Breathe Well: Window Coverings for Those With Allergies
Your window treatments add beauty, privacy and light control to your home, but some types tend to gather dust and dander. This can send allergy sufferers into fits of coughing and sneezing that turn a home into something less than a safe and comfortable space. If you live in a home with dry-clean-only drapes or small-slatted blinds that are difficult to clean properly, you may be especially vulnerable. Thankfully, there are several window coverings on the market that are easy to clean and less likely to attract dust, dander, and pollen.
Ideal choices include washable draperies and synthetic curtains, as well as roller shades and blinds or shutters with large slats that are simple to vacuum and wipe down. Let’s take a look at two of the most frequently recommended options.
Roman Shades
These window coverings are designed to hang flat like roller shades when closed and to gather into deep horizontal pleats when lifted. Many Roman shades are made of all-natural cotton materials or poly-blends that don’t cause allergic reactions. If you have severe allergies, you should clean your shades weekly, as they can trap small amounts of dust between the folds when rolled up. To clean them, use a feather duster or a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery brush. Or, if the fabric allows it, you can put them in the washer and dryer on cool settings.
Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds limit the areas that dust can settle, making them ideal for allergy sufferers. Most vertical blinds are made of sturdy materials that are exceptionally easy to clean. You can clean them with a feather duster or wipe them down with a damp cloth.
Wood and Faux Wood Blinds
Like vertical blinds, these window coverings are easy to keep dust-free. For wood blinds, just be sure to use a dry cloth or duster since natural wood can warp if it gets too damp. Faux wood blinds, by contrast, can be wiped down with a wet cloth soaked in water or white vinegar, which should keep them allergen-free.
Learn More
For more options in window treatments for those with allergies, consider Exciting Windows! Our design consultants provide highly personalized customer service. One of them can come to your home for a complimentary consultation to show you samples of our window coverings that will suit your budget and aesthetic vision, and help you to create an allergen-free zone in any room. For more information, contact us today.
