Cleaning Window Blinds The Easy Way

Window blinds should be included in your cleaning schedule each week, along with vacuuming the carpet, dusting the furniture, and scrubbing the kitchen floor.  Take the time to clean and care for your blinds on a regular basis and the job will be relatively quick and easy each time.  Regardless of the style of blind you have in your home, be sure to place a sheet or cloth underneath while you’re cleaning in order to prevent another clean up job in the process.  Here are a few tips on cleaning window blinds that you may find helpful.

Wood Blinds or Shutters

Wood blinds require a special touch when it comes to keeping them as clean and as beautiful as the day they were installed.  Using a vacuum attachment with soft bristles on the end, vacuum the dust from the wood blinds, slat by slat.  Don’t forget to address both sides of the blind as well as the head rail.  Traditional feather dusters simply move the dust around, so use a duster or dust cloth with magnetic properties.  Micro fiber cloths work well for dusting wood as well.  Make sure to shake out the duster or cloth in between each set of blinds.  Never, ever, use water or soap on wood blinds, as this will damage and warp them over time and leave you with a window blind that is non-functional and definitely not attractive.

Faux Wood Blinds

Unlike real wood blinds, faux wood blinds can handle a damp cloth with a small amount of mild detergent for cleaning.  Otherwise, make sure to vacuum your faux wood blinds just as you would your carpet at least once a week.

Aluminum Blinds
Aluminum blinds should be dusted each week or vacuumed once a week to ensure that dust won’t build up and present a much more involved cleaning process.  Use a specially treated dust cloth or micro fiber cloth to clean the slats individually.  If you desire to give your aluminum blinds a thorough cleaning, put a protective covering over your floor and then fill a bucket with warm or cold (never hot) water and a mild detergent.  With a sponge or a clean damp cloth, wipe down each slat.  Make sure to get both sides.  Aluminum blinds can be placed in a tub of warm or cold water and detergent to scrub clean as well.  This style of blind can air dry or be wiped dry after rinsing completely.

Fabric Blinds or Shades
Fabric blinds manufactured today are often anti-static so they don’t get as dirty as the ones made years ago.  However, in order to keep your fabric blinds and shades looking fresh and clean, simply sweep over them each week with a vacuum cleaner brush attachment.  Some fabric blinds can handle an occasional wipe down with a slightly damp cloth.  However, if you have any doubts about cleaning window blinds made from fabric, contact the manufacturer to get further instructions.

Cleaning window blinds simply requires some common sense and continued maintenance.  We clean our homes at least once a week, so why not include your window blinds in that schedule as well?  There is nothing more uninviting than dusty, grimy window blinds that spew dust everywhere when you raise them up or lower them down.  If your blinds haven’t been cleaned in some time, begin with a thorough cleaning and then keep up with dusting regularly.