Blinds are an easy choice for a little privacy or to provide some shade on sunny days, no matter whether you go with vinyl, venetian or mini blinds. Their low-maintenance appeal and ability to control exactly how much light enters your living space adds a lot to your windows! There is one little downside, though: Blinds can be tricky to clean since dust settles on each individual panel. Though you could try a simple wipedown with a cloth, that doesn’t guarantee your blinds will actually be totally clean. If you’re going to do something, do it well — so let’s discuss how to completely clean your window blinds.
How to Clean Blinds Fast
If you’ve only got a few minutes free today to clean your blinds, this is a great method to get your blinds clean in a hurry.
- Completely close the blinds. It doesn’t matter which side you close them on, as you’ll repeat the process on the other side. If your blinds overlap, as is often the case with vinyl or aluminum blinds, get them as close to vertical as you can. If you have vertical blinds, use the opposite approach: get your blinds as close to horizontal as possible.
- Use a cloth to wipe and dust. A handy microfiber cloth (or even just an old washcloth) will do the trick perfectly. Be careful not to be too rough with swiping dust off, as this could pull individual blinds out of alignment, especially with the small slats of mini blinds. That could add pain to what is a pretty painless process!
- Dampen the cloth for debris. If the dusting didn’t catch all debris, wet the cloth enough to be damp and wipe again. After this, wipe a clean, dry cloth over your blinds and open them to allow the blinds to dry completely. This should give you fresh, clean blinds!
How to Deep-Clean Blinds
If your blinds need a little extra TLC or if it’s time for some annual deep cleaning, we’ll go to a more extensive cleaning method. Let’s discuss how to clean your blinds in a bathtub or sink.
- Take the blinds completely off your windows. For the kind of debris or residue that a simple damp cloth can’t catch, you won’t be able to clean blinds while they’re upright and attached to your windows.
- Transfer your blinds to a tub if available. Using a bathtub will be easiest for this deep clean, but you can also use your kitchen sink in a pinch.
- Let your blinds soak. Pour warm water and some dish soap (you won’t need too much, just enough to make the water soapy) over the blinds and let them soak for around an hour. If the blinds are very dirty, you could also add vinegar to the water. Its acidity makes it an excellent disinfectant and cleaner.
- Rinse and dry your clean blinds. Once time has passed, rinse the blinds with fresh water and dry them off with a clean cloth. This also has the benefit of removing any particularly stubborn debris that may have lasted through the soak! Allow more time for them to dry, and then hang the blinds back up with the slats left open. This lets them dry completely.
Clean Blinds Deserve Great Windows
Now that your window coverings are in great shape, let’s talk about the windows they’re on. Window World of Muscle Shoals offers premium windows, doors and vinyl siding replacements to refresh your home’s exterior. If you’re paying closer attention to your windows after cleaning those blinds and think it’s time for an upgrade, our high-quality replacement windows offer an energy-efficient, warranty-protected choice. Get in touch with us today to learn more!