Blinds are one of the hardest areas to clean in the household, especially when they have been neglected for some time. However, there are a few steps to take in order to keep the blinds from collecting dust and grime from both outdoor and indoor causes.

Easy Ways to Clean Your Blinds

Cleaning your blinds should be done regularly, and can be done in many, easy ways. An anti-dust spray product and a soft cloth combination is suitable, or a feather duster. Many common, easy-to-find all-purpose household cleaning products and a cloth are suitable for aluminum blinds, in addition to warm soapy water and a cloth. Place a towel beneath the window when you are cleaning, so the dirt-water doesn’t ruin the carpet. Move furniture and other household things near the windows as well. If you are vacuuming the carpet and the floor, you can also vacuum your blinds too!

Attach the soft brush to the end of the hose, and carefully vacuum the blinds, following the direction in which they are hanging (vertically if they are vertical blinds and horizontal if they hang horizontal). Make sure that you don’t press to hard, and dent the blinds. Tilt the slats back and forth in order to ensure that the entire width of the blind is being vacuumed. An easy method to get rid of the dust is placing a mitten, glove or old sock on your hand. Gently brush your hand and place your fingers on the edges of the blind, following the hanging of the blind, back and forth, picking up the dust.

When the Dust Turns to Dirt

If the dust has accumulated to dirt, then the best way to clean the blinds is with a damp sponge, cloth, or paper towel. Depending on the dirt, it may be best to take the blinds off of the window, and take them outside, hosing them down, and leaving them to dry. If this isn’t an option, they can always be set in the sink or bathtub, carefully cleaning them with warm soapy water. Let the blinds soak for about a half hour, and wipe or hang dry. Make sure you don’t bend the blinds and that they don’t scratch the tub.

Fabric blinds require a light vacuuming. If they are dirty, clean them with warm water and spot cleaning where necessary with detergent. If you have wood blinds, the best way to clean them is with a cloth and wood cleaner, a mitten, glove or old sock on the hand or the vacuum cleaner. Washing them with water isn’t suitable--this may warp the blinds. Recommended cleaning for blinds is every 3-4 months. In order to keep the dust level in check, try to clean the blinds when you clean the rest of the house so they will look beautiful all the time.