Owning Venetian blinds is a great thing, but keeping them clean is a problem on its own. Fortunately, this is why we are here; to make sure they stayed clean at all times. Regardless of what materials they used in producing these blinds, cleaning them always ends with someone’s back broken. The thought of cleaning these blinds is enough to discourage you. This is because cleaning blinds takes much time, and you can’t even tell if you are following the right step. This is one of the reasons most people opt for professional cleaning company to handle the task. However, it is something you can do if you follow the steps in this post.
Most of us don’t like the sounding of the guitar or even forgotten to clean our window blinds properly. This implies that dust and grime will accumulate quickly and will cause the cleaning process to be time-consuming than expected. Venetian blinds accommodate much dust quickly and might even go unnoticed due to how the blind was designed.
Vertical blinds, although they look beautiful but can be difficult to wash. Cleaning these blinds can be so tricky that most people prefer removing the fabric slats and have the drycleaners wash them. Regardless of the type of blind you are dealing with, whether plastic, fabric slats, or wooden, it is possible to clean vertical blinds. You are definitely looking for tips to clean venetian blinds if you are reading this article. Maybe you have been looking for a solution to this problem over the internet and stumbled on this post – you are at the right place to get the information. We have put together an easy guide that teaches anyone looking to clean Venetian blinds.
How to Clean Venetian Blinds
Generally, most people prefer venetian blinds on their windows as it is very presentable both in the home and office surroundings based on its functionality. At the same time, many run away from venetian blinds due to the requirements of its cleaning. Typically, venetian blinds often get dirtier compared to other types of blinds and thus require cleaning more often than other types of blind.
Below are the three simple ways of cleaning Venetian Blinds:
- Vacuuming: to suck off the dirt
- Light cleaning: to remove dirt and dust
- Deep cleaning: to remove dust, dirt, grease and stubborn stains
Before you start cleaning venetian blinds, the first approach is to gather the following equipment:
- A vacuum cleaner packed with an attachment
- A microfiber cloth or a microfiber mini blind duster (purchased from the store)
3 Common Ways to Clean Venetian Blinds
- The Hoover
You can clean your Venetian blind using a vacuum cleaner. Fix the soft brush head to your vacuum cleaner or dust buster. This is one of the reasons your vacuum cleaner came with many attachments. Using the soft brush head ensures that you do not scratch your slats with suction from bigger attachments. The brush head must be moved laterally while you support the slats at the back using your hand. Make sure you come up with a plan, so you don’t miss any stained spot on the blind.
- The Wiper
Yellow Cloth Wiper – this is arguably the most time-consuming technique but also the simplest. This method is the best to use when you have just one Venetian blind. Climb on the stool and do this necessary job comfortably. There are specialized cleaning brushes that you can buy for this cleaning or just use a pair of socks instead if you don’t plan to spend on brushes. Spray water on the blind and use a hand clothed or a sock to wipe the slats while you dry it using the other hand. To remove grime on the slat, hold it firmly between your thumb and index finger.
- The Dunker
Venetian blind can be cleaned using a gloved hand with the blind placed in warm soapy water. It was reported that citizens of Venice (the origin of Venetian blind) drag their blinds at the back of their gondola to clean it. Well, that’s a false alarm, but then, we need to get familiar with this simple method. Unhang your blind from the window and pour warm water in your bath. Soak the blind inside the warm water for 15 minutes and scrub any stubborn dirt. Drain out the bath and rinse the blind with clean water, then hang up the blind to dry.
- Expert Tip: Cover your bath with towels or tarpaulin before you fill with warm water and dip your blind into it to avoid scratching by the corners and edges of the slats.
How to Light Clean your Venetian Blinds?
This might seem like a difficult task, but you have to make it a habit to light dust your blinds regularly. This will reduce the time and effort spent on your blind during the deep cleaning. Apart from this, scheduled light cleaning can prevent your venetian blinds from frequent deep cleaning. You only need a cloth or a feather duster to clean the panels and remove dust from the surface of the blind. Be sure to do the cleaning one after the other to get rid of as much dust as you can. You can also use customized blinds cleaner such as Lakeland brush that helps speed up the cleaning.
You can remove stubborn stains from your blinds by following the following home remedy tips:
- Mix a cleaning solution of 50% vinegar and 50% water in a plastic bowl
- Put your hand in an old sock and dip it into the mixture
- Hold both sides of the blind slats gently as you proceed, focusing more on the stains.
- Although you have to ensure the blinds are clean, but don’t forget other parts like the strings and handles
- Avoid using an old liquid to clean wooden (original or fake) blinds, as it might leave a stain on them. Continue with a light dusting instead and consult your manufacturer to know the products that match your blinds.
- Expert Tip: Clean other ‘difficult to access’ spots using a cotton wool bud.
How to Deep Cleaning your Venetian Blinds?
Most people don’t really believe in light cleaning of venetian blinds on a regular basis as most of them inherit the blinds from previous space occupants. No matter the amount of light cleaning done to blinds, it will one day require deep cleaning, as light cleaning definitely cannot reach all the parts of the blinds. Continue reading this article to find out how you can bring your venetian blinds back like a new one regardless of the reason for deep cleaning them.
Consider the steps below to deep clean your blinds:
- Soak the blinds in a bath filled with warm water and add a cleaning solution. Leave the blinds to soak from between 30mins to 3 hours, depending on their dirtiness. There may be need to use a cleaning brush to gently remove stubborn stains that won’t come off during soaking. Make sure you check both sides of the blinds for any dirt or spot.
- Rinse the blinds with cold water and spray it with your shower head to remove the remaining soap.
- To avoid mold as a result of wet blinds, make sure you properly dry the blinds before hanging it again. You can place them outside or inside your shower rail to dry. Avoid leaving blinds on warm radiators as it may cause them to warp.
- Put the blinds into place once they are dried.
- Expert Tip: You can use the cool setting on a hairdryer to quickly dry your blinds to reduce time spent on drying. Blinds deep cleaning should be done not more than once or twice annually when you light clean regularly.
Cleaning Different Types of Venetian Blinds
Apart from venetian blinds, there are other common blinds that require special skills to maintain. Below are how to clean some of them:
How to Clean Faux Wood Blinds?
These blinds are the most commonly used for window coverage. They are very easy to clean, and you can also use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust.
Follow below steps:
- The blinds must be closed while you hold the bottom rail before you vacuum
- Vacuum both sides of the blinds
- To avoid warping of the slats, use the lowest suction setting
- If there are grime and grease on your faux wood blinds, then it is necessary you deep clean them with white vinegar
- Mix the same quantity of water and vinegar in a bowl
- Dip a cloth in the mixture and wipe each slat of the blinds. Make sure the sides are properly covered. The white vinegar removes the grime, grease, and dirt, and it turns the old slats clean as new ones.
How to clean Vinyl or Aluminum Blinds?
This type of blind cleaning is the same way you clean the faux wood blinds; by dusting or light cleaning using a cloth or a feather duster. This cleaning method will be time-consuming if you have many Vinyl or Aluminum blinds, so it is best to deep clean it. Removes the blinds from the hook and soak each set at a time in the bath, and use a sponge to rub the two sides of the slats of the blinds. Rinse in clean water immediately after cleaning to remove the soap. Place the blinds on towels to drain the water after rinsing before you hang them up for drying. You can hang your clean blinds outside your home on a clothesline where you will spray with soap and rinse using a garden hose. Use a soft brush to scrub on the two sides of the blinds. Rinse properly and leave for some time to air dry.
How to Clean Fabric Blinds (Pleated, Roman, and Cellular)?
Use a vacuum cleaner to clean and dust fabric blinds, setting it to the lowest. You can substitute a hairdryer for a vacuum cleaner. Blow every hidden part of the blinds and avoid squishing any bugs found between the honeycombs as it might leave a stain on the blinds. Clean the stained blinds with a normal saturated microfiber cloth.
How to Clean Wood Blinds?
This type of blind contains an outstanding feature that doesn’t hold dirt and stain, making the usage easy. Wood blinds are easy to clean with a damp clean cloth. To polish the blinds, dip the cloth in furniture polish and rub on each slat of the blinds.
- Expert Tip: Avoid cleaning faux wood and wood blinds with water or any other liquid solution as they are absorbent. They can absorb the water and warp during the drying process. The finish layer on wood and faux wood blinds may be affected when touched by water. The light cleaning and dusting method is the bearer of those with wood or faux wood Venetian blinds.
Other Venetian Blinds Cleaning Tips
- Make sure you track your slats when cleaning and avoid distraction, so you don’t get confused about where you are yet to clean. You can hook a pin to the previously cleaned slats.
- There is no need for purchasing blind cleaning materials; you can design homemade cleaning tools by joining two microfiber clothes using clips, a pair of tongs, and rubber bands.
- Make sure you protect your blinds when cleaning. Avoid spraying the chemical on the slats; instead, spray it on a cloth and wipe each slat one after the other.
Final Thoughts
Do not hesitate to hire the service of a professional Venetian Blind cleaner if, after reading this guide, you still don’t think you can handle your blind deep cleaning alone or you have no facilities, equipment, or the required manpower to deepen clean your commercial building perfectly. There are various services available with professional blind cleaning companies, but in most cases, they will go away with your blinds, clean them, and replace them for you once they are done with drying. They will also repair any damaged part on your blinds as well as apply lubricant to any moving parts while it is still in their care.
Most professional cleaning company can handle venetian blinds deep cleaning. You don’t need to look away, Clean House Melbourne is equipped with the required equipment and manpower to deep clean any type of blinds. Contact us today to schedule your venetian blinds cleaning or book us here!