WINDOW BLINDS ARE KILLING OUR CHILDREN!!
More than 140 children have died in the United States since 1981 by strangulation from window treatment cords, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). It is easy to make today's window treatments safer for young children with just a few simple adjustments, to prevent these tragic accidents.

For concerned parents who wish to have window coverings with
 no cords at all, please check the following products.

1. All vertical blinds are available with a single wand operation with no cord or chain.
2. Cellular shades have cordless and motorized options.
   
3. Precautions None of these precautions are 100% full-proof, and should not be considered an alternative to direct parental supervision. All cord safety it ultimately the responsibility of the parent.
4. Do not leave curtain and blind cords hanging. Keep the cords out of the reach of children.
5. If you already have blinds, make sure that they are safe by eliminating any looped cords.
6. Cut the cords short or wrap them around a cord cleat..  Whether the blind is up or down, make sure children can't reach the cord.
7. Keep sofas, chairs, tables, shelves or bookcases away from windows to prevent children from climbing up to reach the curtain or blind cord.
8. First and foremost, there is no substitute for direct parental supervision.
9. If you have blinds with looped cords, you can make them child-safe by cutting the cord and attaching a new tassel to each cut end.

Many products now come with special features which enhance product safety. If you have small children, you'll want to look for these features:

1. Break-Thru Safety Tassels break apart and separate when pressure is applied on them. Separated tassels or break-thru tassels, Venetian Blind Tassel or Equalizer can still be VERY dangerous if the cord is still very long, or has even a small twist in it.
2. Motorization features eliminate lift cords through battery operated remote controls. Shades can be lifted and lowered at the touch of a button, and should anything get in its way, the built-in Safety-Stop automatically stops the shade.
3. No matter what choice is made for your window covering needs, please be careful and make the necessary precautions to help ensure your child's safety.

Protect your children. Use these cord cleats.

Be aware that it is possible for children to STRANGLE in window covering cords. To reduce the possibility of such an accident, all cords must be kept out of the reach of children, including infants. Cord cleats are an effective way to do this.

Attach the cord cleats 6" to 12" apart at a height where they will be out of the reach of children. Move cribs, playpens, and other furniture away from the cords. Children can climb furniture to get to the cords. Once the cleats are attached, TIGHTLY wrap the excess cord around them after each use of the shade or blind, as shown. It's fast, easy, and will make your window coverings safer.

Every 2 weeks a child dies from corded window coverings. Children are dying in rented homes, apartments and military housing. Window blind cords are one of the most widespread dangers in American homes today.

Window Covering Cords

Window covering cords are one of the products most frequently associated with strangulation of children under five. The younger victims, usually between 10 to 15 months of age, typically are in cribs that have been placed near window covering pull cords.

Although a few older children, usually from two to four years old, find cords hanging near the floor, most of these victims become entangled in cords while climbing on furniture to look out the window.
Window blinds purchased before 2001 pose a serious home safety threat to child safety. Every two weeks, a child dies by strangulation from unsafe blind cords. These tragic deaths happen in cribs, play areas, and living rooms.
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1. The main reason the string breaks in mini blinds is because the slats are not completely open when raising and lowering the blind. Blinds with slats should always be in the open position before pulling on the string.
2.   Another reason the string will break is because the shade is lifted to the exact same height every time it is opened, especially with pleated and cellular shades.             
3.  Often, the shades are lifted open all the way to the top and then locked into place. The hardware, repeatedly, clamps onto the string at the same spot, which causes the string to wear through and then break.
4.  Be sure to always keep the blinds free of dust! Dust is the number one reason for gears and mechanisms malfunctioning in venetian blinds.
5. Be sure to lubricate your tilt gears and vertical track with silicone. Once a year.
6.   When looking out of the window, venetian blind slats should never be bent or separated (while trying to peek).

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Cleaning and Care on day/night RV Shade

RV Shades should be kept In the closed or the up position when not in use, to maintain pleat retention and minimize dirt and soil buildup. Do not store shade in the down position, this may cause some loss of a pleat retention if RV shade are not operate on a consistent basis.
Note: if your recreation vehicle must be in storage for an extended period time. Store RV shade in the up position and cover your window with an additional protection (example cut out cardboard).
RV Shade can be easily cared for by simply dusting or using a vacuum cleaner attachment. Do not use spot remover, or household cleaner or detergent to remove soiled spot, or as this may cause damage to fabric.