Honeycomb Shade Cleaning 101

 Pre-inspection is THE most important prerequisite to any successful shade cleaning.  Don’t be quick to quote a job when the shade's condition or mounting will present problems you can not solve.  Are the shades held in place by obsolete brittle plastic brackets, whose sun-rotted back will disintegrate when you touch it?  Is there mildew hiding on the back of a bathroom shade?   Did you check the glue lines by applying a little tension on them to check for separation (weakest area will be upper back)?  Old crystallized glue lines are brittle and often prone to failure when softened by water during cleaning.  Discuss any concerns with the owner and don’t accept liability for pre-existing conditions - including holes and tears from brackets, window cranks or the family cat.   While you can often work wonders, especially with a smoker’s shades, be sure customer expectations are in harmony with your ability to deliver.

  Room darkening shades with the metallic foil aren’t designed for ultrasonic cleaning.  If the shade is already delaminating or showing damage from a prior cleaner's actions, how will you handle it?  Injection extraction methods that allow low moisture or better yet dry cleaning is the best route - especially if you don't want to void the owner's warranty. 

  Finally, have you inspected the cords, tapes or mechanisms that raise and lower the shade?  It’s a good time to recommend fuzzy cords be replaced with new ones, or fraying Easy Rise tapes be replaced with new ones (as the ultrasonics or cleaners often damage them).  Cordless blinds can be ultrasonically cleaned.  However, it’s not recommended you get the headrails and motors inside them wet.  Injection extraction cleaning methods, whether water or solvent based, will handle any type of fabric shade - as long as the fabric and glue lines have sufficient integrity and the cleaning technician uses proper techniques.

Cleaning: 

   Open the shades 1-2 feet to allow enough movement between the pleats in the cleaning tank for the ultrasonics to work their magic.  Tip them to remove air pockets and rotate them a bit during the cleaning process.  Older shades shouldn’t be left in longer than a minute or so.  Colored shades shouldn’t be cleaned in wash solutions containing any strong cleaners, degreasers, or chemicals that may affect the dyes.  So, plan your order of cleaning if other blinds or shades are involved in the job.  Close the shades before removing them from the water and tip them, squeeze out excess wash water, and then slosh them in the rinse tank enough to allow all the residues from the wash tank to get out of them.  Close them and remove them from the rinse tank, squeeze out excess water and use a wet vacuum to suck out water (while they are closed), before hanging them on the drying rack. 

Clamps or clips should hold the shade firmly.  Be sure the clamps have rubber or sleeves to protect the headrails from scratches, or from shifting and tearing the fabric.  Heavier shades can be double hung by clamping both rails until they are light enough to hang straight, without stressing the upper part of the shade.  Fragile or large shades also can be dried on wire shelving racks, or similar, to allow support and air flow without stress to the glue lines.  The more air circulation the better.  Faster drying minimizes wicking of residual soils, allows any softened glues to harden faster, and yields better outcomes.  Glue line failures often show up after things are drying - so work to minimize any such unpleasant discovery through your cleaning procedures.

   This article is under construction.  Please see free to suggest content.  For those interested in hands on training be sure to check out the training class schedule for an upcoming class.