In anticipation of some sort of a summer I'm looking at getting some window coverings for my 2 kitchen windows as the sun makes the room very warm. I want something to filter the light rather than block it out totally and they must be easy to clean so I'm not keen on Venetian blinds for that reason! Any suggestions ladies?

How about roller blinds? If you have the ordinary ones they will filter some light through. The blackout ones really do stop light getting in as I have them in my conservatory.

A decent window tint like they do on cars - get a pro though I have a friend who does it and there is a big difference between a home job and a good one.

We had a car show day once - classic minis, we filled the tinted one with balloons as some sort of game I think, the sun beat down all day and not one of the balloons in the car popped.  Most of the outside ones did though!

> I want something to filter the light rather than block it out totally and they must be easy to clean

Ikea do some inexpensive plain roller blinds for not much money that allow the light in but reduce both the glare and the heat of the sun.  I use them in my dog room and it's noticeably cooler when they are down.  They do get grubby over time but most are so long that you can cut the offending bits off a few times before having to replace them.  They are very reasonable too so if you simply decided to buy new ones every few years they will not break the bank :)