the blackout cellular shades in the bedrooms don’t show half as much grime, but they’re like a magnet for whatever’s on your fingers
You nailed it—those cellular shades are sneaky. They look clean until you catch them in the right light and see every little fingerprint from bedtime stories. I’ve installed a lot of both, and honestly, I lean toward cordless shades for rooms with kids and pets. Fewer moving parts, less to break during “snack time chaos,” and you can usually just spot-clean the worst of it. Blinds just seem to collect every crumb and hair in the house... I swear they multiply overnight.
I get what you’re saying about blinds collecting everything. I had those basic slat blinds in our old place and it felt like every time the sun hit them, I could see a new layer of dust and who-knows-what stuck to each slat. Drove me nuts, especially with two dogs that shed like crazy.
We switched to cordless cellular shades in the kids’ rooms last year. I do notice fingerprints now and then, but honestly, a damp microfiber cloth takes care of most smudges. Way easier than trying to get between every slat with a duster or vacuum attachment. The cordless part is huge for me—my youngest used to yank on the old cords nonstop, and I was always worried about safety.
One thing though: I find the blackout shades are great for naps but they can make a room feel a bit cave-like if you leave them down too long. Not sure if that’s just me, but sometimes I wish they let in a little more light without sacrificing privacy.
Price-wise, the shades were more up front, but I haven’t had to replace any broken parts yet (unlike the blinds that bent or snapped if you looked at them wrong). If you’ve got pets that like to look out the window, just be ready for nose prints at dog level...but that’s kind of unavoidable with anything.
If you’re debating between the two, my vote’s for cordless shades—less hassle day-to-day and fewer things for kids or pets to mess up. But yeah, they’re not totally maintenance-free. Just less of a headache compared to traditional blinds in my experience.
If you’ve got pets that like to look out the window, just be ready for nose prints at dog level...but that’s kind of unavoidable with anything.
Ha, the nose prints are real. I’ve seen more smudges at dog height than anywhere else—doesn’t matter what you put up. I’ll give you that cordless shades are way less of a safety hazard and look cleaner, but I’ve had a few customers frustrated by how cellular shades can get creased if someone (or some dog) pushes on them too hard. Not as easy to fix as a bent blind slat, in my opinion. Still, totally agree on dust—those slats are like dust magnets. Just wish the shades let in a bit more light without sacrificing privacy, like you said.
Nose prints are basically a permanent feature on my back windows at this point—my lab’s convinced she’s the neighborhood watch. I actually switched to cordless cellular shades last year, mostly for energy efficiency (old drafty house, you know how it is). They really do help keep things cooler in summer, but I get what you mean about creasing. Mine have a couple spots where the dog decided to “help” with the mailman situation and now there’s a weird dent that just won’t smooth out.
I kind of miss the way blinds let in more filtered light, but I don’t miss dusting them every week. The shades are a bit better for privacy, though, especially in the evening when the lights are on inside. If only there was something that combined the insulation of cellular shades with the adjustability of blinds... Maybe someday. For now, I’ll live with the smudges and hope the energy savings offset the occasional dog-induced repair.
I hear you on the nose prints—my shepherd’s got a full-time gig as window patrol too. I switched to cordless blinds in the playroom because the kids are always opening and closing them, and honestly, they’re holding up better than I expected. The shades in the living room are great for insulation, but I do miss being able to tilt the light just right. Ever try those hybrid “sheer shades”? I’ve wondered if they’re worth the price or just another thing for the dog to mess up.
Nose prints are a daily thing here too—my lab mix is convinced the backyard needs a security sweep every hour. I hear you about the cordless blinds; I put them in after my youngest managed to wrap herself in the old cords like a mummy. Cordless has been a game changer on the safety front, but I did have one set where the spring mechanism started sticking after a year or so. Nothing a little DIY tinkering couldn’t fix, but still, worth mentioning.
About those sheer shades—my sister-in-law splurged on them last year and honestly, they look fantastic. They do that soft-filtered light thing that makes her living room feel like a magazine spread. But she’s got two cats and a toddler, and she’s already had to replace one panel because it got snagged during an epic game of “let’s chase the sunbeam.” The fabric is pretty delicate compared to regular blinds or even basic roller shades. If your dog likes to nose up against the window (mine does), I’d be a little worried about long-term durability.
I’ve found that cellular shades hold up surprisingly well if you want insulation and don’t mind losing some control over light direction. We did those in our upstairs bedrooms—keeps things cozy in winter and not too hot in summer. They’re not as easy to clean as blinds though, especially with all the fur floating around.
Honestly, I keep circling back to plain old cordless faux wood blinds for high-traffic areas. They’re not fancy, but they survive kids, pets, and whatever else life throws at them. Every time I get tempted by something fancier, I remember how much time I spend scrubbing muddy paw prints off everything… Maybe someday when everyone’s grown up (including the dog), I’ll try those sheers. For now, practicality wins out over style most days.
Every time I get tempted by something fancier, I remember how much time I spend scrubbing muddy paw prints off everything… Maybe someday when everyone’s grown up (including the dog), I’ll try those sheers. For now, practicality wins out over style most days.
Couldn’t agree more. The fancy stuff looks great in theory, but with kids and pets, it just doesn’t hold up. Tried fabric shades once—total regret. Between the dog’s nose art and sticky fingerprints, they never looked clean. Faux wood blinds aren’t glamorous, but they survive the chaos. Style can wait till life slows down a bit... if that ever happens.
I totally get where you’re coming from. When we moved in, I was set on those pretty roman shades—then my toddler smeared peanut butter on them the first week and the cat got fur everywhere. Swapped them out for cordless faux wood blinds and haven’t looked back. Not the fanciest, but way easier to wipe down and no cords for little hands (or paws) to mess with. Maybe it’s not forever, but it works for this stage of life.
I hear you on the mess factor. I was skeptical about faux wood blinds at first—thought they’d look cheap or break easily—but honestly, they’ve held up better than I expected.
That’s a big plus. Only thing is, dust builds up faster than I thought, so I’m still wiping them down more often than I’d like. But at least it’s not peanut butter ground into fabric, right?“way easier to wipe down and no cords for little hands (or paws) to mess with.”
Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the dust. I wipe mine down way more than I expected, but honestly, I’d take that over trying to scrub crayon or jelly out of fabric any day. The no-cord thing is huge too—my dog used to chew on the old ones, so it’s a win for me.