Blinds Maintenance in Holiday Homes on the Garden Route
You arrive in December to open up the house. The air is stale, the shutters are sticky, and there is a fine layer of salt dust on every surface. Your holiday starts with a cleaning shift. It does not have to be that way.
How do you maintain blinds in a holiday home in South Africa?
- Wipe PVC shutters and roller blinds with a damp cloth and mild detergent every quarter, or after each guest departure in rental properties
- Leave louvres or blinds slightly open when the property is empty to allow airflow and prevent moisture build-up and mould
- Use PVC or aluminium products in coastal holiday homes as they resist salt air, humidity, and UV degradation better than timber
- Inspect mechanisms, cords, and brackets at least twice a year for salt corrosion or wear from guest use
- Custom Blinds recommends a seasonal service agreement for absentee owners managing Garden Route holiday properties remotely
- Add blinds maintenance to your turnover checklist between Airbnb guests: dust slats, check operation, wipe salt residue
- Motorised blinds reduce guest damage, simplify operation, and allow remote control for owners based elsewhere in South Africa
Need expert advice? Call Duncan on 079 523 5407
TLDR
Holiday homes on the Garden Route face salt air, humidity, empty months, and guest wear that shorten the life of window treatments. Choose PVC or aluminium products, leave louvres slightly open when the house is empty, clean between guest stays, and schedule a professional service check twice a year. Custom Blinds offers seasonal maintenance agreements for absentee owners across Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, and George.
The real challenge
A holiday home is a different kind of property. It sits empty for months. Then it fills with guests who did not read the manual. Salt air works on it year-round, whether someone is watching or not.
Salt and Humidity
Coastal air deposits salt on every surface. Humidity swells timber. Together they corrode metal and grow mould in closed rooms.
Empty Months
A house closed up from February to November traps moisture. Blinds left fully shut create dead air pockets where mildew thrives.
Guest Wear
Guests pull cords too hard, force mechanisms the wrong way, and leave blinds down in full sun. Turnover wear is real.
Remote Management
You live in Johannesburg or Cape Town. The house is in Plett. You cannot check on it every weekend. Problems grow quietly.
“I service a lot of holiday homes on Thesen Island and along Brenton. The owners who check in quarterly always have fewer problems than the ones who only pitch up in December. Salt does not wait for the holidays.”
Duncan, Custom Blinds — 15 years installing across the Garden Route
Why it matters
Why Holiday Homes Need a Different Approach
A permanent residence gets attention every day. Dust is wiped. Problems are spotted early. Mechanisms get used regularly, which keeps them moving freely.
A holiday home operates on a completely different cycle. It may stand closed for eight or nine months of the year. During that time, salt residue builds up on hardware. Humidity collects behind closed blinds. UV exposure bleaches fabric through glass that nobody thought to shade. And then, in December, everything needs to work perfectly for guests who are paying good money for the experience.
The properties that hold up best are the ones where the owner chose the right products from the start and put a simple maintenance routine in place. The ones that struggle are the ones where someone fitted the cheapest option available and hoped for the best.
Installations Since 2010
Many of them in holiday homes across the Garden Route, from George to Plettenberg Bay
Years on the Garden Route
We know what coastal conditions do to window treatments. We have seen every failure mode.
Services Under One Roof
Online sales, consultation, in-house manufacturing, and professional installation. Nobody else in SA does all four.
Choosing the Right Products for a Holiday Home
Not every blind belongs in a holiday rental. Some products are built for gentle daily use in a permanent home. Others are engineered to handle salt, moisture, and the unpredictable habits of short-stay guests.
The most reliable products for Garden Route holiday homes are PVC shutters, roller blockout blinds, and aluminium venetians. They share three things in common: moisture resistance, minimal moving parts, and surfaces that wipe clean in seconds.
Timber shutters look beautiful but they are not the right choice for a coastal property that sits empty for months. Humidity swells the wood. Salt corrodes the hinges. And if a guest forces a swollen louvre, you are looking at a replacement panel rather than a simple service.
Holiday Home Product Comparison
This table compares the most common blind and shutter types for how they perform in a coastal holiday home environment. The key factors are moisture resistance, ease of cleaning between guests, and durability under intermittent use.
| Product | Moisture Resistance | Salt Air Durability | Guest-Proof | Cleaning Between Stays | Holiday Home Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVC Shutters | ✓ Waterproof | ✓ No corrosion | ✓ Robust louvres | Damp cloth, 2 minutes | ✓ Best choice |
| Aluminium Venetian | ✓ Resistant | ✓ Powder-coated | Slats can bend | Damp cloth per slat | ✓ Good choice |
| Roller Blockout | ✓ Synthetic fabric | ✓ Wipe-clean | ✓ Simple mechanism | Damp cloth, 1 minute | ✓ Good choice |
| Honeycomb/Duette | Moderate | Moderate | Fabric can snag | Vacuum or light brush | Acceptable with care |
| Timber Shutters | ✗ Absorbs moisture | ✗ Warps, corrodes hinges | Louvres can jam | Polish required | ✗ Not recommended |
| Bamboo/Woven | ✗ Absorbs moisture | ✗ Degrades | Fragile | Difficult | ✗ Not recommended |
The Seasonal Maintenance Schedule
Maintaining blinds in a holiday home does not require a lot of time. It requires the right timing. Here is a practical schedule that works for Garden Route properties, whether you manage them yourself or use a local caretaker.
Between Every Guest Stay (Turnover Clean)
- Dust all slats and louvres with a dry microfibre cloth
- Wipe salt residue from windowsills and blind hardware with a damp cloth
- Check that every blind opens, closes, and locks correctly
- Report any stiff mechanisms, bent slats, or torn fabric to the owner immediately
- Leave blinds partially open for airflow until the next guest checks in
Quarterly Service (Every Three Months)
- Deep clean all blinds with mild detergent and warm water — never harsh chemicals
- Inspect cords, chains, and brackets for salt corrosion or wear
- Lubricate shutter hinges and roller mechanisms with a light silicone spray
- Check for mould behind blinds and on window frames — treat with diluted vinegar
- Test motorised blinds and replace remote batteries if needed
Annual Professional Check
- Full inspection of all window treatments by an installer who knows coastal conditions
- Restring or re-tension any blinds showing signs of cord stretch
- Replace worn brackets or corroded hardware before the December season
- Assess whether any products need upgrading — especially if you have had repeat repairs
Custom Blinds offers a seasonal maintenance agreement for holiday homeowners across the Garden Route. Duncan or a member of the team visits your property on a schedule that suits your rental calendar, checks every installation, and reports back with photos. It gives you control from a distance.
“The number one thing I fix in holiday homes is roller blind mechanisms that have been forced. A guest pulls the chain the wrong direction, it jams, they pull harder. A two-minute explanation card next to the blind saves a R800 service call.”
Duncan, Custom Blinds — 15 years installing across the Garden Route
Preventing Mould in Closed Holiday Homes
Mould is the silent problem in Garden Route holiday properties. The combination of coastal humidity, closed rooms, and limited ventilation creates the perfect conditions for it to grow on blinds, window frames, and curtain fabric.
The single most effective thing you can do is leave louvres or blinds slightly open when the house is empty. This sounds counterintuitive — you want to protect the interior — but a small gap allows air to circulate behind the blind and prevents the dead air pocket where moisture collects and mould starts.
If you have PVC shutters, tilt the louvres to about 30 degrees. Light and air pass through. Privacy is maintained from the street. And mould has nowhere to settle.
For roller blinds, leave them raised by about 15 centimetres from the sill. This creates airflow across the bottom of the window where condensation typically forms.
If you have already found mould on your blinds, wipe it with a solution of one part white vinegar to four parts warm water. Never use bleach on coloured or coated surfaces. For stubborn mould on fabric blinds, a professional clean is safer than scrubbing, which can damage the coating. Our guide on how to clean blinds in South Africa covers the full process for every product type.
Guest-Proofing Your Blinds for Airbnb and Rental Properties
Short-term rental guests are not your enemy. But they are not your regular household either. They arrive tired from the drive down from Gauteng, they are unfamiliar with your specific window treatments, and they are not invested in long-term care. That is perfectly normal.
The properties that have the fewest blind-related issues are the ones that make operation obvious and choose products that tolerate rough handling.
Practical Guest-Proofing Steps
- Choose cordless or motorised blinds wherever possible — they remove the most common failure point
- Place a simple instruction card near each window, especially for shutters with tilt-and-lock mechanisms
- Use PVC over timber — guests who force a stuck PVC louvre will not break it the way timber splinters
- Install roller blinds with chain guards or wand operators to prevent chain tangling
- Avoid delicate products like woven wood or bamboo in high-traffic rental bedrooms
- Consider motorised blinds for large windows — one button, no confusion, no breakage
Motorised blinds are increasingly popular in holiday rentals along the Garden Route. They let guests control light and privacy with a single press. There are no cords to tangle, no chains to force, and no mechanisms to misunderstand. For absentee owners, motorised systems also offer the ability to open and close blinds remotely — useful for security appearances and for airing the property between stays.
Protect your investment
The Real Cost of Neglect
Blind Replacement
Replacing a full set of blinds in a three-bedroom holiday home can cost several thousand rand. Proper maintenance extends their life by years.
Guest Reviews
Broken blinds, stiff shutters, and mouldy window frames appear in Airbnb reviews. They cost you bookings.
Property Value
Well-maintained window treatments are part of a well-maintained property. Estate agents notice. Buyers notice.
Emergency Repairs
A planned quarterly service costs a fraction of an emergency callout the day before your Christmas guests arrive.
Service Agreements for Absentee Owners
If you own a holiday property on the Garden Route but live in Johannesburg, Cape Town, or anywhere else in South Africa, managing blinds maintenance from a distance is a real challenge. You rely on your cleaning service to spot problems, but they are focused on linen and floors, not window hardware.
Custom Blinds offers a service agreement specifically for holiday homeowners and property managers. Duncan or a team member visits the property on a schedule that aligns with your rental calendar — typically before the December season and after Easter — inspects every installation, cleans where needed, lubricates mechanisms, and sends you a report with photographs.
It is the same approach we take to the Custom Blinds process — thorough, documented, and done properly the first time. If anything needs replacing, you know about it weeks before your guests arrive, not the day they complain.
For property managers handling multiple rentals in Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, or George, we can schedule visits across your portfolio and provide a single maintenance report covering all properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I clean blinds in a holiday home on the Garden Route?
For rental properties, wipe blinds with a damp cloth between every guest stay. Properties that are owner-occupied during holidays should be cleaned quarterly. Coastal salt residue builds up faster than in inland homes, so even during empty months, a quarterly wipe prevents long-term damage to hardware and finishes.
What blinds last longest in coastal holiday homes in South Africa?
PVC shutters, aluminium venetians, and synthetic roller blinds perform best in South African coastal conditions. They resist moisture, salt corrosion, and UV degradation. Custom Blinds recommends PVC shutters as the top choice for holiday homes because they combine durability with a simple wipe-clean surface that handles guest turnover well.
Do I need a service agreement for my Airbnb blinds?
If you manage a rental property remotely, a service agreement helps you catch problems before guests do. Custom Blinds provides scheduled inspections, professional cleaning, and maintenance reports with photographs for holiday homeowners across the Garden Route. It is particularly valuable if you manage multiple properties.
How do I prevent mould on blinds in an empty holiday home?
Leave louvres tilted at about 30 degrees or raise roller blinds by 15 centimetres from the sill when the property is empty. This allows air circulation behind the blind and prevents the moisture build-up that leads to mould. For existing mould, clean with a one-to-four solution of white vinegar and warm water.
What is the best way to clean blinds between Airbnb guests?
Use a dry microfibre cloth to remove dust, then wipe slats or fabric with a damp cloth and mild detergent. Avoid soaking roller blind fabric. For PVC shutters, a quick wipe with warm soapy water is enough. Our full cleaning guide covers product-specific methods in detail.
Are motorised blinds worth it for a holiday rental property?
Motorised blinds eliminate guest damage from forced cords and chains, which is the most common repair issue in rental properties. They also allow absentee owners to open and close blinds remotely for security and ventilation. The higher upfront cost is typically recovered within two to three years through reduced repair bills.
Can I install blinds myself in a holiday home or should I use a professional?
Professional installation ensures correct bracket placement, proper tensioning, and hardware rated for coastal conditions. In holiday homes where blinds face heavier use and harsher environments, incorrect installation leads to faster failure. Custom Blinds provides professional fitting with a warranty that covers both product and workmanship.
Protect Your Holiday Home Investment
Whether you need new blinds fitted or a maintenance agreement for your existing ones, we are here to help.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is an independent Garden Route specialist. Product suitability depends on specific site conditions. Contact us for a professional assessment of your holiday property. All recommendations are based on 15 years of coastal installation experience.
