Blindingly Clean Blinds: Here's How to Get Them

Cleaning window blinds is not a difficult task, but it's very important that you use cleaning and upkeep methods appropriate to your window blind material. To help you avoid any mishaps, we've put together a collection of window blind care tips for each of the primary window blinds materials.

Routine: Dust weekly with a soft, clean cloth or clean by lightly vacuuming with an upholstery or brush dust head attachment.

Accidents: Use a soft cloth soaked in mild detergent and water. Use warm or cold water only, not hot water. Blot dry. If necessary, aluminum or vinyl blinds can be placed in a tub full of lukewarm soapy water, rinsed, and hung to dry.

Cleaning Faux Wood Blinds Routine: Faux wood blinds can be cleaned weekly in a similar fashion to vinyl or aluminum blinds by using a dry cloth or vacuum attachment. Accidents: Avoid using abrasive or chemical cleaners on your faux wood blinds. Unlike wood blinds, faux wood blinds can be soaked or washed with lukewarm water if necessary. Cleaning Wood Blinds Routine: Dust wood blinds regularly with a soft, dry cloth or feather duster. Avoid using wet or moist rags as water may cause warping or discoloration of wood blinds. Accidents: If your wood blinds have been painted, treat spills with a soft, damp cloth. If wood blinds are stained, handle spills with lemon oil or a quality wood preservative.

Routine: For non-fabric or non-wood vertical blinds, dust regularly using a damp cloth or a vacuum attachment. Special vertical blinds cleaning tools are available at janitorial supply stores that will speed up the dusting process for vertical window blinds.

Routine: Fabric vertical blinds can be feather dusted or vacuumed on low suction.

Accidents: Non-wood and non-fabric vertical blinds should be cleaned with a damp cloth or soaked in a tub of mild detergent and lukewarm water. Fabric vertical blinds can be treated with fabric cleaning wipes. If necessary, machine wash fabric vertical blinds on a gentle cycle with mild detergent and hang dry while damp. Never place fabric vertical blinds in a drying machine.

Even when window blind upkeep is performed regularly, the buildup of dirt, fingerprints, and other marks can reach a point that a deeper cleaning is necessary. Soaking in a lukewarm bath is the easiest way to deep clean blinds. Mix in some mild liquid dish soap, and wipe the blinds dry upon removal. Such treatment is NOT appropriate for all window blind materials, particularly wood blinds; it usually works best with aluminum or vinyl blinds.