What is a cord cleat or cord tidy used for?
Updated
A cord cleat or cord tidy is a small device fixed to a wall or window frame, used to wind and anchor a loose curtain or blind cord so it cannot hang free as a loop. Securing a cord this way helps meet the Australian safety standard for corded internal window coverings.
A cord cleat, sometimes called a cord tidy, is a simple but important piece of safety hardware. It gives a loose curtain or blind cord somewhere to be wound and held, rather than left hanging free where it could form a loop.
Why it matters
The Competition and Consumer (Corded Internal Window Coverings) Safety Standard 2014 applies to installations carried out in trade or commerce in domestic dwellings, other than caravans, mobile homes and boats. A loose cord must not be able to form a loop 220mm or longer at less than 1,600mm above floor level, and the covering must be installed following its installation instructions, using the components they specify for cord safety. A cord cleat is one common way of securing a cord.
The installer must also attach a label with the name and contact details of the person or company responsible for the installation, and leave any warning label or swing tag on the cord. A person fitting blinds in their own home is not installing in trade or commerce, but the same heights are the safe ones to follow.
How it is typically used
- The cleat is fixed to the wall or window frame at least 1,600mm above floor level, which is the minimum height the standard sets for a cleat.
- The loose end of the cord is wound around the cleat in a figure of eight or similar pattern.
- The cord stays anchored at that height, rather than hanging loose in a loop.
What else serves a similar purpose
- A tension device fixed to the wall or frame that holds the cord taut. It may sit lower than 1,600mm only if it stays firmly fixed under a pull of 70 newtons in any direction for 10 seconds, and the cord is secured or tensioned so it cannot form a loop 220mm or longer.
- A wand on a hand drawn curtain, and a motor on a blind or a curtain track, have no cord or chain loop.
What to ask your retailer
Ask your retailer or installer to confirm that a cord cleat, tension device or equivalent is fitted correctly to any corded curtain or blind, particularly in a child's bedroom or any room children spend time in. Blinds and curtains fitted before the standards began may have loose cords, and a retailer or installer can fit safety devices. It is also worth checking from time to time that the cleat is actually in use and not just present on the wall, since a cord left unwound around it does not do its job.
Other ways people ask this
Is a cord cleat compulsory on every corded curtain in Australia?
The installation standard applies to installations carried out in trade or commerce. It requires that a loose cord cannot form a loop of 220mm or longer at less than 1,600mm above the floor, and a cleat is one common way to secure the cord. A person fitting blinds in their own home is not installing in trade or commerce, but the same heights are the safe ones to follow.
Can a cord cleat be added to an older curtain that does not have one?
A retailer or installer can fit safety devices. A cleat is typically a separate fitting attached to the wall or frame rather than part of the curtain or track itself, so ask your retailer what suits your curtain.
Does a motorised curtain still need a cord cleat?
A motor on a curtain track has no cord or chain loop, so there is no loose cord to secure. Any separate corded accessory would still need to be secured, so ask your retailer if you are unsure.
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.