1 April 2021
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How to Clean Venetian Blinds

When cleaning your windows don’t neglect to show your venetian blinds the same care and attention.

Whether it’s a light routine or deep annual clean, you’ll instantly see the benefits.

Venetian blinds are useful for limiting light in a room & providing you with privacy from prying eyes.

However, they are equally adept at accumulating dirt which will make cleaning more arduous.

If you’re worried about taking too long when cleaning your blinds or accidentally damaging them in the process, don’t fret.

Read on to learn how to confidently clean your wooden, aluminium, fabric or vinyl venetian blinds.

Use the following tips to maintain your blind’s good quality & avoid replacements, so you can enjoy them for longer.

What Supplies Will You Need?

Cleaning Materials

Before you can begin, you need to ensure you have the right tools for the job.

Depending on the type of shutters in your home and how thorough a clean you’re after, you will only need some of the items below.

  • A vacuum cleaner with a soft-bristled upholstery attachment
  • A piece of cloth, preferably a microfibre type. Other alternatives can be old socks, paper kitchen towel, tumble dryer wipes and cotton gloves
  • A mild cleaning agent such as window cleaner spray or washing liquid
  • A large sheet of old fabric that you’re comfortable with placing on the ground

Can You Clean This Material?

Woman Cleaning
It’s important to check whether the cleaning product you intend to use will interact safely with the blind’s material.

This can be checked by getting in contact with the manufacturer.

If uncertain and manufacturer contact is not possible, a spot check on a small inconspicuous area will suffice.

Light Cleaning

This form of cleaning is very easy and should only take a few minutes.

Doing this regularly will stop the build-up of grime and dirt.

Light cleaning frequently will save you time when you give your blinds a thorough clean, as less dirt will have piled up.

Flipping the blinds over to repeat the process should be done after every light cleaning method.

Dusting

This method begins by working to remove any layer of dust present.

First, fully lower the blinds and close the slats, making sure they are tilted downward.

Starting from the top, wipe down the slats with a dry microfibre cloth.

Remove as much dust from the surface by dusting downward with a cloth.

This will avoid complicating cleaning by lowering the chance of the blinds coming unhooked and falling.

Vacuuming

Dirty Metal Blinds

A vacuum can be used to clean the slats of venetian blinds.

Just like with the cloth dusting method above, turn the slats so they point downward.

Vacuum the slats from top to bottom on both sides.

It’s best to have your vacuum cleaner on a low setting with a soft-bristled attachment equipped.

This helps protect your blinds from damage by scratches or bending under high pressure.

Testing a small area first is recommended especially for vinyl or aluminium blinds, which are more susceptible to bending.

If the vacuum doesn’t have the desired cleaning effect on the lowest setting, slowly raise it until it can successfully clear dust but before it warps the slat shape.

Water & Cleaning Solution

When you encounter sticky stains on your blind,s you can clean them very simply with a bowl of warm water.

Add a small amount of washing-up liquid to the bowl and dampen your cloth with it.

After wringing the fabric of excess water, you can use it to tackle soiled marks.

Having two pieces of cloth is recommended.

Use the first damp piece to loosen ingrained dirt.

A secondary cloth or paper towel sheets should be used to wipe the newly cleaned slats.

This will pick up the dirt from the blinds rather than spread it to other slats mid-clean.

If your blinds are made of fabric or wood, then take extra care at this stage.

Certain detergents will permanently stain your fabric.

With the absorbent nature of wood, cleaning methods that use water run the risk of warping the wood in the drying process.

Many spray cleaners also run the risk of rubbing away and delaminating the wood making it far easier to cause damage to it in future.

Unless you are aware of what exactly your venetians can be cleaned with, it’s recommended to stick with the dry methods.

Spot cleaning after you have tested the solution in an inconspicuous place is also an option.

If spot cleaning no longer has the intended effect, taking your fabric venetian blinds to a dry-cleaner is a safe option.

Deep Cleaning

Venetian Blinds

Light cleaning regularly will only preserve your curtains to a point.

Whilst the slats are cleaned, the cords are usually neglected.

A deep clean is perfect for cleaning the hard to reach places of your blinds.

To do a deep clean you will need to remove them from their wall fitting.

Ensuring the slats are closed beforehand will make cleaning easier.

Cleaning Blinds Indoors

To carry out a deep clean indoors, place a large sheet of fabric into your bath.

This sheet will protect your bath base from scratches.

Place the venetian blinds into the bath and fully submerge them in warm water.

Mix a cleaning solution into the water and let it soak for an hour.

This will loosen grime from the slats, cords, rail and hard to reach places.

Whilst it is soaking, gently scrub it with a soft-bristled brush to remove the more embedded dirt.

Be careful with scrubbing too vigorously as you can risk creating marks in the aluminium or vinyl.

Once the blinds have been cleaned on both sides, they will need rinsing to wash away soapy and dirty residue.

A showerhead will make this process easier.

Cleaning Blinds Outdoors

If your bath and blinds are not size compatible, then a deep clean can be performed outdoors.

Place a large sheet on the ground to protect your blinds from the dirt outside.

A garden hose will make this cleaning process easier.

Unlike with the indoor method, you will not be able to soak the blinds.

Instead, gently scrub the blinds following it up with a garden hose to wash away loose dirt.

Repeat this process until clean.

Drying

Vertical Blinds

After cleaning, it is important that you dry your blinds, otherwise they will trap dirt more easily whilst still wet.

Place your blinds over a railing such as a garden wall or indoor radiator.

Make sure your radiator is not hot, as this will warp the material.

Leave your blinds open so that they can air dry.

A hairdryer on a low setting can help speed up the drying process.

Once the blinds are completely dry, hook it back into place and enjoy the fruits of your labour – beautiful venetian blinds that look good as new.

Conclusion

Remember that blinds made from different materials will need unique modes of care.

Cleaning often will preserve the appearance of your blinds and make the task of thorough cleaning less of a struggle.

Following the steps above will keep your blinds looking better for longer.

If you found the guide helpful but the idea of cleaning your blinds is still a task you’re unsure about, leave it to the experts and request a professional cleaning service.

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