Category : Blog

Hypoallergenic Blinds for Your Home

If you’re sensitive to allergens, you might be surprised how much your blinds are impacting your health. Blinds are huge dust collectors. However, did you know certain blinds are better for your allergies than others? Domir Blinds has taken some notes on which blinds are the most hypoallergenic and we’re back and ready to share!

Dust Traps

The first type of blinds we’re going to look at are what we’re going to refer to as dust traps. These blinds are like dust magnets. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your style of cleaning.

Pretty much any type of blinds that involves an outer layer of fabric is going to be a dust trap. Honeycomb blinds, Ninet, and anything like curtains will collect dust constantly. If you’re looking for something easy to upkeep, these aren’t for you. However, they come with a benefit.

Because fabric holds on to dust better than a smooth surface, you can let them go without cleaning for longer. There is a limit to this. Leaving the blinds for 6 months will mean enough dust buildup that just opening and closing them will put a bunch of it back into the air and, therefore, your lungs. However, you can easily go a couple of months without cleaning them and not have to worry about them flinging dust particles all over the place when you use them.

The downside is, well, you have to wash them. Vacuuming may work as an alternative, but it won’t be as effective as fully submerging them in water. This is high maintenance and undesirable for most people. However, if you’re set on fabric blinds or you would rather do a deep clean every few months than upkeep every few days, it may be worth your while.

Easy-to-Clean

The next type of blinds are those that are easy to clean. Easy-to-clean blinds are made up of slick surfaces that don’t hold on to dust. Magic Lite and standard, slatted blinds are in this group, though Magic Lite is better for reasons we’ll explain.

Easy-to-clean blinds don’t hold on to dust, which means they’re much easier to clean. You simply need a wet rag or a static duster to remove all of the dust from them in under a minute. However, because they don’t hold on to the dust, you have to perform this maintenance more frequently. Once a week is the minimum amount of time you can leave them to collect. Otherwise, when you open and close them, all of that dust will be blown back into the air. Unfortunately, this is about as hypoallergenic as blinds can be.

Always Closed

If you’re not keen on constant cleaning to prevent your blinds from assaulting your lungs every time you open or close them, you may want to get some window coverings that can remain closed most of the time. This would include things like roller screens. Roller screens filter in sunlight and allow some one-way visibility of the outdoors. That means you don’t have to open them to get sunlight or close them to get privacy.

Because they can stay closed all the time, it doesn’t really matter if some dust collects on them. You can clean them when it’s convenient and, the rest of the time, they can just sit there, not moving. So long as dust isn’t being stirred up, the air will remain as clear as usual.

Pet Friendly Blinds That Look Great

If you have pets, you may be struggling with your standard blinds. Most homes and apartments come with aluminum, slatted blinds. These, however, are not exactly pet friendly. If you’re tired of your blinds being bent out of shape, chewed on, or otherwise destroyed by your clueless but well-meaning pets, it may be time for an upgrade to more pet friendly blinds.

Flexible Materials

The first option for pet friendly blinds is something with more flexible materials. Aluminum slats may be flexible enough to bend out of place, but they’re not flexible enough to bounce right back. Even when bent back into position, they’ll maintain some ugly bend marks to commemorate that bird your dog saw intruding in the front yard.

Instead, if you want flexible, you have to go all the way. Sheer vertical blinds are like high tech curtains. However, unlike curtains, they come with some incredible perks to light flow and privacy. Another perk they come with is that they’re unbothered by your dog pushing past to get to the window. However, if you have cats, you may be better suited to a different style if it has a habit of sharpening its claws on the nearest fabric.

Sturdy Materials

The other option is to go for something more sturdy. Instead of completely making way for your pets, you can opt for something that will withstand them. Magic Lite may be the perfect solution. The sturdy, wooden slats of Magic Lite are wide and unbendable.

Although, you should be warned: if your dog is destructive enough, even Magic Lite won’t keep it from getting to the window one way or another. These beautiful blinds may just become another casualty in your journey to finding a solution.

On the other hand, Magic Lite is a very suitable design for cat owners. Cats aren’t typically strong enough to do damage to something as hardy as Magic Lite. Unlike aluminum slats, a cat brushing against it won’t be enough to bend it out of the way, revealing the window and tempting them to reach it. 

Pet Safety

The next concern is pet safety. While every pet owner knows some tricks (such as throwing the blinds cord over the fascia), it’s better to get blinds that are pet friendly across the board.

If you have a small dog that takes more interest in the blinds cord than the slats, Ninet may be worth looking into. These blinds are similar to honeycomb blinds in that they use fabric to insulate them. Inside, there are something like standard blinds. This allows light control while still maintaining privacy. Plus, the cord is a pulley style that can be attached to the wall. The same goes for honeycomb blinds.

Order Today

If you’re ready to upgrade from your banged-up aluminum blinds, we’re ready to help. Order from Domir Blinds to get high quality designs that fit right in with your fur family and their undesirable habits.