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Get Out Your Vacuum

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Rather than putting away your vacuum when you’re finished cleaning your floors, carpets, and rugs, keep it out for a little bit longer. After all, dust and dirt can settle almost anywhere in your house. There are tons of things that could use a little vacuuming, from the bed skirts and brooms to the windowsills and motorized shades:

  1. Motorized ShadesWindow treatments like shades need to be cleaned, too. While dusting them with a clean, soft cloth is good, giving them a once-over with the vacuum is even better. Use a low-suction setting and a brush attachment to avoid damaging the mechanisms. You can also vacuum other window treatments like shutters, curtains and blinds in between washes to keep them dust-free.
  2. Bed Skirts – While you can, and should, put your bed skirts in the washing machine every few months, it’s a big hassle to take them off the bed. Increase the amount of time between full washings by vacuuming your bed skirts with a brush attachment. You might as well get all the dust bunnies under the bed while you’re down there, too.
  3. Knife Blocks – You would be horrified to learn how much dirt, dust, and food leftovers get stuck in your knife block. Use a crevice cleaner attachment on your vacuum to breathe some new clean life into your knife block.
  4. Windowsills – Your windows and windowsills also need vacuum attention. Use a low suction setting to vacuum up dust, dirt and lingering allergens like pollen that may have gotten in when the window was open.
  5. Keyboards – Computer keyboards also seem to attract all kinds of crumbs and dirt. Use a low suction crevice attachment to suck out any debris from on and inside your keyboards.
  6. motorized shadesEntertainment Center – For some crazy reason, electronics gather dust like nothing else. This isn’t just unsightly, it’s also bad for them as dust can damage the small inner components. Turn off all the electronics in your entertainment center and give them a thorough vacuuming at least once a month. Get behind the TV, between the cords, inside speaker ducts, and underneath any gaming systems.
  7. Brooms – You clean your floors with your broom, but what happens to all that hair, dust and other nasty debris that sticks to the broom and doesn’t end up in the dustpan? Rather than spreading it back on your floors the next time you sweep, vacuum it up.
  8. Refrigerator Coils – Your refrigerator coils are what keep your fridge running efficiently, but they get really dirty, really fast. Make sure to vacuum your refrigerator coils at least two times a year. You can find them at the bottom of your fridge in newer models or behind your fridge in older models.

We are here to help if you want more home improvement or motorized shade tips. Stop by and visit us or give us a call today to learn more about what we can do for you and your shades.

Motorized Shutters in Your Bathroom

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You want your bathroom to be filled with lovely sunlight, but you also want your bathroom to be private. That makes finding the right window treatments for your bathroom a bit tricky. Luckily, there are a few different kinds of window treatments, like motorized shutters, that allow you to have both natural light and privacy in the bathroom.

Use this list of bathroom window treatments to inspire your bathroom décor and window design:

  1. Motorized Shutters – Shutters, like planation shutters, give you the best of both natural light and privacy in the bathroom. They are ideal for use in bathrooms for a few reasons, First, you can open the shutters to let in as much light as you can possibly want and then close them again to get the privacy you need in a bathroom. But shutters take things one step further as you can also adjust the louvres to let in natural light while still getting privacy. Second, shutters are great for use in bathrooms as their midrails allow for even more light and privacy customization. A midrail splits a shutter into two sections, a bottom half and a top half, so that you can have one part closed for privacy and the other part open for natural light. Shutters with midrails are especially helpful in bathrooms that have double hung windows as they allow you to open the top portion of your window along with the top slats of your shutter for fresh air that balances with privacy.
  2. Faux Wood Blinds – Faux wood blinds are generally assembled with horizontal slats, almost like shutter louvres. These slats can be adjusted up, down and various points in between to give you some privacy when you need it but also to let in natural light. While there are lots of different kinds of blinds out there to choose from, faux wood blinds are the best choice for use in a bathroom because they can stand up to high levels of humidity and moisture and are very easy to wipe clean.
  3. motorized shuttersCellular Shades – Cellular shades are similar to shutters in that they allow for customization of privacy and light, but they are not made out of hard wood or materials but are instead made out of fabrics for a lighter look. Cellular shades come in top-down and bottom-up varieties so you can the shades upward from the bottom of the window or downward from the top of the window as needed or desired. These window treatments come in tons of different kinds of materials, fabrics and thicknesses to give you even more control over the amount of natural light in your bathroom. Plus, you can also pair shades with curtains for even more style. You can combine cellular shades with semi-sheer decorative curtains for style and still enjoy all the privacy you could ever want in a bathroom.

We are here for you if you want more tips on what kinds of window treatments you should use in your home. Call or visit us today for more information on motorized shutters and more.

Your New Home Office

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Lots of people have started working from home, which offers many benefits, like no commutes and lots of sweatpants. But there are also some downsides to working from home, like your home office. Rather than suffer through a bad home office, make it better with these tips from finding a good desk and getting a better chair to installing blinds with motorization:

  1. Get Plenty of Light – It’s no secret that a natural light is good for you. But did you know if can also help boost your mood and concentration? Make sure your home office has plenty of light by installing the right kind of window treatments – like motorized blinds. Blinds allow you to adjust the amount of light coming into the room while also keeping your space private. Motorized blinds are also ideal for controlling the light to fit your needs. Less light for a video meeting? More light for reading up on a new contract or deal? Done and done. Plus, blinds are very stylish and will add to the comfort of your new home office space.
  2. Create a Designated Space – It may be fun and comfortable at first to sit in bed with your laptop, but after a while it will be tough to separate “working” from “off time”. Instead, try choosing a designated workspace in your home. This will not only create helpful and healthy separation but will also help you avoid distractions. You don’t need a whole room, a living room nook, side kitchen table or extra walk-in closet would all work fine.
  3. Get a Desk that Works – Yes, you need a desk. You can’t keep working at the coffee table forever. You need a desk that will fit to your workday needs, not the other way around. If you mostly work from your laptop, a smaller desk or table works. But if you need a monitor or lots of paper, you will need a bigger surface. Choose a desk that works for you and your workday needs.
  4. Buy a Good Chair – Your kitchen chairs are great for a meal or game night, but they won’t do for sitting in all day, five days a week. You need to get a desk chair that is comfortable and suited for working. If you’re feeling fancy you can get an ergonomic desk chair, but if you’re short on space or money you can upgrade an existing chair with some extra back support.

motorizationFinally, you need to figure out what works for you. Everyone has different needs and preferences when it comes to working from home. Luckily, one of the perks of working from home is getting to customize your workspace to whatever you want and need. But this oftentimes means a little trial-and-error. Don’t be afraid to try something new and move on if it doesn’t work.

Do you want more tips and tricks for your home? As a motorization expert, we are here to help you. Call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you and your window treatments.

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