Cleaning net blinds

Frank Gill
Frank Gill Club Member Posts: 153 ✭✭✭
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edited December 2015 in Caravans #1

Probably been asked a thousand times but how do you clean the net blinds and what products do you recommend.

Comments

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #2

    I will watch this post with interest as I would like to know how others clean them, we have the pleated ones and they are a pain to clean.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,673 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #3

    Probably been asked a thousand times but how do you clean the net blinds and what products do you recommend.

    Do you mean the fly-screens?

    If so, for the flat ones, if you have black spots on them (probably mildew) then we used to use a weak solution of bleach on some gauze or cotton wool.

    Protect the cushions etc below first.

  • Frank Gill
    Frank Gill Club Member Posts: 153 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #4

    Yes sorry the fly screens, and yes they have blck spots along the bottem which i guessed was mildew but still intrested in how others deal with the problem. 

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,202 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #5

    I use a good washing up liquid diluted and with the blinds down rub gently over the entire blind.  Sometimes there are more persistent black pieces, which I assumed wasfly dirt, I partically open the blind and the window and rub from the other side.  This
    has generally removed any marks.  Not one of my favourite tasks but generally only do it either end of the spring and autumn.  Never occurred to me it maybe mould.  In which case I'd use a weak solution of bleach too.

    Tammygirl are your blinds removable?  We have pleated Thomas Sanderson blindsoin our conservatory windows and roof; with great difficulty I vac the roof blinds (the amount of insects that decide to expire on the top of them is unbelievable) and the window
    ones I remove and open, wiping them with a damp cloth.  We also have them in our bathroom and I treat those the same way - we have never had mould on them (fingers crossed) in the 8 or so years they have been in place.  We do have a good extractor fan and
    always have the window ajar as a minimum.  Mind you we do live in the very dry part of Essex.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #6

    Bakers2, not sure about taking them off. They are black and a right pain. As we tend to go away to warm climes the windows/Heki are usually open most of the time, with the net blind closed to keep out flies etc. they get full of dust and the kitchen on can
    even get sticky with cooking. I use my hoover on them from both sides and give them a rub with a warm soapy J cloth. The small Heki over the kitchen area is the worst as you can't get to the top side of it unless you climb on the roofSurprised and
    because that's the one that is open the most the net is starting to sagFrown I've got it firmly pushed back into its housing while parked up over
    winter so hoping it might tighten up a bit Undecided I was happy when we got this van as it has these type of blings but now I'm not so
    sure, the blackout blinds are all starting to get like pin prick holes in them where i assume the coating is breaking up. When its dark outside and the blinds are closed its fine but in a morning or if you are under a light its like a starry sky.

  • JillwithaJay
    JillwithaJay Club Member Posts: 2,485 ✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #7

    I use a solution of Milton with hot water and Fairy Liquid. By holding one hand against one side of the netting, give the netting a careful but good rub with a dishcloth wrung out.

     150 pixels photo ba9efc87-643d-42da-9817-e5b5ead08e3e_zpsf5f9425f.png

  • RedKite
    RedKite Club Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #8

    I have used anti-bacterial wipes they must be a citrus based and so much easier to use and it does work just need to do them a few times, usually with window open so no splashes onto window and I agree with other comments cover your upholstery.

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,202 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #9

    Tammygirl it is possible you can't remove them, I would have thought it would have been pointed out at handover.  I liked the look of those pleated blinds and would have liked them when/if we change our motorhome.  Now thinking perhaps not following your
    comments.  Another design fault Surprised.  I know I have read comments about them rattling when driving.  If your motorhome isn't very
    old is it worth chatting to the dealer about the pinpricks?  Not particularly satisfactory all round by the sounds of things.  If I had my time again I'd love to design the interiors of caravans and motorhomes or areoplanes - didn't know such a job existed
    but had never really given it any thought.  One day we just might have a conversion done, OH pretty good at DIY but not sure either of us quite up to a build ourselves.

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004 ✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #10

    We don't take ours off, but to clean the window blinds I get OH to stand with a piece of cloth covered cardboard, behind the blind on the outside of the caravan, whilst I wash them with a mild solution of Stardrops and some bleach.  It seems to work, but you need to be very careful on the edges and take care to protect all upholstery.

    For the Heki which had blinds like Tammygirls (blackout blind and black pleated net flyscreen), I had to learn to cope with them not being as clean as I would like, and not keeping out the light (ours was fifteen years old).  When they got too bad I couldn't stand them any more I replaced the whole blind 'kit' with a nearly new second hand one (which I was given by a very kind CC member).

    The whole assembly is not difficult to remove, or to replace.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2015 #11

    Bakers2, The blinds that folk complain about rattling in M/H's are usually the cab Remis ones they can be a bit of a nuisance but most learn to just put a wedge of cardboard under one edge and that seems to do the trickWink.

    I like ValDa's idea of OH standing outside must give that a try, the problem with the pleated  ones is they move as they are not tight on a spring, so trying to rub them with anything just causes them to pleat up, if you could pull them tight like the ones we had on the caravan then it wouldn't be a problem but you can't or you stand chance of them stretching. Might have a word with the dealer in January for some tips as its going in to get a bit of warrenty work done. Van is now out of its 3 years warrenty (for some things) but still under the 6 year warrently for other bits.

  • Frank Gill
    Frank Gill Club Member Posts: 153 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2016 #12

    Fly screens now clean. Went with Dettol mold and mildew spray ( could be opening a can of worms, to strong, rot the net, etc. etc.) I went outside with window open, held a flat tray up to the net while the wife sprayed the worst area's lightly then rolled
    it up and moved on to the next one. we did 3 then went back to the first one again with me outside with trusty tray my wife sprayed the net with clean water and rubbed gently with a cloth. they now look brand new.

  • milliesunseeker
    milliesunseeker Forum Participant Posts: 27
    edited January 2016 #13

    Same as JillwithaJay! Came up a lot better!