There seems to be two main schools of thought when it comes to cleaning slatted blinds (vertical or horizontal).  The first, involves using a cloth, some dish liquid, water, a bucket and your hand – the second involves taking the blinds down, putting them in your bathtub, scrubbing them, drying them and then putting the blinds back up. To me, one measure seems reasonable and the other extreme, any guesses as to which is which? Now, I have never had anything so nasty on my blinds that it required me to remove them from the window to clean them.  The thought behind this method is to get a thorough clean and for it to be easier to do.  I don’t’ think this method is easier nor palatable so with that in mind, let me show you how to clean your blinds using a few simple tools. I should mention that this method works wonderfully on aluminum, plastic or wood blinds – however, I wouldn’t recommend it for fabric blinds..which actually do need to be taken down, perhaps even unstrung, and ‘bathed’ in warm (not hot) soapy water, rinsed well and left flat to dry.

First thing we’ll do it get as much dust off the blind as we can using a duster – or better yet, a vacuum. For horizontal blinds, work top to bottom, and for vertical blinds, work left to right, starting at the top and gently pulling down toward the bottom.  Now, keep in mind, a lot of blinds are not hung correctly, meaning they may fall out of their brackets mid-clean.  Just prepare for that.  If you are using a vacuum, select a brush attachment, and if you are going to dust by hand you can choose one of several dusting tools including a proper blind duster like this one, a simple microfiber cloth, or even an old sports sock turned inside out and worn on your hand as a sock ‘puppet’.  I find feather dusters throw dust around too much, so I avoid them. Add 3 drops of dish liquid into a bowl or bucket and fill with warm water.  Take a microfibre cloth and dunk it in the mixture, wring well to the point of the cloth being damp-dry.  Now, twist the blind slats so they lie completely flat, tilting slightly towards you (so that you can slip your hand in). 

Now,  take your cloth, and starting from the top (for vertical) or left (for horizontal), pinch the cloth around each blind slat and wipe away dirt and dust by pulling the cloth to the other end of the slat. Rinse your cloth as you go, you’ll be surprised how dirty your cloth is going to get!  If you have heavy staining on the blinds like grease, dead bug residue, dog slobber or nicotine, you can add a bit of baking soda to the wash (like a tablespoon), and that should help break down the scummy build up. You may find this method to be a little easier for horizontal blinds.  Start by gripping the middle of the slat, work your way out to one end, and then head back to the midpoint of the slat and clean in the other direction.  It is simple, and of course requires patience. If you have vertical blinds – the steps are the same except you will start at the top of the slat and work your way to the bottom.. Once your blinds are clean, you can maintain them by dusting on a regular basis using a simple duster or your vacuum  – just turn the blinds upright and work from the top and make your way to the bottom..

That’s all there is to it and the best part is you don’t have to fiddle with your blinds by taking them down, waiting for the to dry and then putting them back up..direct energy home service duct cleaning I don’t have any to demonstrate on, but what I do recommend is to vacuum them regularly to avoid build-up and discolouration.  best way to clean unfinished hardwood floorsDust attracts dirt, which leads to discolouration.  dryer vent cleaning kit professionalSo, if you are dusting regularly, you will be OK.  If you want to wash them and they are flat roller blinds, completely unroll them, vacuum first, then use warm soapy water on a well-wrung out sponge and wash each side. 

Then, leave unrolled for a day or two and allow to dry. Remember to alwasy test in an inconspicuous area first to avoid damage, and for ‘accordion’ style fabric blinds, you might be better off having them professionally cleaned.  You know me, if it’s going to be too challenging or time consuming, I say let the pros handle it. I’ve got a question for the Clean My Space community – when’s the last you cleaned your blinds? and if try this method I want to know your results – so let me know in the comment section down below.. If you want to see more of our cleaning videos why not subscribe, it’s completely free and the button is easy to use – it’s down there too – unless it’s back up there..it’s somewhere and it should look like this, until they change it again….. , which is without a doubt, the cleanest place on the internet..thumbs up if that sounded Canadian enough for ya Thanks for watching and we’ll see you next time!The best thing about living alone (well, along with my lady friend and my cats) and away from my childhood home is the freedom.

I’m not talking about the freedom to stay up late, eat whatever I want, or watch whatever I want. I’m talking about the freedom of nudity. The freedom to walk bare-assed around my apartment without a care in the world about who sees me. It’s a beautiful thing. And no, I’m not calling my ass beautiful. In fact, I’ve starred (without costume) in such straight-to-DVD feature films as Bigfoot in the Burbsand When Animals Attack: Grizzly Country. You might be wondering what all of this has to do with cleaning blinds. Well, I’ll tell you. With great ass hair comes great responsibility. Every apartment/house I’ve lived in since I left my parents home has come equipped with window blinds. And for the neighbors of someone whose bare butt looks like the floor of a barber shop, this has been a blessing. The only problem is, every time I move I have to go on a blind cleaning spree. They are always dusty, greasy, and disgusting to the point of not wanting to touch them. So, being both lazy and neurotic, I’ve figured out the fastest and the best way to clean blinds.

The middle section of this article will cover cleaning mini blinds, cleaning venetian blinds, cleaning vertical blinds, and cleaning wood blinds. The bottom section contains several more tips to help you clean blinds. How to Clean Window Blinds For future reference, the most important thing you can do when it comes to cleaning window blinds is to keep up on them. Your time is valuable and if you allow your window blinds to get really nasty between cleanings, it’s gonna take you far longer to clean them than if you had just spent those few extra minutes on prevention. Once a week, go over the blinds with a duster or a soft rag. Close them all the way and dust from top to bottom. Then, close them all the way in the other direction and do the same.Mini blinds are far and away the most common type of blinds. But we all know that cheap usually means dirty. Start by dusting them off with either the method I mentioned above or with a vacuum hose and a brush attachment. Next, fill a bucket with about a gallon of lukewarm water and two tablespoons of mild dish detergent such as Seventh Generation.

You will also need a second bucket filled with lukewarm water for rinsing. Set an old dry towel on the window sill, one on the floor, and get to work. Take a soft rag, dip it in the soapy water, start at the top and gently wipe down the front and back of each slat. After you go over the slats with the soapy water, do it again with the fresh water to get the soap off; soap buildup can cause your blinds to yellow over time. This method is good for aluminum blinds and plastic blinds. Now you know how to clean mini blinds.People get quite concerned about learning how to clean venetian blinds properly. These window blinds have a tendency to cost considerably more than good ol’ fashioned mini blinds. But really, the only differences between the two are slat size and material quality. The method for cleaning venetian blinds is pretty much identical to that of cleaning mini blinds. The only different advice I can offer is to be extra careful with them. If made of plastic or aluminum they can bend, dent, and/or scratch.

And remember, since you probably want to keep these blinds around for a good long while, to do a good job with the rinse cloth. You don’t want your blinds to yellow.Because this type of window blind is often found in front of large glass doors that lead to the outside, they have a propensity for getting dirty. For this reason it is important to know how to clean vertical blinds. The method for cleaning vertical blinds is quite similar to the two-bucket method described above for cleaning mini blinds. Do each slat individually, start from the top and work your way down, and lay down some towels to catch the drips. If you are very brave, you can unclip the slats and lay them out one at a time on towels to clean them. However, because while doing this I have broken the plastic clips that hold them in place and have been unable to replace them, I do not recommend it.Knowing how to clean wood blinds is extremely important if you want to keep them looking nice. And so I tell you this: don’t use water.

Water can seep into the wood, discolor it, warp it, and make your blinds look like garbage. When cleaning wood blinds, start by going over them lightly with the vacuum and a brush attachment. Do this with them closed all the way in both directions and do it lightly so as not to scratch the wood. Next, set an old sheet on the floor to catch dirt, grab a small soft paint brush and brush off all the slats top and bottom. After they’re brushed, close the blinds one way, wipe them down with a soft towel, close the blinds the other way, and do the same. Clean extra dirty window blinds. If you need to clean window blinds that are simply too disgusting to clean in place, then I’ve got a couple ideas for you. Use these ideas only for aluminum and plastic mini blinds and aluminum and plastic venetian blinds. First, fill your bathtub with warm (not hot; it can warp plastic) water and gentle dish soap. Next, remove your blinds from their frames and lower them gently into the tub. Let them soak for a good fifteen minutes, drain the water, wipe every slat down (front and back) with a soft sponge or rag, rinse the entire thing off either by running the shower or dumping water on them with a pitcher, and hang them over the shower curtain rod to dry.

Another popular method is to simply take them outside, lay them down on a tarp, spray them down with some all purpose cleaner, wipe down both sides, and spray the heck out of ’em with a hose. Further Tips for Cleaning Blinds Always be gentle when cleaning blinds. They bend, dent, and scratch easily. Blinds should be deep cleaned once every six months. Every time you finish cleaning blinds, regardless of the type, wipe them down with a fabric softener sheet to help them repel dust. Use a vacuum cleaner with brush attachment for cleaning woven wood blinds. When it comes time for blinds cleaning, you may wish to just do one set a week instead of cleaning blind after blind all on the same day. To clean the rope or drawstring on your blinds, pull them all the way up so you can get to as much of the rope as possible, lather them with shaving cream and rinse it off by letting the entire string dangle into a cup of fresh water. You may need to use two or more cups to get it all off.

For vertical blinds that are covered in cloth, take them down one at a time, lay them on some towels, mix together some mild dish soap and water, and scrub them with a baby toothbrush dipped in the cleaning solution. Rinse them by going over them with a cool wet rag dipped in fresh water. Spot clean plastic and aluminum blinds with a soft damp rag or sponge. For a quick dusting, hit your blinds with a can of compressed air. Clean Window Blinds NaturallyThese handy little doodads are available from a number of online retailers as well as janitorial supply stores. They make some designed for cleaning venetian blinds, some for cleaning vertical blinds, and even some for cleaning mini blinds. You can find some like the Superior Performance Blind Cleaner Brush on Amazon.If you’re using the bucket method that I went over in the main section of this page, use Seventh Generation Dish Soap. It’s 100% natural and works great. If you intend to use the tarp method outside, Give the Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner a go.