How To Clean Blinds Quickly

Quick Tips

Window And Blinds Cleaning

Cleaning blinds is one of those household chores that many people forget about. However, when blinds are left neglected, they can become soiled with dust, pet fur and all the other skin cells and dander that float around the home.

Fortunately, cleaning blinds isn't that difficult of a task. And figuring out how to clean blinds is as simple as knowing what material they are made of. Most are made from either wood or plastic. Read on for tips about cleaning blinds of both varieties.

Tools for Cleaning Blinds

There's really no one best way to clean blinds. The methods and tools you use for cleaning blinds will depend on how much dust has accumulated or how soiled they are. Regardless of what your blinds are made of, you'll want to assemble the following items:

Vacuum cleaner with attachment
Microfiber cloths or a microfiber mini blind duster (You can find this online or at a local hardware store. It's a great tool because it covers multiple blind tiers at one time.

Simple Blind Cleaning

Most of the build-up you'll find on your blinds is dust. Dust and water can equal a nasty mess, so it's best to start out dry when cleaning. Here's how to clean wood and plastic blinds:

Using a microfiber mini blind duster

Leave the blinds in the open position and run the duster along them from top to bottom. Make sure you work from the top so that any dust that falls while cleaning blinds will be removed as you make your way to the lowest level.
After you've dusted all the way down, use the vacuum cleaner attachment to clean any dust that has fallen.

Using a microfiber cloth

Close the blinds so that the concave side is facing you and wipe away the dust, starting from the top and working your way down. Be certain to work from the top down when cleaning blinds, so any fallen dust particles get cleaned up in the process.
Turn the tilt wand (the rod that opens and closes your blinds) until the blinds are closed with the convex side towards you. Dust this side from top to bottom, just as you did the other.
Vacuum any fallen dust using the vacuum cleaner attachment.

These are your basic instructions for cleaning blinds. But what happens if your blinds are especially soiled?

How to Clean Blinds That Are Heavily Soiled

If your blinds are heavily soiled, they'll need more than a dusting. However, the cleaning process you use will vary depending on whether your blinds are plastic or wooden.

How to Clean Plastic Blinds

First, you'll use the above steps in the Simple Blind Cleaning section to remove as much dust as possible from your blinds.
Next, take your blinds down from the window and fill your bathtub with warm water.
Soak the blinds in the tub for at least one hour.
Remove the blinds from the tub and wipe any remaining dust away with a microfiber cloth.
Wipe your blinds dry or hang them outside to air dry before placing them back in the window.
Clean your tub so that you don't have to shower with dust bunnies at your feet.

How to Clean Wood Blinds

Follow the steps in the Simple Blind Cleaning section above to eliminate as much dust as you can.
Try to remove extra dust using a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment.
Finish cleaning wooden blinds with a cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Wipe down one side with the cloth and cleaner. Then turn the tilt wand until the blinds are rotated 180 degrees and wipe down the other.

And that's all there is to it when it comes to cleaning blinds. However, that dust will quickly pile back up. To keep your blinds easily maintainable, try to clean them every few weeks or so.

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