How to Clean Blinds

Window blinds provide several benefits through their multi-functional uses. Top of which is to keep light rays from invading your space. If you own a window blind, you are enjoying some of these benefits. However, the chore of constantly having to clean your window blinds can come as a hassle; it can be time-consuming and tedious.

Maintaining a clean and shiny window blind takes time and effort. The content below helps to figure out how to clean your window blinds with ease, regardless of the material your window blinds are made of. Continue reading to understand which cleaning option is best for your window blinds.

Tools You Will Need to Clean Your Blinds

There are important tools that you should have that aid the proper cleaning of your blinds. With these cleaning supplies, you are sure to get superior cleaning results. These materials include:

• Dishwashing liquid or mild cleaning solution
• Baking soda or white vinegar
• Warm water
• Microfiber cloths or a clean sock
• A vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment

Light Cleaning Methods

Light cleaning window blinds involves the regular dusting and cleaning of your window blinds. Dust builds up on your window blinds gradually, especially on wood and plastic blinds. Using the light cleaning method, you can clean the dust that settles on your blinds periodically to reduce your workload when you need to deep clean later. For light cleaning your blinds, there are steps that you need to take to get the best results. These steps include

Close the blinds

The first step is to close the blinds. You should fully lower the blind slats to shut it completely. If you have a wooden or faux wood blind, these window blind types should completely close. In the case of aluminium and vinyl blinds, they overlap and can tilt downward but do not close completely. In these cases, make sure you close them to the closest degree possible.

Gently dust the blinds

If you have a vertical blind, hold the bottom of the blind in one hand to stabilize it. Then proceed to perform the following actions:

• Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the blind. Preferably, you should start from the top downward, making sure you get all the edges on the way down.
• Continue wiping in a downward motion (be careful so they do not unhook)
• You can use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment for cleaning. You can also introduce a low suction setting to remove the dust faster and more easily.
• If you have horizontal blinds, the steps above are also applicable. Instead of the downward motion, you should wipe across from side to side. Proceed to perform the following actions.
• Work from the top slat down to the last slat so that dust does not fall on parts that you have cleaned already. This is important so you don’t do double the work while cleaning your window blinds.
• If your window blinds are made from synthetic fabrics like roller blinds, you should perform the following action
• Use the dust brush of vacuum cleaner to gently remove accumulated dirt and dust

Flip and Dust the other side

After cleaning the forward-facing side of your window blinds, it is important that you flip, dust, and clean the other side. You should repeat the steps above on the other side to get the same clean and shiny result as the forward-facing side of your window blinds.

Deep Cleaning Method

In the situation where your window blinds have stains or stuck-on dirt, you need to employ deep cleaning practices to remove the stains and dirt from them. The deep cleaning option is an essential cleaning method that you must administer over time. It helps to remove deep stains and stuck-on dirt that the light cleaning method may not remove.

For wooden blinds, there are some steps that you should take when cleaning them for best results.

• Mix a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar. This cleaning solution is useful for removing stains and maintaining the integrity and colour of your wooden blinds.
• Dip a sock into the cleaning solution to wipe the surface of each wooden blind slat.
• Wring it out until the sock does not contain any more water, in order not to leave any moisture on your wooden blinds
• Strategically run the sock over each blind tightly with your fingers to reach deep areas of your wooden window blinds
• Leave the blinds open to dry with no moisture remnants from your cleaning exercise

For aluminium or vinyl blinds, they are top candidates for deep cleaning practices. This ease of cleaning is what makes them top choices for kitchen and dining window areas. They tend to accumulate stubborn dust, residues, or tough grease stains over time in your house. To deep clean this window blinds type, follow the steps below

• Unlock the blinds from the window and put them in a bathtub with warm water, a cup of baking soda, and a few squirts of liquid soap
• Soak the blinds in the cleaning solution for an hour
• Rinse your window blinds with warm water
• Wipe away any excess moisture on the slats
• Use a clean and dry cloth to wipe any excess dirt or dust off the surface.

Some extra tips for cleaning blinds

To get the best result from cleaning your window blinds, it is important to implement the best practices. Here are some extra tips for cleaning your window blinds

• Clean blinds at least once a week to remove dust and dirt consistently. This is to ensure that dust and deep stains do not accumulate on your window blind surface.
• Avoid spraying hairspray, air freshener, or any other sticky spray on your blinds, these sprays cause residue to build up on the blinds
• Don’t add water to dusty blinds. By adding water to a dusty surface area, it makes it worse. Instead, wipe the dust first with a microfiber cloth to catch the dust off the surface before cleaning with a cleaning solution.

Summary

The content above explains how to clean your window blinds using light- and deep cleaning methods. With detailed explanations and a list of the tools you will require, you should now have all of the details needed to know how to clean your blinds, irrespective of the material they are made of.