How To Clean Your Blinds

Most people pick up some basic cleaning habits along the way such as vacuuming, doing the dishes and laundry.  One chore that seems to get overlooked is cleaning the blinds.  Many people may not know the best way to clean blinds and that is one of the reasons they put it off.  The following are ideas on how to best clean your blinds.

Vacuum

Use the attachment brush on your vacuum to clean the dust off of your blinds.  It is best to vacuum across the slats rather than up and down.  Turn the slats in one direction and then after vacuuming that side turn them in the opposite direction.

Spot Cleaning

To spot clean a slat that has become dirty, spray an all-purpose cleaner onto a dry cloth and wipe the blind.  It is not a good idea to spray the cleaner directly on the blind.

Cotton Gloves

An easy way to clean each slat of your blinds is to wear cotton gloves or put an old pair of socks on your hand.  Then run your fingers over each slat.  In addition, you can rub your gloved hands with a dryer sheet and then rub them over the blinds.  This should help reduce the amount of static electricity on the blinds which in turn reduces the amount of dust that will stick to it.

Vertical Blinds

When dusting vertical blinds it is best to dust from top to bottom.  Starting at the bottom can cause the slats to become unhooked.

Wooden Blinds

Wooden blinds tend to pick up dust easier than metal or plastic blinds so you may need to dust them more often.  Once a week is probably a good rule of thumb.  Wooden blinds can get wet when cleaning them, but you should be careful not to soak them.  They are best cleaned in place, rather than removing them.

Metal or Vinyl Blinds

Metal or vinyl blinds can be removed.  If they are quite dirty and need a good scrub, you can take them outside on your driveway and lay them on a small rug.  Fill a bucket with a little bit of dishwashing soap and water.  Scrub the blinds using a car washing brush and the solution.  Then turn them over and do the same thing to the other side.  Rinse the blinds with a garden hose.  You can run your finger along each slat to make sure that water spots don't form and then hang them over a fence to dry.

Regularly dusting and spot cleaning your blinds will hopefully help you avoid major blind cleaning.  Just keeping your blinds dust-free will help your home feel cleaner. For more cleaning tips or assistance, contact Metro Cleaning Service Inc.