georgesmarcoux Report post Posted June 26, 2011 We have a Tuscany 2008 and we want to clean spots on the shades. Any suggestions on what to use? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted June 26, 2011 Are these the standard pleated shades or are they some other material? Our owners information has suggested cleaning for various materials. I'll see what their recommendation is once I know what material we're dealing with. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
georgesmarcoux Report post Posted June 29, 2011 Hi: Yes, they are pleated shades. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimpat4649 Report post Posted June 30, 2011 From google search: How to DIY/Cleaning fabric shades: These shades present many cleaning problems. Never use a cleaner of any kind on day-night shades. They stain easily. Vacuum often to prevent dirt from taking control. Be sure to clean the bristles of your vacuum attachment before you vacuum. Hardware stores carry a dry sponge you'll find in the wallboard section. Use the sponge dry and wipe over the surface. The micro fiber towels do a good job as well. Dampen with water and wring out all the excess moisture. Quickly wipe over the blinds. Do not get excess moisture on them. Store the shades in a closed position whenever possible to keep the pleats well defined. Wood Window Shades Vacuum regularly. To clean, remove them laying them on a towel on a linoleum floor. Scrub with a soft nylon brush dipped in Ivory and water Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/cleaningblindsshades#ixzz1QiMRGaax Hope this helps Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted June 30, 2011 This information conflicts with the information jimpat4649 have posted. If their suggestions don't work, or you want better results, you might try this. I consulted the information in our owners manual. It doesn't specify any particular brand but mentions that a dry foam cleaner may be used for soil and dirt removal. It continues... Follow all directions on the container. An alternate is to use 1/4 ounce clear liquid soap to 8 ounces of water. It cautions not to use a colored liquid soap as the color residue will leave a stain when the fabric dries. Before trying any cleaning method I would be sure that you have vacuumed as much dust and dirt from the shades (both sides) before putting any cleaner on them. If dust is present and you add water you will create a muddy mix that likely will not be easily removed. The usual advice with any cleaning method is to pick a spot that is not in a conspicuous area to test the cleaning method before applying it to locations that would be more noticeable. Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mscamping Report post Posted July 23, 2011 We have a Tuscany 2008 and we want to clean spots on the shades. Any suggestions on what to use? We got tired of trying to clean them, the pleets were no longer pleets in the night part, just seemed like we were allows having to mess with them from the get go.. But they were 8 years old too..So we changed them out to the new MCD American duo day-night shades.. So far they're great.. Mike M.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted July 23, 2011 We had a string break in one of our shades several months ago and it could not be disassembled to re-string it. The professional shop we took it to said that it had been glued together and there was no way to get into the bottom rail so it was not repairable. All of our shades were seven years old and I figured if one string breaks, there are going to be lots of other strings breaking soon. Given that information, I decided to go to MCD for their day/night shades. I've had MCD sun screens, wheel covers and other products and always received excellent service from them. Louise was less than enthusiastic about spending the money for these shades. We were en-route through McKinney, TX so I called and scheduled a visit for them to measure the windows for the shades. We stayed one night on their lot and left the next morning. We were on a schedule so I planned to install the shades myself. We had them shipped to a location where we would be staying for an extended time. They arrived in one huge box. Everything was well packed and in excellent condition. I read a post by someone else here on the FMCA Forum who described the install process. It wasn't too difficult. I installed all 9 shade sets in two days of work. Basically you install the clips that hold the two roller assembly and then snap the roller assembly into place. Of course you have to measure carefully to install the clips. I used a template to help me space them properly (as suggested by the MCD employee who did the measuring). The most difficult part was snapping the assembly into the clips. With little space in our 3 inch deep valances, getting the leverage to press the shades into the clips was a challenge. Once installed, these shades are spectacular. The night shades are really dark. The only light we have in the morning is a little leak at the bottom and a slight amount of light that works its way around the valances along the edges. It is so much darker than the old pleated shades. These would even work well in Alaska! The day shades are essentially transparent while providing privacy and reducing the ambient light from full sunlight. The shades are easy up and easy down. I have always despised the two handed pulling to raise and lower the pleated shades. It requires leaning over furniture and tables to get a good even grip. These are the shades we should have had when the coach was new. The shades, as alluded to above, are not cheap. It is a premium product at a premium price. Doing the self-install saved us a nice bit of change and really wasn't that difficult. The bottom line on this is that Louise loves them. She hasn't complained about the money we spent on them since they have been installed. She enjoys sleeping late occasionally and these shades really improved her life! So the original post was about cleaning shades. This is a huge step beyond cleaning the shades. It was even a large step beyond replacing a single shade. If your shades are on their last legs and you would just as soon get a better shade than dealing with cleaning or repairing your shades, these shades are a real improvement for your motor home. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leongentry Report post Posted May 4, 2012 I recently purchased a 2007 Allegro Bay and the pleets on a couple of day shades (and a couple of the night shades) do not fold properly when raised /lowered. Therefore, it is very difficult to use. Does anyone have suggestions on solutions (other than replacement)? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
