A Guide on Cleaning Your Plantation Shutters

Plantation shutters are installed for its design and functionality.  But as with any other house installations, it can only be beautiful and functional at the same time if they are maintained properly and on a timely manner.  Only then will it be able to serve its purpose efficiently.

Plantation shutter is just one of the different types of shutters.  Different types of shutters have different cleaning requirements depending on its material.  Wood materials cannot be cleaned like those with PVC or metal materials.  Chances are it will have damaging effects.

 

Here is a step-by step instruction on how to clean plantation shutters:

   1.       Prepare your cleaning materials – vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment, dry cloth, wood polisher (preferably the kind that you spray to apply) and an old toothbrush.  A ladder might be useful especially if your shutters are installed a bit higher than you can reach.  Do not use water in cleaning plantation shutters because it may cause warping and damages on the wood.

   2.       Use the vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment to remove the dust from each of the slats of the shutter.  Use a ladder if you can’t reach the top part of the shutter.  

  3.       Use the dry cloth or the toothbrush to remove stains and spots of stubborn dirt.

4.       Put an ample amount of wood polisher into the old toothbrush to clean and remove dirt from hard to reach areas of the shutter.

5.       Put a considerable amount of wood polisher, preferably the spray type, on the slats and on the dry cloth.  Use the dry cloth to even out the wood polisher on each of the slats.

6.       If the slats can be tilted, do so to be able to reach and clean both sides of the slats.  Do not leave any slat unturned.

7.       If there are areas that you cannot reach, use a ladder and not chairs or stools.  Chairs and stools are not made to support your whole body weight.  Always keep in my “Safety First” so it is better to use ladders.  If there is someone to hold the ladder for you, the better.

8.       Do a periodical dusting of the shutters, preferably on a weekly manner.  This will avoid dirt build up over a long period of time.  Such build up will make the shutters hard to clean and may even cause stubborn dirt.

9.       If it is possible for you to buy a duster that leaves anti-static surface, that will be better, to avoid build-up of dirt.