How to Handle Old Window Treatments

Recycle Your Blinds & Shades

If you’re in the market for new window fashions, you might be wondering what you should do with any old ones that will come down. At F&R Interiors serving the greater Los Angeles area, we get that question a lot. Which is why we’ve compiled the following ideas—that way, you can already have some thoughts about how you’d like to handle your old window fashions.

If They Still Work

If your window treatments still function and look at least decent, the best case scenario is to get them to someone who might be able to put them to use. Even though they’re old to you, they might feel very new to someone else. Check with your local Habitat For Humanity Restore, Salvation Army or Goodwill Stores. Alternatively, if you live near a college, some students might appreciate the treatments for their apartments—check with relatives or friends to see if you can pass your treatments on.

If They’re Beyond Repair

You might be getting new treatments because your dog chewed through an old one or because they no longer function correctly. If that’s the case, no one else is likely to want them, so you should look at alternatives for letting them go. To avoid filling in landfills more than we need to, you can consider recycling them—or at least parts of them.

  • Metal blinds. These are the easiest to recycle because the infrastructure to recycle metals such as copper and steel is already in place. Before you take your aluminum blinds to the recycling center or scrap yard, you should remove all the strings, freeing the slats from the headrail. You may also want to give them a quick cleaning.
  • Fabric shades or draperies. If your old fabric roman shades or draperies are ripped or torn, cut the fabric away from the hardware and take it to a clothing donation center like Salvation Army or Goodwill. You can then recycle the hardware.
  • Wood, faux wood, or woven wood blinds or honeycomb shades. Unfortunately, because of the materials used or the way they’ve been finished, these products can’t be recycled. You can reduce them to smaller parts to use for elementary-school art projects, use bits as shims, or send any usable fabric to a receptive place. You can always recycle the hardware.

Online Resources

If all else fails, search online at sites such as Earth 9ll, to find a recycling center near you.

Recycling Ideas in the Brentwood & Sherman Oaks CA Area

At F&R Interiors, we’ve been serving the Greater Los Angeles since 1990, with a showroom at 1529 S. Robertson Blvd. We offer the full line of Hunter Douglas window treatments including blinds, shades, and shutters. We also have our own workroom, where we can create beautiful custom curtains, top treatments, pillows, and more. Our personalized service, quality products, and professional installation services ensures you’ll find the perfect window treatment solution for your home or business.

We service the Greater Los Angeles area including Brentwood, Santa Monica Sherman Oaks, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Hancock Park, Los Feliz, Hollywood Hills, and San Fernando Valley, CA and surrounding areas.

Contact us for more details.