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How to Deep Clean Different Types of Blinds
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If you were to run a finger along the blinds in your home right this moment, would it be covered in dust? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone. Cleaning blinds has got to be one of the most dreaded—and intimidating—household chores. But the longer we ignore our grimy blinds, the tougher it is to get them clean.
Just like any other surface, dust, pollen, pet dander and mold spores can settle on blinds and potentially affect your indoor air quality. Here are easy ways to clean and the best way to dust blinds of all types in your home.
How to clean faux wood blinds
Whenever you vacuum your floors, make it a habit to slip on the brush attachment and give your faux wood blinds a quick once-over. Close blinds completely and sweep the brush attachment back and forth from the top of the blinds to the bottom. Then turn the blinds the opposite direction and repeat the process.
Don’t forget to run the brush attachment along the top rail of the blinds and around the window casing. Do this as frequently as you vacuum your floors, and dust won’t even have a chance to accumulate to ick-worthy levels.
How to clean wood blinds
Use the same treatment as above for keeping dust at bay. To keep wood blinds gleaming, you can give them a good polish every month or two. Just put a clean, soft sock on your hand and spray it lightly with your favorite wood polish. Blade by blade, wipe down your blinds starting at the top and ending at the bottom. Always be careful to not get the blinds wet when cleaning wood blinds, which can cause warping over time.
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How to clean fabric blinds
For any kind of fabric blind (honeycomb/cellular, Roman, pleated), using your vacuum is the best way to clean fabric blinds. As with wood blinds, make it a habit to give fabric blinds a quick once over every time you vacuum your floors. If your vacuum has a low suction setting, take advantage of it—you don’t want to inadvertently crease or damage your blinds with overzealous vacuuming.
Another handy tool? A hairdryer! Dust can get caught inside fabric blinds (honeycomb, in particular). Giving the interior “pockets” of blinds a quick blast of air on a low temperature setting can disengage dirt and grim, making your fabric blinds clean inside and out.
How to clean mini blinds
Whether they’re metal or vinyl, mini blind cleaning can pose an extra-aggravating challenge when it comes to keeping blinds dust-free. And if they haven’t been cleaned in awhile, it can be particularly hard to dislodge dust. Give vacuuming a try, but if dirt is still clinging on, it’s time to give your blinds a bath.
Fill your bathtub with warm, sudsy water (use a grease-busting dish soap) and give the blinds a good soak. Then gently wash them with a sponge, wiping along the edges, where dust tends to accumulate most. Drain the dirty water, and then rinse the blinds thoroughly. If your shower has a detachable head, take advantage of it to thoroughly rinse off any soap spots. Lay the blinds on towels to dry before hanging them back up.
Bonus Tip: While there’s no way to stop dust from gathering on your blinds entirely, you can help capture dust by regularly changing the filter in your heating and cooling system. Filtrete™ Healthy Living Filters have electrostatically charged fibers that attract and capture not dust, bacteria and virus particles, pollen and other pesky airborne allergens. We recommend changing 1” filters at least every three months, or every 12 months for filters with depths of 4” or more.
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