How often should you dust blinds?
Clean your blinds once a month so that the dust will not accumulate. If you maintain that, your blinds5 last for decades. Use a cloth, but an old sock will be a great alternative. Put the sock over your hand, and dip it into the water, to clean all the window coverings in your house.
Run a quick vacuuming of your blinds every week and wipe the blinds clean every month (Housedigest.com). That will maintain the condition of your blinds and keeps you away from giving them a deeper clean. Deep clean your blinds using soap and water, up to two times a year, depending on how dusty they become over the months.
You might not have to clean one slat at a time or take it off the window. Make use of simple tools and take time to learn how to clean blinds quickly and easily. Use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment, microfiber cloths, dishwashing liquid, warm water, and baking soda.
Window blinds are horizontal and angle upward or downward, or hang vertically and angle from side to side. They are prone to dust build-up since they sit at a specific angle for long periods. The same reason you clean your surfaces at home is why you should clean blinds.
For vertical blinds, hold the bottom of the blind in one hand to stabilize it and start wiping the blinds with a microfiber cloth. Start from the top and work your way down. Wipe in a downward motion so that they do not get unhooked.
Use your vacuum cleaner with a soft dusting brush attachment and a low-suction setting to remove dust. For horizontal blinds, follow the same procedures. The only difference is that you wipe from side to side. Work from the top slat to the bottom slat so dust will not fall on the clean.
Flip the blinds and repeat using your microfiber cloth or vacuum. Use a damp cloth on heavily soiled blinds but do not put much water. Sometimes dusting is not enough to clean your blinds, so use a microfiber cloth dampened with warm water. If you have wooden blinds, be careful not to get them too wet.
Methods to clean your blinds vary based on the type of blinds and how dirty they are. Start by vacuuming them with a brush attachment on a low setting on vertical blinds. Start from top to bottom, or horizontal blinds, moving from one side to the other. Every month, wipe your blinds with a moist rag to remove any build-up the vacuum failed to clean. Clean both sides and then allow them to dry.
How to clean blinds while hanging
It gives your blinds thorough cleaning without having to take them down.
Steps
- Open the blind and wrap the microfiber cloth tightly around both sides of the slate or grab both sides with your glove. For horizontal blinds, begin at the top-most slat and work your way down. If you start from the bottom, you will have to clean the same slat a second time when dust from a slat above settles on one below. Wipe the slat from left to right. For vertical blinds, wrap your microfiber cloth tightly around both sides of the blind and wipe from top to bottom. When using a double-sided duster, clean the top side of one slat and the bottom side. Move the duster in between. For a quick clean-up, move the duster with the slats closed.
- To remove stubborn stains and sticky residue from metal, vinyl, or faux wood blinds while hanging, dip a microfiber cloth in a bowl of warm water mixed with a few drops of dishwashing liquid (Dawn-dish.com).
- Squeeze out the excess water and wipe the blinds from left to right.
- Wipe again on both sides with a clean, dry microfiber cloth to buff away any water spots or streaks. Use water sparingly, if at all, on wood blinds.
- Dip a cloth in the water, and wipe down a slat at a time, starting at the top, and going down. Use antibacterial soap and water on aluminum, vinyl, or faux wood blinds.
- Avoid washing fabric or blinds. Only clean any dirty areas and never use water to clean wood blinds but clean them with a dry cloth or vacuum. When wood is exposed to water, it absorbs water and causes it to rot. That leads to mold growth and expensive restoration efforts.
- Clean the pull strings, to remove discoloration by dust, dirt, and sun damage. Dip a white cloth in a mixture of warm water and a fabric-safe cleaning solution, to grip the strings and move down.
How to clean Venetian blinds
- Clean your Venetian blind in the bathtub.
- Put a towel or rubber mat in the bath before you begin to prevent scratching.
- Fill the bathtub with warm water to cover the blind.
- Add a mild detergent.
- Place the blind in the bath and clean each slat with a soft brush or non-abrasive sponge. If there is heavy staining, leave the blind to soak for hours or overnight before cleaning the slats.
- Rinse the blind with cold water and hang it over the shower rail to dry.
How to keep dust off blinds
Spray on a soft cloth and use it on any surface with static electricity to reduce the amount of static electricity on your blinds. That reduces and repels the accumulating dust. Dust them using a feather duster, a microfiber cloth, or a vacuum with a brush attachment.
Give the blinds a thorough clean, and then wipe them over with a dryer sheet. Once a month, wipe again with a microfiber cloth and a dryer sheet. That alone keeps dust off your blinds. There are tiny fibers in microfiber cloths charged electrostatically. They attract dust and keep it inside the cloth, making them ideal for cleaning off dust without spreading it around.
The dryer sheet reduces static on the blind. Also, pull the blinds up when you do not need them. Try that when the sun moves, and you want to maximize the light in the room. Pull them up so that light can come in, protecting them from gathering dust as well.
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