Cleaning Venetian Blinds

You loved your blinds when you got them. Now that it is time to clean them you are wondering what made you buy them. Cleaning blinds can be a cleaning nightmare. It really doesn't have to be that way. Using some of the ideas you will find that you have clean blinds in no time

Before starting to clean the blinds tie back any curtains or other types of window treatments that are around the blinds. Now look at the blinds and check to see if there are any problem spots, such as sticky areas or stains. Spray a window cleaner on the trouble spots and wipe the spots dry with paper towels before cleaning the rest of the blinds.

There are basically two ways that you can clean your blinds: a light cleaning and a deep cleaning. To do the light cleaning, start by closing the blinds. Using a soft clean rag run your cloth over the slats, starting in the middle of the slat to the edge. Do this both from the middle of the slat to the right edge and then again from the middle of the slat to the left edge. This way you avoid running the dust across the entire slat.

After cleaning the blinds with the slats closed, open the blinds and shut them in the opposite direction. Now clean as before.

If the slats are made of wood you will want to keep the rag dry; damp or oily rags may leave streaks. When cleaning synthetic polymers or metallic slats you can dampen the rag slightly with either water or a cleaning spray that won't leave a sticky residue on the blinds when you are finished.

The deep cleaning method should be used only on synthetic polymer and metallic blinds. It will take a little bit longer but is well worth the effort. Begin by ensuring that the blinds are completely lowered and shut. Then remove the blinds from the window tracking and place them into a bathtub.

Cover the blinds completely with warm water. Add the cleaning solution; dish detergent or white vinegar works well. Let the blinds soak for an hour, which should be enough time to let the surface dirt loosen. If needed, use a soft cleaning brush and scrub gently. If the grime and dirt has really built up the blinds may need to soak overnight.

When finished with the cleaning process empty the cleaning water out of the bathtub. This leaves the blinds inside the bathtub where you can rinse them with cold water. Rinse the blinds by either pouring water over the blinds or by running the shower. Continue until all the soap is removed.

If the weather is nice, dry the blinds by placing them outdoors. Hang them over a railing or lay the blinds on a large clean towel. If the weather is bad, use a hairdryer to speed up the drying. Set the hairdryer to a cool setting.

Now that the blinds are clean and dry, return the blinds back to their hanging position.

To maintain the clean blinds, dust them regularly with either a lamb's-wool duster or a microfiber cloth. By regularly dusting your blinds you won't need to deep clean them more than once a year.