It’s easy to overlook the important matter of cleaning your blinds, but these window coverings can get just as dirty as your furniture. If you’re like most people, you don’t attempt to clean your blinds until you happen to notice that they’re covered in dust and filth.
However, by this time, the matter has accumulated and is much more difficult to remove. Regardless of whether you have vertical or venetian blinds, it’s important to give them regular attention on cleaning day. Let’s look at the best way to clean your blinds.
Why Cleaning Blinds Matters
The dust that builds up on your blinds makes them look discolored, and this can make each room in your home look dingy and drab. More than that, dust that remains on the blinds can build up in the smaller crevices and cords if you don’t fully clean the blinds on a regular basis. These areas are much more difficult to clean, so the job of deep cleaning them takes more time and energy.
In addition, the buildup on your blinds is filled with allergens. Each time you jostle the blinds, such as when opening or closing them, some of these allergens circulate back into the air you breathe. This can result in respiratory symptoms. It can also make your flooring, lamps, furniture, and other features dirty as those allergens settle back down.
How to Dust Blinds (Quick Cleaning)
Cleaning your blinds is a practice in patience. There’s no ultra-fast way to thoroughly clean every slat without physically swiping every slat.
However, you can make lighter work of the process with these steps.
- Lower your venetian blinds, and open them about three-quarters of the way. For vertical blinds, close them fully.
- Starting at the top, wipe down the blinds using a microfiber cloth. An alternative is to use your vacuum. U se the handheld brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner or a handheld vacuum with a brush attachment. Remove the loose debris on both sides of the blinds with the vacuum or cloth before using any wet cleaning method.
- If you spot any stains, wipe those areas clean with a slightly damp cloth.
How to Deep Clean Blinds
Deep cleaning your blinds is more labor intensive, but it will make your blinds look like new.
Here’s what to do:
- Follow the quick-cleaning steps listed above.
- Pull the blinds completely open.
- Take down the blinds.
- Fill your bathtub with enough soapy water to immerse the blinds fully. Use dish soap and warm water. For a deeper clean, add two cups of white vinegar to the soapy water.
- Let the blinds soak for about 30 to 60 minutes.
- Use a cloth to lightly scrub each slat.
- Drain the tub.
- If possible, use a handheld shower nozzle to rinse away soap and debris. Otherwise, refill the tub with clean water.
- After rinsing off the blinds, dry them with a cloth before re-hanging them. After hanging them, close the blinds with the slats open until they are completely dry.
Cleaning Blinds Without Taking Them Down
Unless your blinds are completely filthy, you don’t need to take them down to deep clean them.
Instead, use these steps:
- Fill a large bowl or bucket with liquid dish soap and warm water.
- Moisten, but don’t overly saturate, a cotton or microfiber cloth.
- Wipe each blade of the blinds individually. After each swipe, rinse out the cloth,
- Once the water starts to look dirty, replace it. This ensures that each swipe is made with a clean cloth.
- After washing the blinds by hand, dry them slat by slat.
How Often You Should Clean Blinds
It’s best to stay on top of cleaning your blinds. After all, it’s much easier to vacuum off a light layer of dust than to scrub off months of accumulated filth. On a weekly or bi-weekly basis, follow the quick-cleaning instructions above. Every four months, deep clean the blinds.
Cleaning your blinds is an important step with routine cleaning more intensive deep cleaning. However, even with the right strategies and techniques, it might be a bigger project than you want to tackle. If you need help around the house, now’s the perfect time to learn more about TidyHere’s deep cleaning services in Boston. Give us a call today to book your first service.
