They’re great for keeping out the sun, but when it comes to cleaning them your blinds can be a nuisance.
Whether their horizontal or vertical, wooden or aluminium, your blinds can be one of the most difficult items to clean in your home.
Luckily, there are some clever ways you can get in to every nook and cranny when you clean your blinds.
Here are clever tips for cleaning your blinds.
1. Vacuum with a brush attachment
If you own a vacuum and have a brush attachment then you can use it to get the dirt off your blinds. Vacuuming with the brush attachment can suck up any dirt or dust on your blinds and window sill. All you need to do is close your blinds, vacuum the slats carefully by running along them and then turn the slats the other way around and do the same. If you’ve got horizontal blinds, vacuum them horizontally across the slats. If your blinds are vertical, vacuum them in downward motions otherwise you could make them come undone.
2. Wipe down with vinegar and an old sock/glove
You can easily clean your aluminium or plastic blinds just by using an old glove or sock and a mix of water and vinegar. All you need to do is dampen the glove/sock with a mix of half water and half vinegar, put it on your hands and wipe down each slat between your fingers and thumbs. Make sure you wet the sock/glove in the vinegar and water as you go. You can also use this tip on your wooden blinds, just make sure the sock/glove is only slightly damp and clean before you do.
3. Use tongs and microfibre dust cloths
This is one of the most creative and effective ways to clean your blinds. First, wrap your kitchen tongs with two microfibre dust cloths, one on each side, and secure with rubber bands. Then just firmly wipe along each slat. If the dust is stubborn, try spritzing the cloths with your favourite cleaner and it should just wipe away. If your cloths get too dirty, swap them with clean ones.
4. Soak them in the bathtub
If you can take down your aluminium or plastic blinds without much effort, then try this. Fill your bathtub with warm soapy water and soak your aluminium or plastic blinds in the water. Clean the slats with a cloth while they’re immersed, then get the blinds out of the tub and dry off excess water gently with a towel. Hang them over a fence or your washing line to dry them.
5. Take them outside and hose them off
If the dirt on your aluminium or plastic blinds won’t budge and you can take them down without much effort, then give this a go. Take them outside, lay them on a tarp or mat and gently hose them off. Fill a bucket with warm soapy water, soak a sponge or cloth in the bucket and then use it to scrub the blinds. Once the dirt is gone, towel off the excess water and hang the blinds over a fence or on your washing line until they’re dry.
6. Dust regularly with a duster or cloth
Once you’ve cleaned your blinds, it might pay to keep them clean. To make sure your blinds don’t become too dusty or dirty again, make sure you dust them regularly with a feather duster or cloth. Getting rid of the dust and dirt regularly will stop it from sticking to your blinds permanently.
7. Use products to protect your blinds
When you clean or dust your blinds, try using a spray on product to protect them from dirt and dust. Shut your blinds and gently spray them with a product such as Static Guard or if they’re wooden, a furniture polish, to keep the dirt such as pet hair at bay.