Six (6) Helpful Hints for Cleaning Window Blinds

Like many household maintenance tasks, cleaning window blinds doesn’t rank very high on the list of fun jobs. However, to keep dust and dirt from collecting, it does require occasional attention. Let’s pull out the old gloves and get to work.

Before beginning, it’s best to move nearby furniture away from the area to be cleaned first. This is especially true of carpeted areas and fabric covered furniture when you’re planning to use any kind of liquid spray or soapy water. It’s also a good idea to place a thick layer of newspaper or old towels on the floor underneath the window to protect your carpet or flooring.

Today’s window blinds come in all types - wood, aluminum, vinyl, and fabric – and all need their own special kind of attention.

Follow these six (6) helpful hints to simplify your blind cleaning task:

For blinds with a light layer of dust, simply use the soft brush vacuum cleaner attachment or a lightweight duster or soft clean cloth along with an anti-dust spray.

Clean your blinds in the direction they are constructed – vertically or horizontally for each particular style.

All blinds should be cleaned gently so the slats are not bent or dented.

Alternate between open and closed positions to make certain the slats are thoroughly cleaned.

A neat little trick is to find old cotton gloves or socks and put them on your hands to clean your blinds. Use the same open and closed process.

For difficult to reach places, use a small paintbrush to help make the task easier.

Sometimes if blinds have been unattended for a while, it’s likely that you’ll find more than a light layer of dust; you just might find a thick layer that has turned to dirt . This is much more difficult to clean. But it is possible! Here are several tips to help you get the job done:

For Vinyl or Aluminum Blinds--

A bowl of soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner with a damp sponge, cloth, or paper towel should work just fine.

For heavy cleaning jobs, you might need to remove the blinds from the window, take them outside and use a water hose to get them really clean. This is a bigger task and requires patience – you’ll be proud of the difference when you hang them back up!

If taking your blinds outside isn’t a good option for you then try this -- line your bathtub with old towels so the blinds won’t scratch the tub surface. Run enough warm water in the tub to cover the blinds, add liquid soap, and place the blinds in the open position in the warm soapy water to soak for about thirty minutes. Wash away the dirt and dry them gently. They will continue to dry fully when they are rehung.

For Fabric Blinds --

Vacuum your blinds lightly in open and shut positions - remember to go in the correct direction of how the blinds are made – either vertically or horizontally.
Very gently clean with a damp, not wet, sponge along with warm water.

For Wood Blinds

Vacuum gently.

Clean with all-purpose wood cleaner and a soft clean cloth.

The old cotton gloves or socks method along with your wood cleaner works great for wood blinds.

Wood blinds shouldn’t be cleaned with water; this can cause your wood blinds to warp.

Once you have your blinds clean and sparkling, try to create a routine that will help you keep them from getting into the harder level of cleaning. Try to vacuum them regularly at least every other time you clean your floors. In the end this will pay off tremendously and save time too! This is very important for fabric blinds – dirt buildup can cause permanent stains that may not be removed.

Keep dust from building up so quickly with this great tip:

Once your blinds are nice and clean, try going over the slats with a sheet of fabric softener to help keep dust from building up again so quickly!

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