I can't reach the kitchen window above the sink blind, which is cordless. I either use my step-stool or my husband. ;) I wouldn't have picked a cordless blind if this was a shade I opened/closed every day. I do move it once or twice a week. No big deal.

Lolauren - Thanks for your post! I've seen your kitchen and it is beautiful! I recently posted a question for you on one of your old threads about your kitchen sink cellular blind, glad I could get your input!

Levolor makes a skylight pole for hard to reach blinds. I may just have to get one.

Oops. I missed it, sorry! Thank you for the compliment. :)

I just found your questions and will reply on that thread in case someone else has the same question.

Here is what I said,

"jane- Thank you! Yes, my last house had Nomadic Desert.

RE: the kitchen blinds: they are cordless, since I wanted them to disappear as much as possible. The blinds are just traditional (bottom up) since I only needed the ability to filter midsummer sun. I didn't need privacy.

I mentioned to you on another thread that I can't reach the bottom of my shade at my height. How high will the top of your window be? How tall are you? If my window was a couple inches lower, I would be able to grab the bottom of the shade."

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg012245393343.html

PS. I just looked up how the skylight poles work. Thanks, because now I have motivation to build my own mini-version. I only need it to be about two feet long with a hook. Easy. :)

I have the top down/bottom ups in my bedroom and I like the top to stay below the transom. Yet after putting them up and down for a few days,inevitably the top ends up going up into the transom.
Is there a way to keep the top from going up when you just want the bottom to go up?

I have the same problem as Lolauren, I can't reach the cordless blind over the kitchen sink. I leave them up almost all the time, but when I want to lower them I grab the bottom with a pair of tongs. Sometimes I use a step stool.

My top down, bottom up blinds have a cord for each end -- one for top and one for bottom. Each seems to stay where I out it but I don't change them every day.

lolauren, thank you for your posts! I don't know the exact height of the top of the window, but I definitely can't reach it. I like the look of the cordless shades so I think I'll just have to buy or make an extension pole.

jeannie01, sorry I can't answer your question since I've never had cordless shades before. Hopefully someone else will chime in with some helpful advice :)

dedtired, thanks for your message. I'll have to see if my tongs will reach, maybe I won't need a pole :)

Hi,

I have a question about the cordless top down bottom up cell shades. If it's cordless, when you lower it, will there be cords in the middle of the window? If not, how is the shade held together?

hey, the tongs-approach worked. clever :) thanks.

GHN_, cordless just means that there are no cords hanging on the sides of the shades to raise/lower. This is especially apparent when the shades are pulled all the way up, there will be no dangling cords with cordless shades. The shades are still held together by string so you will see string if you were to lower them top down.

lolauren, now you don't have to make your own reaching pole:)

GHN, the cords showing when in the top-down position is why i am not a fan of that design for blinds. Reminds me of a dress with spaghetti straps. LOL

Good thinking, dedtired! That is what I love about this board - so many people with great input that can help solve someone else's dilemma.

I was going to say that one of those 'grabber' devices that they sell everywhere would be another solution for the can't reach issue.

Cordless blinds were invented in 1996 twenty years ago. They have never gotten popular because if your under six feet tall you will need a stepstool or maybe a skylight pole. They have never been popular for that reason. The reason that they are now becoming popular is because they have strangled to death between 750 and 1000 infants and children in the past 43 consecutive years. The Window Covering Manufacturers have been sued for about $750,000.000 in the most recent years. The Blind Cord Safety Council which is in reality Window Blind Manufacturers . Distribute what is allegedly blind cord safety kits to make your shades and blinds cord safe. The instructions will tell you to cut the loop cord into 2 separate individual cords and add the enclosed tassels to the ends of the cords. What you are in reality doing is converting one infant and child cord strangulation trap into two infant and child strangulation traps, multiply this number by about 20 windows now, your home has 40 infant and child strangulation death traps. The Window Covering Manufacturers ,The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Window Covering Safety Council , have had this information since 1999. Call them and ask them 301 504 -7664. Some, Infants and children "lucky" enough to survive window shade and blind cord strangulation,are Blind, deaf ,or brain dead or a combination of all three.. You can find more evidence of what I am saying on the Web Site, Parents For Window Blind Safety, I personally believe the best window covering for safety and if you have infants or children is a ,Spring Loaded Shade. It is SAFE, it is economical, you can reach it and you can place it at any level. It is parental sleep inducing and it is a more then a one hundred year old cordless blind.

Robert Nevins bobbadge@Hotmail.com Retired N. Y. City Firefighter.

This is a little “out of the box” but I’m going to order a nice back scratcher on Amazon. They’re 16” long and gently curved to pull a shade down (you could tape over small teeth edge if worried about shade material); then you can flip it over so curved side is against the shade to push it up. I’m confident it will work and it’s only $5-10.

Use the Smart Reacher extension pole tool for high hard to reach cordless shades. It's available at Amazon.com. Works with plantation shutters, pull cord and most cordless shade, window coverings that can be adjusted from top or bottom. Comes with a removable vinyl cover to protect finished surfaces. Many other uses too! https://www.amazon.com/SMART-REACHER-Pole-Louvers-Shades-Blinds-Chain-Decorations-String/dp/B00T7RUL56

Thanks skpperry! That’s looks far more useful especially since it will screw onto any length painters pole! I’ll just use it on a short 18” one for my kitchen window. My back scratcher idea worked fine for pulling down but not as good pushing the shade back up. But for $5 it helped temporarily. Definitely will order the Smart Reacher since I want to get shades for my skylights and don’t want to order expensive remote controlled ones.

Thanks. I want to install some window shades in a lofted area. I'm willing to try this over having to install a motorized opener.

This has been infuriating me since I had blinds installed in my new home. The ceilings are 12ft with tall windows and I cant open and close my blinds!!!! Thinking of buying more cord and adjusting them. It is crazy!! Anyone ever modify their cords?

Kitchen sink window is same problem I'm having. Wished I bought a vinyl blind with pull cord years ago. So maddening that corded blinds are impossible to get, but I could go out and purchase a gun tomorrow. Just sayin'...

Somehow my comment seems to have not posted so I will try again. Made a pole for raising and lowering our cellular shades (top-down and bottom up variety) from 1/2 inch PVC pipe and fittings. Used a 90 degree elbow and a coupler at the top with the coupler slotted to fit the handle tab on the blind. This allows the raising and lowering of the blind without the tab rotating down as it would with a simple hook extension, and the horizontal reach of the top fittings allow for getting on the tab of a blind mounted inside a window -- very handy for transom windows where the lower bar and tab are recessed into the sill area. the 'pole' is just a length of PVC pipe, and can be as long as you need to reach even very tall windows. Here are some pictures of how to make this tool, hope it is helpful for you.

Chuck

Do you think this would work on one of those bubble chain blinds? My ceilings are 16 ft high and the chain is more than 10 ft up. I thought I remembered an electric device that you can buy to retrofit old shades. I hate to have to replace blindes that have nothing wrong with them with expensive electric blinds.

Patricia if your bubble chain looks similar to the attached image it should work fine. One of the reasons (besides opening and closing plantation shutter louvers) that I invented the Smart Reacher Extension Pole Attachment. Thanks for your inquiry!

Smart Reacher Pole Attachment Amazon

That is exactly what I am looking for. I tried using your link but your product is not listed. There are a lot of extention poles and hooks more for boating and hanging Chritmas lights. I have an American amazon account and a Canadian one, since that is where I live, but I could not find it, Is there another source I can access it?

It is listed on American Amazon account only and may not show up in Canada? Type the following into the Amazon search bar "smart reacher extention pole attachment". Or, you can go to www.smartreacher.com and send a message requesting Canadian pricing and shipping. Be sure to add your ship to address.

I'm Sorry. I tried both my amazon.ca and amazon.com accounts and your product is nowhere to be seen using your phrasing. I use my ,com account from Dec. thru to April when I winter in Florida.

@skpperry Cannot find your website. Amazo says it is not available now and they dont know when it will be ... any tips?

If you do a search for “draw rod for cordless drapes” there are several options. Some with 4⭐️