When it comes to cleaning your home, one of the most commonly avoided areas is window blinds. As a company that cleans windows across the Twin cities, we see this first hand.
However, we realize that dirty window blinds aren’t through laziness, it’s simply because most people aren’t 100% sure how to clean them!
If your window blinds are starting to look a little dirty but you have no idea where to begin to restore them to their former glory, you’ve come to the right place.
Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide on how to clean each different type of window blind. From wood blinds to fabric blinds and everything in between. Whether this is on your spring cleaning checklist, or for regular upkeep, we’ve got you covered!
How to Clean Wood Window Blinds
Wood blinds are one of the most difficult types of blinds to clean. Since they are made of wood, they are often too fragile to handle chemical cleaners which could weaken them or leave stains and streaks.
This doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to clean wood blinds, though. Here’s what you need to do:
- Grab a clean cloth and dip it into a bowl of warm, soapy water made using dish soap.
- Ring the cloth out as much as possible. It shouldn’t be dripping but it should feel a little moist.
- Using your cloth, gently wipe each individual slat using a circular motion to remove any dust and grime.
- Rinse, re-soak, and ring out your cloth as you go.
- Once you’ve cleaned each slat, take a dry cloth and go over each of them again. This will remove any moisture that the cloth has left behind and stop the wood from staining.
You can also use a wood conditioner once you’ve cleaned your window blinds, but it’s not entirely necessary. If you do choose to do this, follow the instructions on the bottle.
How to Clean Faux-Wood Window Blinds
As you might expect, faux-wood blinds are a little more durable than real wood blinds. As such, they can withstand some detergents and chemical cleaners. However, we would still recommend using regular dish soap here unless they are incredibly dirty.
The cleaning process is pretty much the same as that for cleaning wood blinds, just with one extra step:
- Dampen a cloth using a mixture of hot water and dish detergent, then ring it out so it only feels a little moist.
- Wipe each slat with the cloth, rinsing, re-soaking, and re-ringing as you go.
- Once you’ve finished cleaning, wipe each slat with a clean, dry cloth to remove any moisture left behind.
- Now, take a fabric softener sheet and rub it over each slat. This will create static that will help prevent dust from settling on the window blinds.
How to Clean Venetian Window Blinds
Cleaning Venetian window blinds takes a little more effort than both wood and faux-wood blinds, but it’s not too difficult. Here’s what you need to do:
- Carefully remove the blinds from the window.
- Fill your bathtub with a mixture of hot water and laundry detergent. If your Venetian blinds are particularly dirty, you might want to throw in a scoop of bleach as well (depending on their color).
- Lower the blinds into the bathtub and leave them to soak for 15 minutes.
- Once the time has passed, take a clean cloth and gently scrub each panel using a circular motion. This will remove any ingrained dirt and stains.
- Drain the bathtub with the blinds still in it, then use your shower attachment to rinse the blinds off. This will remove any residual detergent.
- Take your blinds somewhere you can hang them to dry. Once they are dry, they can be rehung in your windows.
How to Clean Fabric Window Blinds
Fabric blinds are the easiest of all the different types of window blinds to clean. You don’t need to fuss with any water or detergent – all you need is a good vacuum cleaner.
Here’s how to clean fabric blinds:
- Secure your vacuum’s upholstery attachment to the hose, then turn your vacuum on to its lowest setting.
- Run the attachment over every inch of the blinds.
- If you run into any difficult or hard-to-reach areas, you can use a blowdryer to blow the dust out of the fabric. Just be certain to clean wherever it’s fallen afterward.
That’s all there is to it! If you notice that there are some stains on your fabric blinds, you can clean these using a mixture of water and fabric detergent.
How to Clean Vertical Window Blinds
Vertical blinds can be made of several different materials and the material they are made of will ultimately dictate how you clean them.
If they are made of wood or faux wood, it’s best to use the same cleaning method for each of these types of blinds. Likewise, if they are made of fabric, vacuuming them with your upholstery attachment is usually all you’ll need to do.
The main thing to remember with vertical blinds is that, because they are longer than horizontal blinds, they may pick up more dust and dirt. With this in mind, it’ll take you longer to clean them.
Ongoing Cleaning of Window Blinds
The easiest way to stop your blinds from accumulating dirt, skin cells, dust, and other debris that could affect the hygiene levels and air quality of your home is to keep on top of cleaning them. When you do this, you’ll really only need to deep clean your window blinds twice a year.
The best way to do this is by taking a vacuum attachment and running it all over your blinds. This only needs to be done once a week, but if you get into the habit of doing it every time you vacuum it’ll soon become second nature. Best of all, you’ll be keeping your window blinds clean all year round!
Conclusion on Cleaning Your Window Blinds
There you have it – a step-by-step guide on how to clean a variety of different types of window blinds. As you can see, none of them are particularly difficult to do, so there’s no need to fear it anymore. For related cleaning tips, see this post for how to remove hard water spots from windows and tips for cleaning off tape residue.
So, next time you embark on your spring cleaning regime, follow the guidance set out above and every inch of your home will look gleamingly clean! And, of course, remember to keep on top of them throughout the year with regular ongoing cleaning. This will make the bi-annual deep clean much easier.
