Venetian blinds deliver a timeless quality that makes them popular with homeowners all over the world. Not only are they great to look at in the right window, they deliver important practical benefits – including keeping sun-facing rooms cool.
As great as Venetian blinds are, they can be very difficult to keep clean. The awkwardness of cleaning them means many people take them down and individually clean each slat. However, this is a trick and time-consuming job, and it’s not always an effective way to keep your blinds looking their very best.
Follow these simple tips to clean your Venetian blinds without damaging them.
Check the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions
Before you do anything, take a few moments to read through the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. There may be specific guidelines for the material used, and straying from them could lead to damage. If you’re in any doubt, clean a very small area of your blinds as a test. Choose somewhere that can’t be seen; if there are no adverse effects, you can go ahead and clean all of your blinds.
Detach the blinds
Some Venetian blinds can be unhooked from brackets drilled into the wall. It’s obviously going to be easier to remove the blinds from the window, but don’t worry if you can’t. If you can detach them, place them on a large table — on top of a towel.
Deep clean
Most Venetian blinds are made with plastic, aluminium or some form of synthetic material. If yours are, you can probably clean them by hand, using a mild solution of dishwashing liquid and water. Gently clean each slat with a microfibre cloth, and make sure you dry as you go.
What if I have wooden slats?
If you have wooden slats, your approach should be a little different. You probably shouldn’t be getting the blinds wet, or using any cleaning agents. Instead, you should stick to simply removing dust and spot-cleaning any stains or accumulations of dirt. Use a vacuum cleaner with a long attachment to remove dust, and a slightly dampened cloth to remove stains.
Use a few cleaning hacks on your blinds
If you clean your blinds regularly, you may never have to remove them from your window. Cleaning with a mobile, lightweight vacuum cleaner might be sufficient. However, when you need to remove stains and accumulations, there are a few clever tricks you might want to employ.
Use a sock
Spray a clean sock with a solution of water, cleaning alcohol and white vinegar. Put the sock on your hand, and then run your hand along each slat. This removes dust and stuck-on accumulations at the same time. If you want to leave a pleasant aroma behind, add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the solution you spray on the sock.
Use tumble dryer sheets
The best way to keep your blinds clean is to keep on top of them on a regular basis. Have a stash of tumble dryer sheets at hand, and use them to wipe the slats once a week. Dust is attracted to the sheets, so minimal effort will be needed. Unlike a duster, a sheet will trap dust, rather than simply sending it somewhere else.
Clean them in the bath
If your Venetian blinds are made with PVC, aluminium or stainless steel, you should be able to deep clean them in a bath of hot, soapy water. While this is a drastic measure, it is often the quickest and most effective way to clean particularly grubby blinds that you’ve inherited from a property sale or bought second-hand.
Use a set of tongs
Another way to dust horizontal blinds while trapping dust is to use a set of kitchen tongs. Wrap a microfibre cloth around each prong, and tie them in place with elastic bands. You can then simply “pinch” each slat with the tongs, and run it sideways to pick up dust quickly and effectively.
Venetian blinds are both practical and aesthetically pleasing, but only if you keep them clean and in a good state of repair. Clean them using these tips, and they’ll deliver a lifetime of faithful service in your home.
