Here are some tips and tricks:

Take a vacuum to it weekly and it’ll make maintenance of the shutters much easier. The vacuum will pick up most debris and dust, making grime less likely to build up and cake on.

Dust each slat. Take a few minutes every few weeks to thoroughly dust your shutters. Take a dry, no-polish dusting cloth or feather duster, open your slats, and dust each slat one by one. Then turn your slats and do the opposite side.

Extend time between deep cleans by dusting every two weeks. Use a feather duster, lint-free cloth, microfiber cloth, or Swiffer duster. No spots to clean? You may still want to run a damp cloth over the louvers and crevices once a month or to prevent build-up.

Spot clean with a damp cloth. Sometimes a duster doesn’t have enough cleaning power to get through the grime. When this happens, you should spot clean with a small brush dampened with a bit of water. Distilled water is best as it won’t leave spots, especially if you have hard water). If your plantation shutters are wooden (as opposed to synthetic), wipe water off immediately with a soft absorbent cloth to prevent warping. If you have Waterproof Polyvinyl Shutters, then you can use a damper cloth for wiping any stains away. Waterproof shutters are built to withstand splashes and are water-resistant.

Have a tougher mess? Use (a small bit of) detergent. You should avoid harsh or abrasive chemical on your plantation shutters, but sometimes mere water won’t cut through the mess. For instance, if your plantation shutters are in the kitchen, then chances are they’ve accumulated grease or food splatters. In this instance, mix a gentle solution of 1 gallon of hot water with dish soap. Dip a soft cloth or sponge into the water and wring it out thoroughly so it’s just
dampened, then scrub gently to remove the grime. Follow up with a soft cloth dampened with plain water (we recommend distilled) to remove soap and other residue. Dry immediately with an absorbent soft cloth to prevent spotting or warping.