Are plantation shutters hard to keep clean? Why are my white shutters turning yellow and how do you remove it?

If you’re thinking about having plantation shutters installed in your home, then the important question is how easy they are to keep clean? In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know – including why white plantation shutters turn yellow and what to do if in that event.

Are plantation shutters hard to keep clean?
Are plantation shutters hard to keep clean? When compared to traditional blinds or curtains, plantation shutters are incredibly easy to keep clean. In fact, often, all that is required is a quick dust, and then a wipe down with a clean, damp cloth. This should be all of the maintenance required to keep your plantation shutters nice and clean. However, there are some issues that occur with white shutters and discolouration – which we will cover shortly.

Why are my white shutters turning yellow?
If you have white plantation shutters installed in your home, over time you may notice them turning yellow. Why does that occur?
If your plantation shutters are beginning to discolour and turn yellow, it is typically the sun’s ultraviolet rays that are responsible. This is because the UV light effectively burns the white plantation shutters and slowly causes them to discolour over time – this is more the case if you have invested in low-quality plantation shutters.
The damaging rays from the sun will slowly eat away at the protective coating on your plantation shutters over time. Once that protective layer has completely worn away, the sun damage will begin to cause the paint to turn yellow, which is an eyesore, to say the least.
Of course, with regular cleaning, you can keep your shutters looking at their best, but if you’ve invested in poor-quality plantation shutters there is little that can be done to keep them from going yellow.
The best way for you to prevent your shutters from yellowing is by investing in premium-quality plantation shutters that have been custom-made specifically for your home. That’s all very well said and done when you’ve already paid for your plantation shutters, so is there any way of removing the yellow discolouration?

How do you remove yellow from plantation shutters?
How do you remove yellow from plantation shutters? Again, there isn’t a huge amount that can be done as typically, the discolouration is caused by investing in low-quality plantation shutters and the problem may persist. In any case, you can try bleaching them to restore the fresh white colour from before:
Plug the drain in your bathtub and fill it partially with cold water.
Removing the slats from your plantation shutters should be fairly straightforward but be mindful not to force them out and cause any unnecessary damage.
Place the slats in the bathtub and ensure that they are fully submerged in the water.
Add two or three cups of liquid bleach to the cold water mix.
Allow the slats to soak in the bleach solution for a good ten minutes.
Following that, wearing rubber gloves, use a sponge to wipe the front and back of each individual slat using the bleach and water solution.
Drain the tub and remove the slats carefully, drying them off with an old towel – or allowing them to air dry thoroughly.
At this point, it may be worth re-varnishing your slats or applying a protective coating to help protect against the UV rays for longer.
Finally, you can re-attach your slats and hopefully, this will have successfully removed all yellow discolouration and restored the white.

Why cheap plantation shutters discolour easily – and cause other issues
Like most things in your home, you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to know when someone is trying to sell you a poor-quality product.
Here are some of the problems that come with cheap or off-the-shelf plantation shutters:
They may not fit your windows perfectly: Buying high-quality, custom-made plantation shutters is essential if you want them to fit your windows perfectly. Off-the-shelf shutters may not fit tightly against the frame leading to inferior light control. If you buy DIY plantation shutters from a reputable supplier, you should be able to get custom-made shutters cut to exact measurements to avoid this problem.
They will be made from lower-quality materials: Plantation shutters that are made using poor quality materials are not only less durable, but prone to cracking, chipping, and warping.
Low-quality paint is troublesome: In cheap plantation shutters, the paint used often contains VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) which can lead to headaches and eye irritation. In addition to that, a lower quality product doesn’t always have the appropriate level of protection to stand up to the sun’s UV rays, thus leading to the ugly, yellowing discolouration discussed above.
They will likely require more maintenance: One of the biggest selling points of quality plantation shutters is the fact that they require little to no maintenance. The frustrating thing about investing in a cheaper standard is that they often require much more maintenance than should be necessary.

Conclusion
In conclusion, high-quality plantation shutters are incredibly easy to clean and maintain. If you find your white plantation shutters are discolouring, it’s likely due to lower quality, coupled with the sun’s ultraviolet rays wearing the protective coating away over time. Fortunately, this can all be avoided by investing in a superior product from dependable suppliers like Perth’s Boutique Plantation Shutters.
We hope that this article has been helpful for you and wish you the best of luck with your plantation shutter installation.