Motorized shades need very little upkeep. Dust the fabric every month or two with a feather duster or a vacuum with a soft brush attachment, spot-clean stains with a mild detergent and water, keep the shade’s path clear, and change batteries before they run flat. Leave anything mechanical, like a noisy motor or fabric rolling crooked, to a technician. The details below follow Lutron’s fabric care guidance and what we see on service calls in Massachusetts and Rhode Island homes.
Before you clean
- Lower the shade all the way. You can only reach the full fabric when it is unrolled.
- Pause the schedules. Turn off any timed or sun-tracking schedules in the app, or switch the system to a manual mode, so the shade doesn’t start moving while you are working on it.
- Check the fabric type. Some fabrics, especially blackout fabrics with an acrylic backing, have stricter rules. If you aren’t sure, test any cleaning method on a hidden corner first.
Dusting and vacuuming
Regular dusting is most of the job. Use a feather duster, a soft dry cloth, or a vacuum on low suction with the soft brush attachment. Work from the top of the fabric down. Every month or two is enough in most rooms, more often near an open window, a fireplace or a busy kitchen.
Removing spots and stains
- Mix a small amount of mild detergent with water.
- Dampen a soft white cloth, wring it out well and dab the stain. Don’t scrub, which can fuzz the fabric or leave a lighter patch.
- Dab the area again with a cloth dampened in clean water to rinse out the soap.
- Let the shade air dry while fully lowered. Never roll up a damp shade, because the moisture gets trapped and can cause mildew or creases.
Avoid bleach, solvents, ammonia and abrasive cleaners. Never take the fabric off the roller to wash it or soak it, and don’t use a steamer. Heat and moisture can warp the fabric and reach the motor.
Cleaning other types of shades
- Honeycomb (cellular) shades: blow dust out of the cells with a hair dryer on the cool, no-heat setting, then vacuum the face with the brush attachment.
- Wood blinds: use a dry or barely damp cloth on each slat. Water can warp wood.
- Roman shades and drapery: follow the fabric maker’s instructions. Heavier drapery is often cleaned in place by a professional drapery cleaner.
Taking care of the hardware
- Keep liquids away from the motor end of the roller and from battery tubes.
- Wipe dust out of side channels and the hem bar with a dry cloth.
- Keep the path clear. A hem bar most often catches on plants, lamps, window cranks and items on the sill.
- Don’t spray lubricant into the roller, brackets or channels. Motorized roller shades don’t need it, and lubricant attracts dust and can stain the fabric.
- Don’t pull the fabric by hand to adjust it. Use the controls.
Battery and power care
If your shades run on batteries, replace all the batteries in a shade at the same time with the type the manufacturer specifies. A shade that slows down, moves unevenly or stops partway is usually telling you its batteries are low, and some systems also flag low batteries in the app. Hardwired shades need nothing from you, but if a group of them stops after a storm, check the breaker that feeds them.
A simple seasonal checklist
- Spring: dust off pollen, and check that schedules shifted correctly after the clocks changed.
- Summer: look for fading on the sunniest windows and make sure sun-facing shades are lowering when they should.
- Fall: clean the fabric, clear out side channels and replace batteries that are getting low before winter.
- Winter: condensation on cold glass can wet the bottom of a shade that sits against the window all day. Raise those shades for a while each day so the glass and fabric can dry.
Once a year, run every shade up and down and listen. A healthy shade sounds the same from top to bottom.
Signs a shade needs service
- Grinding, clicking or a motor that hums without turning
- Fabric rolling off to one side, which usually means a bracket has shifted
- A hem bar that isn’t level, or shades in a group that no longer stop at the same height
- Fraying edges, creases or a tear in the fabric
- A shade that keeps losing its limits and stopping in the wrong place
Many of these have simple causes, and our shade troubleshooting guide walks through what you can check yourself. If the problem is mechanical, or the fabric needs a deeper cleaning than spot work, have the shade taken down by a technician. Removing a motorized shade from its brackets the wrong way can damage the motor or the fabric.
Window washing day
Raise the shades fully before window washers arrive so cleaning spray and water don’t land on the fabric, and keep the schedules paused until the glass is dry.
Common questions
Can I clean motorized shades without taking them down?
Yes. Dusting, vacuuming and spot cleaning are all done with the shade hanging and fully lowered. Only a deep cleaning or a repair calls for taking the shade down.
Do motorized shades need a yearly service visit?
Most don’t need a scheduled visit. Keep them dusted, keep the batteries fresh and call for service when you hear or see one of the warning signs above. Larger systems with many wired shades are worth a check when your installer is already on site for other work.
If you are still choosing shades, our guide to choosing automated blinds for luxury homes explains which fabrics are easiest to live with.
Planning a motorized shade project?
We design, install and service Lutron motorized shades across Greater Boston, the South Shore and Rhode Island. Book a free consultation or read more about our motorized shades.
