The Best Way to Clean Blinds: Tips from a Professional Cleaner
Blinds are a popular window covering in most homes these days. They do a great job keeping the light out and helping to keep people from looking directly into your home. Once they’re put up though, most people tend to kind of forget about them when it comes to cleaning.
If you’re wondering about the best way to clean blinds you’ve got hanging in your home, keep reading to learn some helpful tips.
What Do I Need to Clean My Blinds?
Here’s the good news: you don’t need anything super fancy to be able to clean up the blinds hanging in your home. With just a few things that you’ve probably already got on hand, you can get to work cleaning your blinds.
Microfiber Cloth
Microfiber cloths can be used for a couple of things when it comes to cleaning blinds. A dry cloth will be helpful when it comes to getting the dust off your blinds. You can also use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down your blinds.
Don’t have a microfiber cloth? Use a clean old sock or glove. It will easily slide onto your hand and you can easily get to each of the slats in your blinds.
Duster
Using a duster to keep the dust off your blinds during your daily cleaning can be very helpful and easier than wiping them down with a cloth daily. Dusters that are small and can fit between the slats are the best choice for this job.
Dish Soap
Using dish soap to help clean your blinds will help get any stuck-on dirt or fingerprints off the blinds without being too hard on the blinds themselves.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a great natural cleaner and it’s no different when it comes to cleaning your blinds.
Vinegar
Vinegar is another great natural cleaner and is often used with baking soda to cause a chemical reaction that helps with cleaning blinds.
Warm Water
Warm water is great for mixing with the dish soap mentioned above, as well as to wipe down blinds.
What’s the Easiest Way to Clean My Blinds?
Just like everything else in your house, adding your blinds to your regular cleaning routine will make cleaning them easier because you’re staying on top of them.
Know What Type of Blinds You Have
First, you need to know what kind of blinds you’re trying to clean so you can choose the best method for the type of material you’re working with:
- Faux wood blinds
- Wood blinds
- Fabric blinds
- Aluminum blinds
- Vinyl blinds
- Plastic blinds
It doesn’t matter if you’re cleaning vertical blinds or horizontal blinds. Both can be cleaned in the same manner. What’s important is knowing what material from the list above you’re trying to clean.
Dusting
Once you know what kind of blinds you’re trying to clean, start off by getting any loose dust off the blinds. You can do this with a microfiber cloth or by gently using the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner on your blinds to remove the dust that’s settled on them. A clean sock also works well because it fits easily on your hand and between each of the slats of the blinds.
Wash Them
After you get the dust off your blinds, make a mixture of dish soap and warm water. Using your microfiber cloth or a clean sock, wipe down the slats of your blinds with the soapy water mixture.
You can also use a mixture of one part water and one part vinegar to wipe down your blinds if you’d rather use that than soap.
Be sure to wring the microfiber towel out well. You don’t want your blinds to be too wet when you’re cleaning them. This can cause your blinds to warp or rust if they get too wet and can’t dry quickly enough.
To be sure you haven’t missed any spots while cleaning your blinds, be sure to wipe down one side then turn them in the opposite direction to get other side clean.
Once you’ve wiped everything down, let the clean blinds air dry before pulling them back up or closing the blinds so they can fully dry first.
Can I Clean My Blinds Without Taking Them Down?
Yes! And that’s the way we recommend cleaning your blinds. When they’re hanging, it’s easier to get in between each slat so you can remove the dust and wipe them all down.
Many blinds don’t need to be taken down to soak in order for them to be cleaned and it can actually be harmful. Let alone, we know what a pain it is to take down the blinds and get them back up.
How Do I Deep Clean My Blinds?
With regular cleaning, your blinds probably won’t need to be deep cleaned. Some people will suggest taking your blinds down, adding them to a sink or bathtub of warm water, and adding some dish soap and baking soda then letting them soak.
We don’t suggest letting your blinds soak in water, especially if you’re not sure what your blinds are made of. This can damage your blinds and you’ll wind up having to replace them, which can be a very costly mistake.
You can also use your vacuum cleaner to get the remaining dust bunnies off your blinds and around your windows.
If you have fabric blinds, spot clean them as needed. You an also use a lint roller or vacuum cleaner to get any pet hair off your blinds.
How Do I Get Stains Off My Blinds?
If something’s gotten onto your blinds and they’re now stained, spot cleaning is the best way to get rid of those pesky stains. Depending on the type of stain, warm water on the cloth may be enough to remove the stain with a little bit of elbow grease.
For a tougher stain, you can make a baking soda and vinegar solution or use mild dish soap to remove the stains on your blinds. It may take a couple of times to completely remove the stain.
How Do I Keep Dust Off My Blinds Once They’re Clean?
There’s no magic way to keep the dust from gathering on your blinds. Making your blinds part of your regular household chores and cleaning routine is the best way to keep dust off your blinds.
Every once in a while, you can use the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to get any dust that might be in those hard-to-reach spots on your blinds, window coverings, and window sills.
Get a Those Blinds Clean with Upstairs Downstairs
Need help keeping up with the daily cleaning? Upstairs Downstairs can help with regular housekeeping services. If you need help with a deep cleaning to get yourself started on the right foot, Upstairs Downstairs can help with that too. Contact us for a free quote for the cleaning services you’d like to start using for your home.
