Thanks, everyone, for keeping this link active with comments. I just washed 6 Sillouettes, 23 years old, using the Bissell Green Machine in 2 hours. Two of us working together. Plastic tarp taped about 3/4 way up window and onto the floor to catch water Left the shades on the windows, veins closed. For the backside, just lift the shade outward and up and stand underneath to run machine along the shade. Washed the shade in sections from the top then went back from the top to do another dry suction, one side at a time. Open the veins, might need a little shaking to loosen them, to dry. Dries in 2 hours. if you already have the machine, it is easier than taking them off for washing. Used Dawn dish soap mixed with water. It’s hard to see the before/after difference in pictures because of the lighting and shading but the suctioned water was black! Bugs in the veins - when extended and veins open, tip shades sideways and shake. Skewer with gauze wrapped around it might work but be gentle. Bugs were gone after washing.

HAVE you asked where the difference came from? That could be as simple as your choice of fabric! ASK!!! We certainly have no way of knowing. We don't know the size of the windows, we don't know anything. But there is a huge variance in pricing, depending fabric selection, veins, al of it. Including width of the window and length. Jeesh. Get all the estimates you want. but there needs to be certainty in every aspect of pour selection, to do that. Apple to apples, not apples and a banana. "Decent sized" makes about as much sense as "standard window". There simply IS no such thing.

It's not the shades, although It is nice to pick a halfway, one quarter, or even a one third point to partially roll up in daylight. At that point? They resemble roman shades. I like a wider three inch vein, you may not have had casing depth, or it was a price issue. The REAL issue in the space is a strict tonal effect bordering bland. No look of living I can see, from the pics. Not a scrap of color, nothing on the dining table. Nothing on the counter............leaving us wondering do you live here? I'm all for uncluttered, however., even neutral needs a push. Roll the shades up a bit, show the rest, and in daylight. Go to the market, grab several bunches of ONE flower.........get some fruit, put it in a big clear bowl. Tangelos. oranges, whatever. What you are saying is, it feels cold. Yeah: )

Are luminettes still available? Silhouettes will need someone to raise three different blinds if you plan to have the windows clear. They need to be dusted. Also you want to consider where to hang them so someone can walk under them to use the doorways. Luminettes can be one way draws. Personally I adore both of these high end products.