Bust the Dust: How to Clean Dirty Blinds

by Team HomeServe
Person Cleaning Window Blinds

Cleaning blinds is one of those small household jobs that often gets forgotten, but it is one that should be done regularly. If you let your blinds go for too long without a good dusting, they'll become soiled with dust, pet fur and grime. Most blinds are made of wood or plastic, which are — thankfully — pretty easy to clean. Fabric blinds require a little more care.

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It's important to take care of your blinds. They don't just complete the look of the room; they can also reduce heat gain during the summer and heat loss in the winter. Clean, fresh blinds are both stylish and practical.

So, you’ve noticed your blinds are looking dull and dusty. What's the best way to clean them? Here’s a step-by-step guide.

How to Clean Your Blinds

To clean your blinds, you will need:

  • A vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment
  • Microfiber duster
  • Microfiber cloths
  • A bowl of water and white vinegar

In most cases, you can clean your blinds without taking them down. You'll probably notice that most of the dirt on your blinds is just dust, and that's quite easy to remove. There's no need to use a store-bought cleaner made for blinds. In most cases, warm water alone will do. If there are visible stains, make a solution of half water, half white vinegar for a little extra cleaning power.

The easiest way to clean blinds is to start with a duster and then use additional tools as necessary. Here’s what to do:

  1. With the blinds open, run your duster across the surface, starting from the top.
  2. Work your way down the blinds systematically.
  3. Vacuum along the bottom of the window sill to remove any dust that falls.
  4. After dusting the surface, close the blinds so that the concave side is facing inwards.
  5. Starting from the top, wipe each blind with a dry microfiber cloth.
  6. Turn the blinds so the convex side is facing inwards.
  7. Again, starting from the top, wipe each blind with a dry microfiber cloth.

What’s the Best Way to Clean Vinyl or Plastic Blinds?

If your blinds are heavily soiled, the cleaning steps above may not be enough to remove all the dirt. To clean very dirty blinds, you'll need to take them down and soak them in water.

  1. First, remove as much dust and dirt as you can following the steps above. Then remove the blinds from your window.
  2. Fill your bathtub with warm water and place the blinds in the bathtub.
  3. Let soak for an hour. Then, lift the blinds out of the tub and wipe them clean with a microfiber cloth.
  4. Let the blinds air dry before hanging them back in the window.

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What Should You Use to Clean Wooden Blinds?

Soaking wooden blinds in water isn’t a good idea as you could damage the surface. However, you can carefully wash your wooden blinds with a cloth soaked in a solution of warm water and white vinegar. When you’re done, wipe them dry immediately. This is usually enough to remove any built-up, stubborn dirt from wooden slat blinds.

As with so many other home maintenance tasks, cleaning blinds is a quick and easy job if you do it regularly. If you leave it a long time, you'll find there's more dirt to remove.

How Do You Clean Fabric Blinds?

Cleaning fabric blinds is usually a case of dusting them, just like you would with vinyl or wooden ones. If cloth window treatments are very dirty, or something gets splashed or spilled onto them, you may need to take them to the dry cleaner.

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