Spring Cleaning Tips - Windows

Throw open your windows and let the stale air from Winter out and bring the fresh Spring air in. Spring cleaning is an age old tradition which we still follow today. As Winter turns to Spring and the warmer days approach it's a great time to get your home sparkling clean inside and out so that you can enjoy the balmy days of Summer.

Image: rkramer62

Tips for Spring cleaning begin with the decision whether you want to use natural or man-made products the latter typically being faster the former more friendly to the environment and your health.

Let's start with cleaning tips for windows.

1. Remove your blinds or curtains and focus your attention on cleaning the glass itself. Chemical sprays make light work of grubby windows, however, you can get the same results using white vinegar dissolved in water – a far cheaper and more environmentally friendly option. Buff the windows with a soft cloth so that they really shine – the micro-porous cloths are ideal or the old fashioned trick of scrunched-up newspaper works wonders.
   
   
2. Use the opportunity to check the condition of your window frames and casing. If they're made of wood they made need a coat of oil to help protect them from sun-damage; if they're PVC washing them with warm soapy water should do the trick. Make a note of any repairs needed and add them to your 'to-do' list. This is cleaning not repairing time, so don't become distracted from the task in hand.
   
   
3. Once you have gleaming windows inside and out you can re-hang your freshly laundered curtains or blinds. If you have curtains which are only dusty it's easy to give them a hoover using the upholstery attachment. Work your way down from top to bottom.

Quick, easy and simple, but this is one Spring cleaning job that will make the world of difference to your rooms.

Friday Fabrics – Versatile Cottons

Cotton and cotton blinds have become part and parcel of our lives. From the clothes we wear to our soft furnishings, we all use cotton everyday whether we realise it or not. This versatile fabric is ideal for many aspect of interior design, more especially soft furnishings and bedding.

Cotton blends, typically polyester and cotton, have also made life easier in terms of maintenance. Most can be machine washed and tumble dried without any undue affects on the fabric. However we should also note that cotton comes in many different qualities with 100% Egyptian cotton being considered the best. The thread count of the fabric should also be taken into consideration, because the higher the thread count the higher the quality of the cotton. A 200 thread count provides longevity and is a sign of luxury.

If you've ever slept in a bed with low quality cotton sheets you may have noticed the bobbling, not to mention areas becoming thread bare within a short space of time. This type of bedding is ideal if you're prepared to replace it regularly, while quality cotton may have to be ironed to keep it silky smooth against you skin it's ideal for keeping you warm in the winter (apart from the initial coldness when you first get into bed!) and it will also help to keep you cool in the summer.

Bedding isn't the only area in our homes where cotton is used. Curtains and blinds are often made of cotton or cotton blends, once again due to the fabrics durability and versatility. With thousands of plain and patterned cotton fabrics readily available you'll have little trouble finding great quality at affordable prices if you shop around online.

Image: Clearly Ambiguous

Thursday Thoughts: Good Reasons to Include Blackout Blinds to Your Window Dressing

Your bedroom should be place where you can relax and using blackout roller blinds will help to make your naps and rest times a lot more enjoyable. All you need to do is shut the blinds to block out the light, and you can enjoy a bit of darkness and quiet in the middle of your day. You will find that the blinds make a great addition to your room as well as your guest room and children's bedrooms.

With so much light pollution in town's and cities some times it's impossible to sleep peacefully. I once had a bedroom which had a street lamp right outside and it was like trying to sleep in daylight!
The great advantage of blackout blinds is that you can team them with curtains to create a great window dressing or use them on their own for a more contemporary look.

Many blackout blinds also have thermal insulation properties, so you could also make savings on your heating bills rather than waving goodbye to your money as your room's heat escapes via the windows, this is despite the fact that you have double glazing!

Monday Musings: Tips To Choosing Beautiful Window Shutters

When you are looking for window treatments, having interior window treatments that are like shutters is a good idea. They are classy, available in many colours and styles to fit any window. Their anatomy is simple, a hinge in the middle allows them to fold back, or they install on each side of the windows and open in the middle. They are affordable as any other window treatment, but they are sturdier than many of the others of it's kind. Interior shutters are a definite improvement to any window.

There are many styles that these window treatments come in. White is a common colour and there are others as well. Wood stains are also available, whatever you would like to compliment the style of your home and décor. You can choose from two panel sets that open in the middle, or you can choose four panel sets that open from the sides and have hinges in the middle. You can even pick out some that have adjustable panels for light control in your home – whichever is easier for you!

Again, the styles are all different but these window treatments are relatively the same. It's just like the exterior treatments. They mount to the sides of the windows and open, either with hinged frames on either side, or with the handles in the middle of a four panel set with hinges in the middle of those. The four panel ones look a little like accordions! They each have control also, thanks to a rod in the middle of the slats that manipulates them open or closed. You can close them and still let light in by controlling the slats in the wooden frames. This is very much akin to the way blinds work, using the pole to make the blinds open and close. This makes the wooden treatments customisable and easy to use.

These kinds of window treatments have their advantages over conventional styles of Venetian blinds. They last longer and they are easier to clean. With blinds, dust and grime can be trapped between the slats and because they can be flimsy, it can be impossible to get them really clean without spending hours fiddling about or dismantling them. The slats on the shutter-style window treatments are made of hard plastic or wood, and can be opened to capacity and wiped down. They will stand up to more wear and tear than your average set of Roman shades or vertical blinds.

Even when you choose your shutters, make sure they are what you want. They can be costly, but they are also available in inexpensive customised styles. These are simple and yet still very decorative. Shutters are easy to find online. If you need help, talk to the experts who supply this type of bespoke window treatment. You can select them online and arrange for consultants to come to your home and carry out all the measurements and show you examples.

Thursday Thoughts: 5 Types of Window Blinds

Window blinds have been around since man decided to let light into their home by making holes in their walls. Although this allowed light into rooms it also meant that passers-by could look inside – something which has been a problem throughout history! As such pieces of cloth or woven reeds were placed over the openings (windows). These were often soaked in cold water to help keep rooms cool during the daytime.

Today we have a huge range of blinds to choose from with the 5 most popular being the following:

1. Roller blinds:

This simple yet effective window dressings can be used on their own or paired with curtains. Available in a wide variety of styles and colours there are roller blinds to suit all styled of homes and décors.

2. Blackout roller blinds:

Blackout roller blinds come in many different styles and luckily for those with a fixed budget, they can also be picked up really cheaply. There are so many different designs that you can choose including ready-made patterned and floral designs and also simplistic and modern designs such as platinum greys and brilliant whites. Many blackout blinds also have thermal insulation properties making them ideal for saving energy by keeping warm air inside your home during the colder months as well as helping your rooms to stay cooler during the summer.

3. Venetian Blinds:

Considered to be the most versatile of all blinds, Venetian blinds have evolved to suit modern living beautifully. They're no longer the grubby looking blinds which clanked and distorted in offices, today there are superb Venetian blinds available in synthetic materials, wood and lightweight aluminium.

The great thing about this style of blinds is that they give you complete control over the amount of light entering a room as well as preventing prying eyes peeking inside your home. With the latest technologies Venetian blinds are favoured by contemporary designers as they meet the sleek clean lines which is the hallmark of contemporary interiors.

4. Vertical Blinds:

As their name implies vertical blinds have vertical louvres or slats rather than horizontal – as in Venetian blinds. The great advantage of vertical blinds is the ability to stack them back fully enabling patio doors to be accessed easily. When closed vertical blinds offer the same light control and privacy advantages as Venetian blinds.

This style of blinds isn't available in as many options as Venetian blinds, but they have become a firm favourite with home owners and designers alike.

5. Roman Blinds:

These delightful blinds are seeing some what of a resurgence, it may be due to the fact that you can make your own using Roman blind kits or have them made to measure. Because they are made from fabric you're able to coordinate the blinds with the rest of your soft furnishings. This also makes the majority bespoke as we don't all have the same patterns, colours and types of fabrics in our homes!

I hope the advice here helped you with some more interior design ideas and remember that interior decoration does not follow a strict set of rules, you can mix and match blinds to suit the style of your home and your budget.