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Technical Info and How-To Guides
Most blinds, screens and awnings need about five minutes a season. Nobody shows you what goes into those five minutes, so here it is.
Or call 09 441 9455. Mon to Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm.
Plenty of people leave their blinds alone because they're not sure what's safe to use. Below is how to clean and care for blinds, fly screens, outdoor blinds and awnings in Auckland, one product at a time.
Thinking of buying? This shows you the upkeep, and none of it takes a weekend. Rachel, one of our customers, said she was "tutored in how to best maintain them". This page does the same for you.
Not sure about yours? Call 09 441 9455, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, or send us a message. Everything we fit carries our 2-year full warranty, with no call-out fee.
✓ Locally made in New Zealand
✓ Free measure and quote
✓ 2 year full warranty (no call-out fee)
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How to clean and care for blinds, fly screens, outdoor blinds and awnings
Can you put a blind in the wash? Usually not. A few rules hold for nearly everything:
✓ Dust or brush first, and use sticky tape to pull out excess grit, before anything damp touches it
✓ Where water is allowed, use warm water and a mild detergent, never solvents or abrasives
✓ Let anything wet dry fully before it's rolled up
Find your product in the blind care guide below. If something looks wrong, call us before you force it.
Roller blinds: operating, cleaning and child safety
Raise and lower a roller blind with its chain. Spring-assist and motorised blinds don't have one.
How to clean roller blinds
Go gently, with as little water as you can:
✓ Dust or brush first, and use sticky tape to pull out excess grit, before anything damp touches it
✓ Spot clean marks with a damp cloth and a little mild detergent
✓ Never soak the fabric
How to make blind chains child safe
Small children and a loose chain don't mix, so sort it today. A child-safe chain tidy fixes the chain to the window jamb.
Spring-assist and motorised blinds remove the chain altogether. Choosing child safe blinds for a new room? Ask about both at the measure.
How to clean venetian and vertical blinds
How to clean venetian blinds
Start dry, then work slat by slat:
✓ Close the slats and tilt them one way, then the other, to knock off the dust
✓ Wipe each slat with a microfibre cloth, or vacuum with the soft brush
✓ Use a damp cloth and mild detergent on PVC and aluminium, but keep liquids off timber
✓ Lift stubborn marks with a dry toothbrush
Vertical blinds
Don't wash vertical slats. They carry a mould and mildew treatment, so dust them top to bottom with a thick duster or the vacuum brush, one face then the other.
How to clean fly screens and security screens, and how often
Every 3 to 4 months is about right, for fly screens and security screens alike. Start dry:
✓ Vacuum the mesh gently with the soft brush
✓ Wipe the mesh and frames with warm water and a mild household detergent
✓ Rinse with clean water
Never use solvents on the mesh or the powder-coated frames. Our fly screens page covers the range.
How to look after clear PVC outdoor blinds: care and storms
Before a storm
✓ Never leave your blinds down in a storm
✓ Roll them up only when they're clean and dry
Everyday PVC outdoor screen care
✓ Hang new blinds fully for a few days so the wrinkles drop out
✓ Don't leave them rolled up for long in direct sun, as a pelmet protects an exposed roll
✓ Clean with a soft brush, mild soap and warm water, rinse, then dry with a soft cloth
✓ Use a PVC polish to keep them clear
✓ Keep solvents and abrasives away from them
Our full PVC care guide has more, and our outdoor blinds page covers the range.
Awnings: wind, rain and the yearly check
How to look after an awning
Retract your awning in rain and wind. Once a year, give it some awning maintenance, hardware first, then the fabric:
✓ Wipe the hardware with mild detergent and warm water
✓ Check the bolts and coach screws haven't loosened, and call us if they have
✓ Brush the Docril fabric with a soft brush and rinse
✓ Spot clean with a neutral detergent in lukewarm water
✓ Let it dry fully before rolling it up
Caught out by wind while you were away? Check the bolts once it's calm, and call us if anything has moved.
Motorised blinds: charging and power cuts
How to charge a battery blind motor
Charge it in place with the plug-in charger. There's no need to take the blind down.
Power cuts and remotes
A hardwired blind stays put in a power cut. Remotes take ordinary batteries, so if one stops responding, try fresh ones first, then call us.
Curtains, roman blinds and shutters
Wipe curtain tracks and runners now and then. Re-hanging and track servicing are covered under curtain and blind repairs.
Dust shutters blade by blade, with a damp cloth on PVC and aluminium and a dry one on timber.
For roman blind and curtain fabric, call us before you try anything wet.
Technical detail: awning brackets and roller blind parts
Fixing something yourself, or working on a job as a trade? The specs sit on two pages:
✓ Awning technical info and soffit brackets
✓ Roller blind technical info and parts
When to call us: repairs and servicing
A loose bolt or a blind that won't behave is a good reason to ring. Follow-up maintenance and servicing is available on everything we fit, and our repairs and servicing page has the detail.
Everything we fit also carries our 2-year full warranty, which covers:
✓ Parts
✓ Labour
✓ No call-out fee
✓ No labour charge for warranty work
If something goes wrong, we come and fix it. The full terms are on our warranty page.
What our customers say about our after-sales help
Being shown the care is what these customers remembered.
"The end result for the insect screens & roller blinds is just lovely, & we were also tutored in how to best maintain them." (Rachel, June 2026)
"Gave wise maintenance knowledge not just for the awning, but for the PVC pull-down blinds we also have on the property. Then proceeded to maintain those blinds for us." (Simon, April 2022)
"Roman was kind enough to share valuable maintenance tips and even provided a sample lubricant for future use." (Mas, May 2024)
Care and how-to questions
How do I clean roller blinds?
Dust or brush first, and use sticky tape to pull out excess grit, then spot clean with a damp cloth and mild detergent. Never soak the fabric.
How do I clean venetian and vertical blinds?
Tilt venetian slats both ways, then wipe slat by slat, keeping liquids off timber. Dust vertical slats top to bottom, and never wash them.
How often should I clean fly screens?
Every 3 to 4 months. Vacuum gently, wipe with warm water and mild detergent, then rinse.
How do I look after clear PVC outdoor blinds?
Roll them up only when clean and dry, and never leave them down in a storm. Clean with a soft brush, mild soap and warm water, then rinse and dry. Keep solvents and abrasives away from them.
How do I look after an awning?
Retract it in rain and wind. Once a year, wipe the hardware, check the bolts and brush the fabric.
How do I charge a battery blind motor?
Charge it in place with the plug-in charger, right where the blind hangs. The remote runs on ordinary batteries.
How do I make blind chains child safe?
Fit a child-safe chain tidy that fixes the chain to the jamb. Spring-assist and motorised blinds remove the chain altogether.
Do you offer servicing?
Yes, on everything we fit. Our 2-year full warranty also covers parts and labour, with no call-out fee.
Need a hand, or new blinds?
Not sure about yours? Call 09 441 9455, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, and we'll talk it through.
Buying new blinds, screens or an awning? Book a free measure and quote anywhere in the Auckland area, and bring your care questions with you. David or Roman comes to your door with samples to see in your own light, and there's no obligation.
If you'd rather not call, book your free measure and quote online.
Related pages
✓ Awning technical info and soffit brackets
✓ Roller blind technical info and parts
✓ Warranty