment over the top of the drapery rod. This treatment, if done properly will trap a great deal of escaping air, aiding the insulation process.
In this geographic area, especially in the high altitude regions, like Lake Tahoe and Truckee, the UV light is some of the most extreme in the world. As a result, the fading of your expensive silk fabrics or the like can be a very serious consequence of this intense force of nature. Therefore, a professional designer will want to discuss with you the longevity of fabrics under these conditions. There are precautions that can be taken that will preserve your investment.
The style that is available in drapery these days definitely reflects the styles that are current in the world of fashion. It is interesting though that “retro” styles are in for high-fashion clients. They tend to favor the ultra modern and contempory client. It is interesting to note than when economic trends are down, the world of drapery design tends to reflect that same mood. People want to be surrounded by styles that make them feel secure and comfortable. We are seeing simpler styles exploding on the market. The nice thing about simple is that it doesn’t mean that you have to lack luxury. The right choice of fabrics can bring out your mood perfectly.
There is a fine line between functional accommodation and designer style. This is why it is good to have someone you trust help you to make these important decisions when it comes to drapery design.

One of Those Days- A Learning Lesson

By Paul | 2010/04/20 07:52 Posted in Interior Design and Decorating, Soft Treatments, Uncategorized, drapery, fabric | Comments (2)

Today, I had one of those days. I learned a good lesson too. So, here is the abridged version. I worked with a couple to help them design draperies and valances for their great room and kitchen area. When they originally called me, they made it clear that they really needed help in selecting not only the fabric that would complement their room, but also to help them select a style of window treatment that would work with the décor already in the room.

They were relatively easy to work with, and we got along very well. I showed them probably close to 300 fabrics in the styles that they were seemingly looking for. They had a very transitional style working in their space, with leather furniture and black granite counter tops, but blended with dark wood cabinetry and their accessories were mostly desert southwest motif. I’ll be honest, it was a challenge for me. We spent so much time selecting the “perfect fabric” that the customers asked the obligatory question, “Are we the hardest customers you’ve ever had?” Not yet! So, we found a great fabric which complemented everything perfectly. Next we worked on picking a style to make the fabric up in. I showed them a great number of photographs of different valance and drapery styles, and after a few hours we picked a good coordination of fabric, rods, and shape of valances and draperies. I was excited to see how the job was going to work out.

Things hit a sort of hiccup when the drapery rod supplier got my order and then literally forgot to ship it. When I called them about 6 weeks later they said, “You didn’t get that? Oh, wait, it’s still here… Sorry, we will ship it tomorrow”. When I got the shipment, there was one critical piece missing and I had to wait another week to receive that piece too. Ughhhh. The customer was pretty reasonable about the whole ordeal, but of course everyone wants their things installed “yesterday”.

So, the day for the installation finally came. I got to the jobsite and we got right to work hanging everything. The first thing that I noticed was that the fabric and finish selection on the drapery rods was absolutely perfect with their furnishings. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised, but it was great to hear the lady of the house tell me how much she liked the fabric. Sometimes people forget what they selected while they wait a few weeks for their job to be manufactured and installed. So, after a couple of hours the installation was completed, and it looked amazing. The treatment was simple, but very effective. She was thrilled with it, and we showed her how everything worked and chit chatted for a while. She wanted her husband to see everything, and that is when things took a turn for the worse.
VID00072
So, here is the lesson I learned. There is no accounting for peoples’ moods beforehand. It turns out that the man of the house had had a really bad day. There was tension in the house before we even showed up. It didn’t take much to set him off, apparently. When we showed him the work, he went off on us. His behavior was embarrassing to his wife and was truly shocking to me. He complained that the work looked like &#%$. He was glad my wife was there to hear what he had to say because he wished he had never dealt with us. “We charged too much, the work was bad, he hoped the fabric came with a warrantee because it was obviously cheap fabric” and I’m sure he said some other things too. Wow!!! In all my years of business, this was only the second time I had a customer react this strangely.

After the outburst, the man left the room and the wife told us about all the things that were going on in his world. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her and for him too. I really hope that in time he comes to love the products we installed as much as she does.

You can’t please everyone in this world. I learned that if you do everything you can to satisfy your clients’, needs then you have to live with that. There is no sense beating yourself up over it. You do have to cross your “t”s and dot your “i”s though. If you give someone with a complaining attitude a reason to complain, you are going to have a rough day. Just do your very best and follow through with your promises and you are sure to succeed.

What’s Up With Shutters?

By Paul | 2010/04/12 08:50 Posted in Hard Window Coverings, Interior Design and Decorating, Shutters, industry trends | Comments (0)

I have been around the window coverings industry since 1992. Over the years I have witnessed the evolution of products and consumer interests. When I started out, we were just starting to see the waning of the time of the mini-blind. The creation of the original Hunter Douglas Duette honeycomb or cellular shade had just hit the market. Verticals were HUGE. The woven wood time had come and gone. Those were those orange and brown roman shades that had large slats of brown wood interwoven with colored yarn. Admit it now, some of you not only know what they are, but you grew up with them. Some of you still have them in your kitchen… If that is the case with you, I hope you live in a rental! During this time, some 17 years ago, there was another segment of the window coverings market that was steady but not explosive. Shutters.

Nearly twenty years ago, if one wanted shutters, they usually chose wood shutters. There were some options available, but overall they had the “plantation style” with its wider louvers and the “traditional style” with its very narrow louvers of about 1”. Amongst a certain group, these were a popular choice as they exuded style, and when you installed these in a home you were separating yourself from your neighbors as one who had discerning taste.

Over the years though, there were huge evolutions in the design and material composition of the shutters that came to the market. Vinyl shutters made giant in-roads to our market. As is true with most technology, new does not always equal better. The first generations of vinyl shutters were a good attempt, but they had some flaws that made them very hard to recommend to clients. In fact, for about the first 3 or 4 years that they were available to my company, I suggested to my clients that if they were interested in shutters they should stick with wood. I had no confidence in their claims of durability or in their quality of construction. As it turns out, I was right. The first generations of vinyl shutters had huge issues, and caused some major consternation within the industry. Warrantee issues abounded. I was fortunate that I never put my clients into that product!

As is also true with most technology, as the vinyl shutter evolved, it overcame the majority of the issues that detracted from its draw. Pretty soon there were numerous companies producing vinyl shutters en masse. To be honest, these were well constructed, using quality materials, and they became a mainstay of the market. The Reno, Northern Nevada and Lake Tahoe areas became one of the highest per capita shutter markets in the country. If you were to drive down the street of a new housing tract about 2 or 3 years ago, it seemed like every house had a whole house full of shutters on their windows.

We began by discussing the design trends over the last twenty years or so. When discussing shutters, it is important to see how they fit into the conversation. Think back a number of years, maybe 15 or so, and think about how many vertical blinds were in your home. I remember doing every window in many, many homes. I don’t have specific numbers in regard to what segment of the market vertical blinds were 15 years ago, but I do know that now they are only 3% of the total window coverings market. These statistics indicate that there are ebbs and flows to interest in certain products. Now is the time in the blog where I offer a very opinionated statement! Shutters still have their place in current interior design and window coverings, but they should be used sparingly. One of the things that I have noticed is that more and more people are hoping to design their homes around their lifestyles, and shutters are not always the best way to accomplish that goal. Too many “Shutter Guys” go to a consumer and tell them that they should do their whole house in shutters. This, in no way, considers all the factors that a good designer would go over with their client. Over the years I have been consulted after the client had purchased from someone else and removed many shutters that the “Shutter Guy” had installed, due to the fact that the product does not satisfy the desires of the client. The specifics of why they don’t meet those needs are numerous, and specific to each client. Another thing that many clients notice with shutters is that they are a very hard surface, and if done in white, which is 98% of the market, they are very stark too. Many people, especially in the Reno and Lake Tahoe areas are choosing to soften the look and feel of their homes using products specifically designed for that purpose. In fact, one of the products that is out on the market now, the Pirouette Shade by Hunter Douglas has the same slatted look with a much softer feel. This is only one of the ways to handle this design concern, but there are many more available.

So, all in all, I feel like the “day of the shutter” has passed. It has its place, but there are so many other and sometimes better options to help one to get the function they require in a style they desire.

Routing options for horizontal blinds

By Paul | 2010/03/22 11:26 Posted in Blinds, Hard Window Coverings | Comments (0)

One of the most popular styles of window coverings right now in my area (Northern Nevada, Reno & Lake Tahoe) area is horizontal blinds. Some people call them “mini blinds”, others call them “2” blinds,” some call them “wood blinds” and there are other names out there too. But I think you get the idea of what we are talking about.

Standard Routing - The normal way to run the cording for horizontal blinds is from your hand, up through the headrail, down through holes punched into the slats and down to the bottom rail where the cord is tied into a knot. This way, when you pull the cord down, it pulls the bottom rail up, towards the headrail. If this sounds confusing, then don’t fret because it is the way you are used to seeing a blind operate. You just don’t have to think about it because you are so familiar with how they work. The thing that we want to focus on though is how the cord gets from the headrail to the bottom rail.

As I mentioned, the cording goes THROUGH the slats via punches that are usually oval shaped. This is a very functional solution for the standard blind because as the cord goes through the slat, it keeps the slat from drifting laterally. Therefore, punching holes in the slat keeps everything pretty neat. There are a couple of negatives though to consider. One is that the holes that are cut into the slats allow light to come directly into your space as they are literally HOLES. You have probably noticed this drawback at some time in the past where the sun is behind the blind, and even though the blinds are closed, the light streams through those rout holes directly into your eyes. Not a huge issue, but a nuisance.

The other drawback is that the cords running through rout holes make it more difficult to close blinds completely using the louvers. This is because the cord is pulled taut by gravity. The weight at the bottom of the blind is straightening the cord that runs through the slats. As you attempt to louver (turn) the slats, you are actually creating a huge deflection in the shape of the cord, which by nature wants to be straight. Therefore, as you turn the slats toward the closed position, the slat is fighting the cord for the same space. The cord keeps the slat from completely closing and therefore you don’t get as much light blockage as you had hoped.

Punchless Routing - Another option available to consumers is something that I am calling punchless routing. It is known by other names as well. Hunter Douglas calls it “de-light”, Graber calls it “noholes”, Levolor calls it “Lightmaster”. Whatever name you give it, the premise is the same: instead of holes being punched through the middle of the slat material, usually notches are cut into the front and/or back of the slat allowing the lift cording to pull the slat up by surrounding the slat on the front and back with two cords, instead of the standard one cord up the center of the slat. There are some advantages to this style of routing, and some disadvantages as well.

If you read the two negatives to the standard routing section, punchless routing avoids both of them. There are no holes in the blinds for the sun to poke through, and there are no cords up the center of the blind to restrict tilt. Usually, a punchless routed blind will close more tightly than its counterpart. Another positive is that the punchless rout blinds are more aesthetically pleasing to most consumers as the rout holes on a traditional blind add another geometric line to the visual palette.

As far as negatives go, the punchless rout blinds have nothing to prevent children or other mayhem causers from removing slats from your blinds and losing or damaging them. This, on the other hand, makes slats easier to replace if they are damaged, for example by a pet chewing or clawing them. Also, some clients who need extreme order in their lives do not like the lack of symmetry in stacking blinds that have punchless routing. Due to the absence of the cord down the center of the blind, when one stacks the slats, they take the path of least resistance, which most often is a bit more sloppy than when the cord keeps everything in line. Also, the lift cords on the front of the blind can easily be dislodged, causing a bit of a disheveled look for someone who is a perfectionist about these things. Also, because there are two cords causing the lifting, and not one, there is a bit more to go wrong with the whole lift assembly process.

Whether you’re looking for mini blinds, wood blinds, horizontal blinds, horizontal mini blinds, 2” blinds or whatever you call them, clearly you have choices when it comes to routing in horizontal blinds. If cost is your biggest factor, choose the standard routing option as it is usually available for a lower cost than the punchless variety. If you felt like any of the advantages of the punchless routing suited your needs, then be prepared for an up charge of anywhere from 0-20% depending on the manufacturer. Both products are good and current, but only one will be the perfect fit for you. I will be happy to help you to decide which one will be best for you if you contact my company, Kempler Design.

What is a finish selection service?

By Paul | 2010/02/22 09:50 Posted in Customization, Interior Design and Decorating | Comments (0)

A lot of people often ask what’s included in our finish selection service, or even what a finish selection service is. This brief video describes the types of things Kempler Design provides with our finish selection service. You can also visit our blog for more insights on interior design, window treatments and decorating.

How do I clean my silhouette shade?

By Paul | 2010/01/25 10:30 Posted in Soft Treatments | Comments (1)

Recently, I wrote about how to clean your window coverings. This time I’m going to talk about cleaning a more specific type of product that many of you have in your homes; the Hunter Douglas Silhouette Shade. Though this product appears to be very delicate but, in reality, it is quite durable as long as you treat and care for it properly.

The configuration of the shading lends itself to needing cleaning not only on the surface of the shade, but also the interior. These are the methods to clean both.

Facing (Exterior) – When one speaks of the facing, they are talking about the external surfaces of the shade. In the case of a Silhouette, you are referring to the sheer material that runs from the head rail down to the bottom rail. The Silhouette also has a rear facing made of a similar sheer material. Hunter Douglas Silhouette Shades is made of polyester and is fairly durable.

If you are doing just a basic cleaning, then use a vacuum that has a brush attachment or a static duster without any additives and gently remove any dust off of the front and back of the shade. If you have a spot, you may attempt to remove it using a gentle spot remover. Always rinse your shade thoroughly with water after a spot removal product is placed on it to prevent staining or bleaching.

Some areas have ultra sonic cleaners available as a mobile service. These companies are trained to remove your shade, clean them in their cleaning tanks and re-hang them for you for a reasonable charge. If you are up to the challenge, you can also wash your shades by using soapy water and placing everything but the head rail in the water and gently scrubbing them to the desired cleanness. If you do this method, be sure to rinse off all of the soap. If dried correctly, your shades will not look wrinkled.

Vanes (Interior) – The Silhouette has fabric vanes that connect the front and rear facings, this poses some problems for cleaning as the vanes are not easily accessible. The easiest way to clean the interior of the shade is generally with air pressure. The most common methods of doing this are the blower attachment on some vacuums, the blow dryer on the cool setting, and the compressed air that comes in cans. With all of these, you are able to blow out dust and bugs fairly effortlessly. This is a way to dust, not to clean. If one of those bugs got squished in your shade, you are going to have to work through the facing to gently clean that stain with some sort of water based fluid.

It is especially true with Silhouette shades that if you have some sort of stain on them it is imperative that you clean them quickly. If you let a stain sit for a while, the sun will bake in the stain. If you are reading this, and you are unsure as to whether to purchase Silhouette Shades, or something similar, keep this in mind: If you live in a high dust area, or an area that has a lot of gnats or other creepy-crawlies, then the Silhouette Shades and their open ends may not be a good choice for you. Your window covering professional should be able to guide you through all of the choices to select what will best suit your needs.

The evolution of the mobile design center

By Paul | 2010/01/18 08:30 Posted in Customization, Soft Treatments, fabric, industry trends, upholstery | Comments (0)

When I show up at a client’s home or office, I usually make a point of showing them the vehicle that I arrived in. I drive what I call my “Mobile Design Center.” It is a 14 foot box truck that carries all of the samples that I might need for the job at hand. It is completely shelved and stocked with fabrics, window covering samples, bedding lines, drapery hardware and other various interior design product samples. I have never counted, but I would guess that I carry something like 10,000 different fabrics with me at all times. As far as window coverings, I carry full lines of many different manufacturers like Hunter Douglas, Graber, Levolor, B & W, Century Blinds and many more. KDBoxTruck

It is funny how things change over time in a small business. When I first started, I worked out of a Subaru wagon. That did just fine for the few things that I carried. Then I moved on to a cargo minivan, which was much more convenient for the growing samples that I was carrying. Because of the length of product I was installing, sometimes as long as fourteen feet or more, I decided to get a longer van, and moved up to a full-sized cargo van. I liked it! I kept that one, called “Big Bertha” because she was an old gray battle axe with a smoking problem, for a year or so. Later, I got a much newer model because I knew that the full-sized option was working for me.

Eventually, like with a growing family, my product lines, especially the fabrics, were growing exponentially. I therefore started to explore the option of getting one of those big box trucks that you may have used to move at some time in your life. What a great boon that was to my ease of doing business. I bought a used diesel box-truck, and ran that for a couple of years, until I determined that I needed more power, and less hassle with diesel fuel. I bought a new gas powered box-truck, and that is what I serve my clients’ needs out of currently. It’s size allow me to serve clients from not just Reno, Sparks and Lake Tahoe but also the eastern Sierras of California to Gardnerville, and even east to Fernley and Fallon and everywhere in between.

The most common comments I hear from my clients when they see my truck are: “Wow, you are serious about this, aren’t you?” “That thing is a driving billboard!” “I guess I see why you don’t bring in any product until you talk to us first.” (Because I have too much stuff in there to bring in everything.) “What kind of gas mileage do you get?” (Answer, 10 mpg) and “Nice truck.”

I personally feel that the only way to serve my clients needs at Kempler Design is by using a “Mobile Design Center.” I just thought that you might enjoy hearing the story of the evolution mine. Stay tuned in the near future for a video tour of the Command Center itself. By the way, if you ever get to this part of the blog, I would love help in picking a nickname for the truck. If you pick a name that I use, I will provide you with a very nice gift in thanks and appreciation.

How do I clean my window coverings?

By Paul | 2010/01/12 09:00 Posted in Shutters, Soft Treatments, drapery, fabric | Comments (0)

I get this question a LOT, and quite often. Many people want to keep their window coverings looking as good as the day they were installed.

If you are not sure about how to care for your window covering, don’t jump in and clean them with just anything. Get the facts first. To make it a little simpler, I will lay out some different cleaning options.

Dusting - This time tested method is a good way to clean most of your window covering products. There are a couple of things to be aware of though. First of all, if you are using a wand type duster, make sure that it is a dry dusting type. The ones that have lanolin, or furniture wax, or any other type of additive may leave residue on your coverings making them harder to clean in the future. Also, if you were to use this type of additive on a cloth shade or drapery, you are actually minutely staining your coverings, which over time can turn into a permanent stain as the sun reacts with the additive and discolors your products.

Secondly, if you have any type of pleated shadings, like a cellular shade or something similar, be careful that you don’t press too hard on the pleats as they can become misshaped, leaving a permanent crease.

A special note on dusting. Please remember to dust the back of your window coverings. Over my many years in the industry, I have noticed a trend in how people care for their window coverings. Often, they are fastidious in maintaining the front of their coverings, but lax in caring for the back. This is especially true in shadings. What happens, especially in localities that have a high UV index, is that any dust that sits on the back of the shades eventually bonds to the shade itself after reacting to the sun’s powerful rays, and creates an ugly dinge that is extremely hard to remove. If this dust is untreated, it can actually break down the chemicals in certain cellular shades, causing the cells to delaminate. Under certain circumstances, the manufacturers may refuse warranty claims on such a shade due to negligence.

Submersion - For certain types of window coverings, submersion is a viable option. I remember going to a seminar once where they took a bright white piece of shading material and squirted it with Ketchup. We all watched as the representative submerged the fabric, and wiped it off with soapy water and the fabric came out spotless. There are a couple of things that we can learn from this. First, if you get a stain like this, try to get it out immediately. If you let it sit, especially if the sun hits it, it will set up in the fabric. The next thing to keep in mind is that you verify that ALL of the shade can be submerged. For example, wood blinds, motors, any specialty lift system and many other types of window coverings, should never touch water at all. Verify with your original paperwork as to the proper care and cleaning of your product, and if you can’t find it, search the internet for the manufacturer’s website, where these instructions should be found.

Spot Cleaning - This is the type of cleaning that many people think to use after some sort of accident. These are probably due to splashing from a sink, or kitchen accidents. We are all probably picturing the two year old in their high-chair flailing their arms wildly with food flying off of their spoon onto the window coverings. Aughhhh! Never fear, spot cleaning is here. Your best bet: water. Next: soapy water. Next: spot cleaning solution (think Shout Wipes, Tide Pen or similar. Do follow the manufacturer’s instructions as some solutions can fade colors and cause other damage). Act quickly, and be gentle. Some materials are very delicate, and heavy scrubbing can erode the fabric quickly. Even the paint on wood blinds or shutters can wear through very quickly causing a bigger problem than the original stain.

Vacuuming - For many types of window coverings, namely shades and draperies, vacuuming is an excellent option for cleaning. Some of the materials that you will be cleaning are delicate, as mentioned before, and if you don’t take precautions, you run the risk of sucking the material into your vacuum hose, and ruining the material. Most manufacturers recommend using the brush attachment and running your cleaning pattern in the direction of the pleating. On horizontal shadings, this means moving your hand side to side, and on vertical shadings, this means moving your hand up and down. If you vacuum, just like dusting, don’t forget to do the back side of the product.

Ultrasonic and Dry Cleaning - These are excellent options for cleaning your window coverings. They are pretty easy to research on the internet, and I suggest that you consider these options when looking for a deep and thorough cleaning of your draperies, and window coverings. Keep in mind though, that these options have drawbacks too, and that you are best served having all of the facts before you jump in. I work with companies that offer both of these services, and would be happy to refer them to you if you have that need.

In the future, I will discuss how to clean specific products, for example the Hunter Douglas Silhouette Shades. This is a generic list of options for cleaning window covering products and not an exhaustive guide. For specific instructions on how to clean your window coverings, see the manufacturer’s instructions or contact a window coverings professional near you.

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