HomeWindows & Window TreatmentsHow to Clean Window Blinds How to Clean Window Blinds Wash your window blinds with a minimum of mess. A dust cloth or a vacuum with a brush-head attachment Towels or a drop cloth A sponge or cleaning brush All-purpose cleaner or ammonia Step 1 Get the dust off Begin by removing loose dirt and dust with either a soft cloth or a vacuum with a brush-head attachment. Clean with the slats tilted upward first, then downward. Regular fabric-softener sheets absorb dust just as well as cloths made specifically for that purpose. Step 2 Remove from the window If your blinds are plastic, vinyl, or aluminum — not wood — remove them from the window for washing. Wood blinds should never get wet; just dust them regularly. Only use a wood cleaner if the manufacturer says it’s safe. Step 3 Take it outside If you have a yard, take the blinds outside. If you don’t, put them in the bathtub. Step 4 Wash them Wash each slat with a sponge or brush.

Don’t forget to wash the cords! If you’re outdoors, use a water-filled bucket containing a half cup of ammonia. If you’re using your tub, a mild detergent works best. Never use hot water on plastic blinds; it could cause them to warp. Step 5 Rinse thoroughly Rinse the blinds thoroughly, then hang them on a clothesline or shower rod. Step 6 Wipe them down When they’re completely dry, wipe the blinds with a fabric-softener sheet. It will help prevent dust from clinging to them, so they’ll stay cleaner longer. Thirty-one percent of homeowners say that cleaning window treatments is their least favorite cleaning job, according to a survey.(Image credit: Abby Stone) Looking for help remembering to clean those "forgotten" areas of the home that have a huge impact on your space looking and feeling clean? Well we've got today's assignment to tackle: Blinds! They're a common element in many homes that we tend to leave off of our regular cleaning to-do lists. Take an hour (or less!) of time to tackle today.

We've got a little info to get you started on cleaning the most common types of blinds, plus some tips to keep them clean and establish a cleaning schedule.Prom Dresses Uk Ebay Even if you did a good clean of your blinds during the January Cure, it's time to establish a habit that will keep this part of your home tidy all year long. Evening Dress Fabric Suppliers(And of course, if you regularly clean them, they'll never get so gross it requires an intense cleaning).Buy Laptop Housing Plastic or aluminum blinds: Dirt level: A little dusty You can attack slightly dusty blinds easily and quickly with a Swiffer type dusting tool or an ostrich feather duster tool that will go in and out of the blind slats, grabbing the dust and (hopefully) not distributing it to another area of your home.

Start from the top and travel to the bottom. Start from convex side facing you, and don't forget to flip your blinds and dust the concave side. Dirt level: Very dusty Switch to the vacuum if your blinds are incredibly dusty. Then move to wet wipes or eco-friendly sprays and microfiber cloths. Or try the glove method. From an Apartment Therapy reader: "I use cotton gardening gloves. Put them on, get them damp, and run your fingers along the slats. For the greasy shades, spray them with the cleaning product of your preference." Dirt level: Kids, pets, cigarette smoke or cooking grease filmy If your blinds aren't just dusty but are accompanied by a film or stains, you'll have to get a little extra tough. We suggest the bathtub method: Taking your blinds down to soak in a few inches of warm water plus dish soap and vinegar in your bathtub for an hour or so. You should be able to wash the stains and film off easier after a soak. Then, just lightly towel off and hang to dry.

(Image credit: Abby Stone) These blinds can get really filthy, especially being so close to the floor. Use eco-friendly cleaners and microfiber wipes to clean these and consider putting towels underneath to catch any grimy drips. It might serve you to take each one down individually, lay across some towels, and spray and let soak before cleaning, so as not to bend them while trying to clean them while hanging. (I'll personally be tackling this task this weekend as mine are so gross.)Any stains should be spot-cleaned with a fabric stain cleaner (after you've done a test on a small corner, first), rinsed with water and blotted with a towel to allow to air dry. Consider adding a wood cleaner to your regimen to help attract dust and keep it away, and avoid strong cleaning chemicals. Plastic blinds can withstand a lot, but wooden blinds could be discolored. Do a test first. Keep your window blinds clean longer: Periodically wipe them down with used dryer sheets. The anti-static properties of the product will actually help to repel dust and dirt.

Set up a routine: If you use dryer sheets in your laundry, make it habit of dusting one set of blinds with some used sheets (or any cleaning method you choose) once a week. Or, add the blinds to your vacuuming or dusting schedule if you haven't already to keep them clean throughout the year. More info to help you clean those blinds: How do you tackle cleaning your blinds? Do you have a regular way of cleaning them that keeps them looking good all year long? Or do you frequently forget and then have to do a mega-clean every once in awhile? Mini blinds are dust magnets. Cleaning between each and every blind can be time consuming and difficult. This is a guide about cleaning mini blinds.All ArticlesSolutionsQuestionsArchivesNewestOldestMost HelpfulLeast HelpfulMost AnswersFewest AnswersBest AnswersRelevanceTip: FlagBy Litter Gitter5We have a blind in our small bathroom that gets caked with dust and hairspray which can be hard to clean. I have to clean it several times a year.

To clean it, I soak it about 30 minutes in the bathtub in hot water with a little ammonia added to the water. This loosens the dirt and grim and makes it easy to wipe off while it's in the water.After cleaning it and rinsing it off, I bundle it in my hand, lift it out of the tub and put a towel under it to catch the dripping water while I walk through the house and out to the porch where I hang it on the nails that were placed there for hanging blinds to dry. In just a few minutes, it's dry enough to hang back up.Cleaning vinyl blinds is simple and easy when you can give them a little soaking in the bathtub and have a place to hang them to dry. Comment Tip: FlagBy Luana M.Like most renters, I have vertical blinds everywhere in my home. Where I live (near a beach), putting up curtains would mean way too much dirt and dust. I clean my blinds bi-weekly with microfiber cloths. This area with a nearby airport is extremely dusty. A dust that depending on the weather can look like a car engine's dirt.

I assumed using my vinegar and water with microfiber was the best way to keep as much out as possible. Keeping them clean is much easier than dealing with build up. As you can imagine, this can be time consuming work. I have discovered a way to cut the time in half - using water only one time a week and taking a fraction of the time. All without spending a penny on the new, latest, or better product. I discovered that, like with the television which also get an extreme amount of dust on it, used dyer sheets work like magic. Instead of throwing away your used dryer sheets, save them and use for dusting the blinds. If it works on my blinds with the special sea and airport dirt, it will work on yours. I have found dryer sheets to be so helpful other places also, leaving no lint behind. New ones are used when I don't have any from the laundry. They seem to do such a good job that when I do use water and vinegar on my major cleaning day it's easier. Try using dryer sheets on computer screens, the television, even my tables.

All are shining and dust free. I have a hand steamer I use on all my screens. Yes, my screens with the steamer! You do not have to remover the screen. I live in Southern California, so my windows are open daily. If you live where it's winter now, remember the furnace also brings so much dust into your home. For now, try the dryer sheets. When the weather warms up if you have a steamer it cuts the dusting down without too much hassle. I am a clean nut, so helpful tips that make it easier are a blessing. Try this one it works! If it works on computers. I was amazed at how it works on blinds as well. By Luana M. from San Diego, CA Comment Tip: FlagBy Monica9For a no mess place to clean your mini-blinds or give a dog a bath, buy a 42 inch kids' wading pool. After washing blinds, hang them over outdoor chairs and rinse with a hose. Comment Question: FlagBy marion0What is the best way to clean mini blinds without taking them down? Answer Tip: FlagBy Kathy3I soak my blinds in Clorox Clean Up in the bathtub for an hour then rinse with the shower head and dry with a couple old beach towels.

They look nice and clean when I hang them back up. Comment Tip: FlagBy Marty Dick9I put the slats a few at a time in my bath tub with dish liquid. I sloshed them around a bit, then I wrapped a wet micro fiber cloth around one end and pulled each slat through. Comment Question: FlagBy Edel Gill0My daughter got black ink on my white window blinds, does anyone have any tips to get it out? Answer guest (Guest Post) Flag0Our daughter did the same on fake wood white blinds.We used Soft Scrub cooktop cleaner and it worked. Reply By Holly Flag0Try a product called Ink Away, you can get it at most office supply stores. It works great getting ink out of almost everything. It is a big winner in my house since my kids like Sharpe pens! Reply Question: FlagBy Jane Price0My window blinds (semi-wood) are way too big to take down and using Endust and cleaning between each slat just isn't getting it. Any and all suggestions are welcome! By Jane P. Answer By Susan Flag0Endust is the wrong product here -- the blinds probably have a somewhat "greasy" buildup, which the Endust adds to.

I mix a mild vinegar/water solution, and just take a rough cloth and clean each slat, then wipe with a soft dry cloth. Don't saturate the slats; wring out the cloth before using. It may take two passes, but they will be clean and dry when you're done! Reply Tip: FlagBy Paul Wilson1I put my mini-blinds on the outdoor table and hose and wash with the car wash brush, then flip and do the other side. I hang them on the clothes line to dry. Kids can do this chore. Comment Tip: Flag0Here's an easy way to remove dust from window blinds: Put an old sock over your hand as if you were making a sock puppet. Now grasp each slat on the blinds and rub your sock back and forth to remove the dust. Comment Archive: Flag1To clean mini blinds, wear a pair of white cotton gloves. Dip gloved fingers in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and warm tap water and run your fingers across both sides of each blind. By fossil1955 from Cortez, COAnswers:Cleaning Mini BlindsI just take mine down put in the tub spray with basin, tub and tile cleaner.

Using my hand held shower head I rinse them down, hold them sideways, shake a little to get excess water off and hang back up to finish drying. I put a towel at the bottom to catch drips. Usually the bottom slat is against the bottom part of your mini blind so I take extra care to lift that one and dry it well. By dwutzCleaning Mini BlindsDear fossil. How many pairs of white gloves would I need to clean 5 different blinds? Quite a few I think.I just use old rags and toss later.By stormy10000 in Ca Comment Archive: Flag0I have metal (blue color) mini blinds that I've had up for 8 years. I do smoke in the house, too. At a glance, you don't notice, but I see the dirt and grime on the blinds and I am looking for a way to clean them. Also, what about the small rope (strings) that are used to operate the blinds? Thank you so much for your help! Sue from Birmingham, ALAnswers:Cleaning Metal Mini BlindsI used to clean mine in the bathtub. I would fill it up with warm sudsy water, and then clean each stip with an aggressive sponge.

For sticky stains, I would let them soak. It's a bit messy and time consuming, but it works. By JessCleaning Metal Mini BlindsTry taking them to a car wash.A car wash normally has hooks you can hang floor mats onWorks Good..will get extra clean.Good Luck (09/10/2006) By AutumnCleaning Metal Mini BlindsYou can either clean your blinds in your tub/shower or outside, but you'll need to figure out a way to hang them up, like on a clothesline for example. Next, take some Scrubbing Bubbles foaming bathroom cleaner (the dollar store versions of this work great) and spray your blinds thoroughly, including the strings and any other parts you want clean. Now watch the grease and grime melt right off your blinds. Just rinse off the blinds with a hose or handheld shower sprayer. You don't have to rub each individual slat or the strings, but if your blinds are really grimy, you may have to repeat the Scrubbing Bubbles, and then let them hang outside or in your tub/shower until dry. You don't have to take blinds to the car wash or hang mini blinds from a clothesline outside to wash.