Honeycomb shades, otherwise known as Hunter Douglas’ Duette® Shades, are window coverings with little honeycomb-shaped cells that trap air. This creates an effective insulation barrier between the window and your home, helping to trap heat and cold year-round. This technology makes your home an energy-efficient powerhouse that is able to reduce energy consumption all throughout the year and cut down on your energy bills.
But, how do you clean them? Honeycomb shades have a pleated, accordion-style fabric that is very lightweight and delicate, effectively blocking out sunlight. They’re very easy to maintain, however, the accordion-style they are designed with makes it easy for dust and debris to get trapped in between the fabric folds as well as inside the air pockets.
All they really require is some regular dusting and gentle vacuuming. For stains, spot treating with some very mild detergent, warm water and a soft cloth is ideal. To avoid warping their shape and damaging the fabric, follow these simple, safe and effective cleaning tips to loosen built-up dirt, dust and debris.
Dusting
It’s completely normal for the inside of the cells to trap dust and even bugs. This is especially common if you live in a more polluted or dry area.
There are many ways to clean them, this includes:
- Compressed air: use a can of compressed air to blow away dust, bugs and other debris. Make sure you have something on the floor that is ready to catch what gets blown out.
- Blow dryer: this is a similar approach to the first option. Just make sure to put it on the lowest heat setting to avoid damage.
Vacuuming
Vacuuming should be done with the utmost gentle hand and the brush attachment on the lowest suction strength, as any other attachment will create an airtight suction on the blinds and damage them. Clean the shades from side to side, starting at the top and working your way down.
Wiping
The outside of your shades can attract just as much dust and debris as the cells can. Pet dander, pet hair and other forms of dirt can all cling to this fabric. Here are a few ways to go about wiping the blinds.
- Feather duster: you can use a simple feather duster to gently dust the outside of the blinds.
- Microfibre cloth: Wipe the shades side to side gently, to avoid deforming the pleating or the shape of the shades.
Spot Cleaning
Spot cleaning can be tricky as moisture can damage the shades. especially if there are multiple layers of fabric. To spot clean any soiled stains or dirt, it’s essential to use a very mild detergent with warm water and a soft cloth. Don’t rub too hard, just gently press the moistened rag onto the spot and dab until you see the stain begin to slowly disappear. Use a white rag to avoid colouring the shades with dyes from your cleaning cloth.
Professional Cleaning
If you are too concerned about doing this on your own, please have a professional clean your honeycomb shades for you. You can first give us a call to speak to our experts about your concerns or to see if there is anything we can teach you about spot cleaning or dusting your honeycomb fabric shades. At the end of the day, a professional hand is optimal as it guarantees clean shades that won’t be damaged.
Are you on the market for a fantastic set of fabric shades? Please get in touch with us! We would love to provide you with a free consultation to teach you everything you need to know about Hunter Douglas Duette® shades and other fabric shades we have available. We would love to get to know you better so we can recommend the window treatments best suited for your needs, family and lifestyle.
