In order to ensure that your interior wood shutters last as long as possible, you need to maintain them. Maintenance is relatively simple and requires regular cleaning.
Not much is really needed to properly clean interior wood shutters. Most of the time you are not going to require any type of harsh cleaning solutions. Chemicals and other cleansers can actually erode the texture and integrity of the shutters over time. Basically all you need to do is use a wet soft cloth and a little bit of water.
Take the cloth and gently wipe down the panels individually. Hold the shutter panels open so that you can reach each one independently. Do not place any significant pressure on the panels as this can damage the hardware and connection points.
If you haven’t cleaned your interior wood shutters in some time, you can use a mild soap. Make sure that you avoid furniture polish or anything with lemon or lemon oil in it.
It is best to clean your shutters at a time when you can either open the window or have a fan blowing on them so that they dry completely as quickly as possible. Even though they are painted, you don’t want moisture sitting on the shutters for any longer than it has to. Most interior wood shutters that are stained or painted are nonporous at that point, but there is no reason to allow moisture to sit on them longer than necessary.
Once you wipe down the entire surface of the shutter, you can clean it or dry it off with a soft terry cloth towel or rag. For stubborn stains, you may need to use a harsh chemical. If so, check how the chemical will react to the wood on a hidden part of the shutter first. If no damage occurs, then use that to clean off the stain.
