How To Clean Your Interior Shutters

October 16, 2015

A Simple Guide for Chicago Residents on How to Clean Shutters

If you’re doing your spring cleaning or getting your place ready for a get-together, cleaning your Chicago shutters is something that needs to be done, and done the right way. And if it’s not, you could be looking at permanent stains, discoloration, or damage to the shutter.

So how do you clean interior shutters? That depends on the type of shutters you have in your space.

Cleaning Faux Wood Shutters

To see how Denise Cooper of Be My Guest with Denise cleans her Polywood shutters, check out this video.

Cleaning your Chicago faux wood shutters like Polywood® is a little different than wood shutters. Typically, there’s no wood stain that you need to be careful not to damage, and faux wood tends to be more scratch-resistant.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

A dusting cloth preferably microfiber)
A slightly damp cloth

Using your dust cloth, wipe over each part of your shutters to get rid of any dust or dirt. For larger stains or messes, use a slightly damp cloth to wipe them down. Like with real wood shutters, don’t use any chemical compounds or any caustic cleaners.

A damp cloth is fine to use to clean faux wood shutters, but it’s usually a good idea to dry the shutter afterwards.

Cleaning Real Wood Shutters

When cleaning real wood shutters, be sure to be careful not to do anything overly abrasive that could impact the wood finish or expose the wood to moisture.

You’ll want these supplies to clean your shutters:

A microfiber dust cloth
A soft, dry cloth

To clean the dust off of wood shutters, all you’ll need to do is give the frame and louvers a quick once-over with a microfiber dust cloth.

For cleaning smudges, try rubbing first with a dry cloth. You normally don’t want to use a damp cloth unless you have to, and even then, the less wet the cloth, the better. Only do this for smudges or spills – don’t wipe down the entire frame with the wet cloth. If you’re using a wet cloth, always follow up with a dry cloth. Also, never use a caustic chemical cleaner, or else you may damage the finish of the wood.

For more cleaning tips, get in touch with us by calling 847-250-6544.

Note: These directions were specifically made with Sunburst Shutters products in mind. For ways to clean shutters from a different company, contact your shutter dealer.

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