When buying items for your home, it’s important to consider how much time and care each piece needs. You want pieces including window treatments that add practicality without demanding a lot of attention and effort when it comes to care. Fortunately, window blinds offer both style and functionality while requiring very little maintenance.
If you’re searching for how to clean blinds, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll offer advice for cleaning blinds including real wooden blinds and delicate fabric styles. Read on to learn how to clean this tricky item and find cleaning tips for blinds of all styles and materials.
How To Clean Blinds
Window blinds offer beautiful style and functionality to any home or office. They provide light control and privacy and can even help save you money on heating and air conditioning bills thanks to thermal properties. Best of all, they are quick and easy to clean and typically involve low maintenance.
We’ve put together this step-by-step breakdown on how to clean blinds in ways that keep them looking their best for years to come. From venetian blinds to vertical blinds and everything in between, you’ll find instructions to keep your window dressings sparkling clean using just a few tools.
Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds collect less dust compared to horizontal blinds since the slats run up and down rather than side to side. The dust tends to collect more on the floor and other flat surfaces rather than on the blind slats themselves. That means you only have to dust the blinds every few weeks to keep them looking their best. You’ll also want to deep clean the blinds — including the headrail — once dirt and grime begin to show or as part of your yearly spring cleaning regimen.
Before we dive into the process of how to clean vertical blinds, start by gathering your tools. For a quick clean, you just need a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment, a soft cloth — try microfibre — or a feather duster or mini blind duster. Give the slats a quick once-over starting from top to bottom to remove light coatings of dust.
For a deeper clean, you’ll need a microfibre cloth, warm water or cold water, mild detergent and a bathtub or another large tub. Remove the vertical slats from the headrail and place them in a bathtub full of warm water and mild soap. Do not use hot water as it can warp the blinds. Gently rinse the blinds until they are clean. Wring excess water out of the blinds and let them dry completely using a hair dryer or by laying them in the sun or another warm area before rehanging.
Run a damp microfibre cloth along the headrail and other corded mechanisms before reattaching the slats. Don’t forget to wipe down the window recess and the windowsill for a total deep clean.
Fabric Blinds
Fabric blinds including roller blinds, roman blinds and day and night blinds are popular in high traffic areas and they’re quick and easy to clean. Since these blind styles don’t have horizontal slats, they don’t collect as much dust as other horizontal blind styles. Some fabric blinds can be removed from the headrail and operating mechanisms and placed in the washing machine. Others need to be hand cleaned or sent to a dry cleaner so make sure to check your blind’s care instructions before starting the blind cleaning process.
For roman blinds and roller blinds, use a vacuum with an upholstery brush attachment on a low setting to remove dust. Move the vacuum in the direction of the fabric weave to prevent damage. You can use a stain remover to remove stains and grime build-up, but make sure the cleaning product is safe to use on your blind fabric. Other options for a deeper clean include white vinegar, baking soda and other natural cleaning solutions. It’s a good idea to test the product on a small area before using it more liberally.
For layered fabric blinds like Day & Night blinds use a damp microfibre cloth instead of vacuuming. The vacuum may affect the layered fabrics differently, causing pulling and stretching that can damage the blind. Run the damp cloth along the fabric following the weave for a quick clean.
Wooden Blinds
Wooden blinds are made of both real wood and faux wood. They are also known as venetian blinds and are made of metals such as aluminium. They come in a variety of stains as well as colours like white and black. They’re popular in modern homes and in spaces that need a touch of natural warmth. While easy to clean, these blinds require a little extra attention to prevent damage.
Real wood blind slats may warp when exposed to water and moisture. The wooden slats feature small pores that absorb water, causing them to expand and bend. That’s why these blinds are best suited to bedrooms, living rooms and other dry spaces rather than bathrooms and kitchens.
Here are some tips on how to clean wood blinds. Don’t use water as it may damage the wood. Instead, use a dry microfibre cloth or a feather duster to gently remove dust from the slats. Make sure to get both the top and bottom sides of the slats for a complete clean. If there is grime that the dry duster can’t remove use a slightly moist cloth. Make sure the cloth doesn’t leave behind any moisture on the blind. If it does, quickly dry it up with a towel or dry cloth.
Pay extra attention to the ends of real wood blinds as these are usually made of exposed basswood. They don’t have any stain or seal, meaning they are even more prone to absorbing moisture. Don’t rub the slats too hard as scrubbing can remove stain and paint from wooden surfaces.
Faux wood blinds and aluminium venetian blinds are easier to clean since they are waterproof and won’t warp. Just take a damp cloth and wipe the top and bottom surfaces of the slats on the faux wood or aluminium blinds. We recommend starting from top to bottom to ensure you don’t miss any areas. If you want more tips on light and deep cleaning of different types of venetian blinds, check out our complete guide on how to clean venetian blinds.
