Window Treatment Recommendations And Cleaning Lampshades

Today, Norma writes,

Dear flooring diva. Do you know a safe way to clean lamp shades (bug specks, primarily) safely? I bought an “eraser sack” product from a lighting store, but it didn’t work. Also, do you have recommendations for window treatments?

Norma

This is a little out of my area of expertise but an old trick my mother taught me is to use a white washcloth and a bar of soap, get the washcloth wet, but wring it out really well, take your finger and get a dab of soap on the washcloth, then gently rub the bug specks to see if you can remove them. Next use an area of the washcloth that doesn’t have soap on it and rinse the area clean. Let air dry. If that doesn’t work, unless the lampshade is special and irreplaceable, I suggest one of two options: choosing a new lampshade, or pulling out the arts & crafts supplies and trying paint or decoupage. If the lampshade is near and dear to you, you might try calling one of the ultrasonic cleaners in your area, and find out if they can do it, and what they charge. Other than that, my research has pulled up no specific products that have good customer ratings, and I don’t want to suggest more cleaning products that will just add to the collection under the sink and gather dust.

As for window treatments if you want something with easy “cleanability” I suggest trying 2″ plantation style faux wood blinds and natural wood blinds, or vinyl verticals because having the bigger slats or vanes, makes them easier to clean. Unlike traditional mini blinds, you aren’t just moving the dust around. Personally this is a big pet peeve of mine. Call me crazy, but after doing all the work I’d like it to actually look like I did something. The 2″ slats can be cleaned using a damp towel or one of those handy dusting mitts. They do make them with a no-holes option that allows you to remove each slat from it’s rung, this process can be annoying, but does make the act of cleaning easier. One thing to consider before choosing this option, is that because the slats don’t have the string going down the middle, there is nothing to make sure all the slats match up on the edge. So if you a fan of straight lines these blinds aren’t for you.

If you want something with a little softer look, I suggest going with Hunter Douglas’s Duette Honeycomb blinds. Because if you get the standard lifting system you can literally put the whole shade in the bathtub for cleaning. There aren’t many fabric blinds you can actually submerge in the bathtub to clean. This makes what once was a product you could only dust or clean with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum something you can keep genuinely clean overtime. Another product made of fabric by Hunter Douglas is Vignettes. It’s a roman shade, that actually dusts it’s self as you lower it. Finally something you can put in your house that does it’s share of the work! Hunter Douglas is the top of the line, both as far as quality and pricing, but if you can afford it, the extra expense pays for it’s self in the long run.

There are many options for window treatments, so the final decision of which style is right for you and your decor ultimately rests on your shoulders. The options I’ve chosen for this article are based on the ease of keeping clean, which is perfect for someone with a busy schedule who doesn’t want to spend all day cleaning!

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Flooring Diva Blog!

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