How To Clean Accordion Shades

[SailboatInteriors]

Accordion shades are a great option for sailboat windows. They don’t allow the personalization that curtains provide but they do look modern and chic. Whether you’ve just purchased a used boat or you have owned your boat for several years and the shades are showing their age, here are instructions on how to wash your shades to get them looking brilliant again.

Make a list of the length of each shade and the location. List the shades from forward to aft and mark which side they are located on. This will make it easier to know where to re-install them when you are done cleaning them. When removing the shades, return the screws so they are not lost and to guarantee they are returned to the same hole.


Prepare a bathtub with just enough water to cover the shades – maybe around a quarter full. Add a half cup of Woolite and half cup of bleach. Woolite will gently clean the accordion fabric. Soak overnight or up to two days. Rinse. Dry the shades completely. This may take a few days. Re-install the newly cleaned and brightened accordion shades on your sailboat using the list you created to guide you.

 

[John T1594]

Sagging shades

My wife just asked if there was any way to reduce the sag in our 14 year old accordian shades. I noticed a can of Niagra starch and an iron in your photos. Can you give any advice and relay your experience with putting the crispness back in the shades?

 

[SailboatInteriors]

Cleaning them helped remove dust and specs of dirt that had gotten into the folds. Bleaching them definitely brightened them. I didn't spend a lit if time it effort in adding starch, ironing and repeating. There was still a small amount of sag in mine when I reinstalled them. You could try it and then if you are not happy, you could by replacements or put in curtains instead. Catalina Direct sells replacement accordion shades.

Beth
Sailboat Interiors

 

[Dan_Y]

Thanks for sharing this approach. My oceanair accordion shades are stained from a window leak. Their website states to use foaming carpet cleaner and a sponge. Any experience with that technique?
Thanks
Dan

 

[SailboatInteriors]

I'm not familiar with that approach. I like the idea of a "foaming" cleanser to remove a stain but there are many different carpet cleaners out there with different ingredients and I'd also worry the color from a sponge would leak onto the shade and cause another issue in itself.

If it were me, I would go with the safe approach and start with just soaking it in warm water with a small amount of gentle detergent like Woolite. Then if that doesn't work, I'd soak it in warm water with some Oxiclean. It has great reviews for getting out stains and similar to carpet foam, but probably safer to use, creates bubbles that loosen stains. Lastly, I'd soak them in water with a small amount of bleach. Keep in mind though, that you could end up having to bleach all of the shades depending on how much lighter and brighter the shade looks after bleaching it so they all look the same. Be sure to rinse the bleach out thoroughly afterwards too.

Best wishes,
Beth
Sailboat Interiors