Hard versus soft window treatments
Hard: blinds and shutters
- Metal, vinyl and faux wood slats can be washed
- Painted plantation shutters clean like trim and can be primed and repainted
- Real wood blinds tolerate only light cleaning
- Cords, ladders and tapes absorb odor and may need replacement
Soft: drapes and shades
- Lined drapes can often be professionally cleaned
- Cellular honeycomb shades trap residue inside the cells and rarely come clean
- Woven wood and natural fiber shades absorb deeply
- Sheers usually launder well if the fabric is sound
Why windows matter more here
- Airflow
- Smoke tends to move toward windows, where people often smoked to vent it outside
- Sun
- Denver's intense sun warms west and south windows, speeding odor release from treatments and glass film
- Glass
- A greasy haze on window glass is one of the clearest visible signs of indoor smoking
- Frames and sills
- Vinyl and painted frames hold film; wood sills may be stained by ash and cigarette burns
Making the call on each window
Start by taking every treatment down. It is the only way to clean the glass, the frame and the wall above the window properly, and you will smell each item better once it is out of the room. Lay hard blinds flat and wash them slat by slat, or ask a window covering cleaner about ultrasonic cleaning, which many use for blinds. Check the cords and ladder tapes afterward; if they still smell, they can usually be restrung.
Many Cherry Creek and Hilltop homes have custom plantation shutters, which are expensive to replace and usually worth saving. Painted shutters behave much like painted trim: clean, rinse, and if the tint or smell persists, prime with a stain blocker and repaint. Stained wood shutters need the same care as paneling.
Soft treatments are a judgment call. Good lined drapes are often worth sending to a drapery cleaner who has handled smoke odor before. Cellular shades are the exception people regret most; the closed cells hold residue where no cleaning reaches, and replacement is usually the honest answer.
Window-by-window routine
- Remove treatments and label them by room and window.
- Clean glass inside with a degreasing glass cleaner, then a second pass with plain glass cleaner.
- Wash frames, sills and the window well area.
- Clean the wall above each window, where smoke often collects.
- Decide clean, refinish or replace for each treatment.
- Rehang only after the room has been cleaned and, if needed, primed and painted.
General information for Cherry Creek, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.