Home / Housekeeping / General / Quick Tips & Tricks For Washing Mini-BlindsQuick Tips & Tricks For Washing Mini-Blinds  11 Comments    Print     EmailMini-blinds may be a nice window treatment, but they sure can be a pain to maintain since each slat has to be washed one by one.There’s no way around that but here are a few quick tips to help make the job easier…Before getting started:First remove loose surface dirt and dust by either vacuuming the slats, or wiping them with a foam paint brush, sweeping with a paint brush or feather duster. More ideas: try a pastry brush, shaving brush or a makeup brush.With the slats turned down and at their full length, clean with desired method from the top down then reverse the slats and wipe again.Wipe each slat (from side to side) with a soapy wet sponge (excess water squeezed out), or try one of these methods to make the job a little easier:Wrap a piece of cotton or flannel around a wooden ruler. Spray with cleaner then run the ruler back and forth across each slat.

Put a cotton sock over one hand, apply some cleaner then wipe as noted above. Dry with another sock.Wearing a soft cotton or knit glove will also work (mentioned previously on this page).If they are really dirty or greasy, a good soak can do the trick:Lay a towel on the bottom of the bathtub and fill with warm water, add a good squirt of liquid dish detergent. Remove blinds then lay them on top of the towel, the water level should be deep enough to cover them completely.Let them soak for about 30 minutes then holding them by the top frame, plunge them up and down in the water. Wipe each slat with a sponge or scrub gently with a soft nylon bristle brush. A toothbrush will get into small nooks easily. If the grime doesn’t come off, soak longer and try wiping again. Empty the tub then rinse well with clear water (you can use the shower head if you have one). Wipe dry with a soft towel.Another option: Instead of soaking in the tub, you can lay them out on the grass on a hot sunny day, squirt a bit of soap on them then spray with a garden hose.

Flip them over and spray again. Scrub with a soft nylon bristle brush if needed. Rinse with clear water. To dry: hang them on a clothesline or let them dry on the grass (flip them over so they dry on both sides).Grime Busters:All you need is a quick squirt of liquid dish detergent in a bucket of warm water or spray with a general household cleaner. If you need more grime-busting power, here are a couple things you can try:Recipe: 1 cup ammonia & 1 cup warm water.Add 1 TBS of automatic dishwasher detergent to a pail of warm, soapy water (can also add a scoop to the bathtub water if using that method).Tips: Sweep or vacuum them regularly and you’ll only need to wash them once or twice a year. After washing, you can treat them with dusting cloths (mix 1 cup hot water and 2 TBS lemon oil), this will help repel dust.Note: The soaking or spraying methods should work for vinyl, aluminum and plastic varieties but check manufacturer’s information first just to make sure. Avoid using the ammonia recipe if slats are aluminum. 

Print     Email Published: March 7, 2012best wet and dry vacuum cleaner reviews » Cleaning Window Blinds & Cellular Shadesvacuum cleaner reviews good housekeeping Cleaning your window blinds is an easy home cleaning project that should be done periodically to keep your blinds looking fresh and like new!best hardwood floor cleaner mop While it isn’t a fun chore, window blinds and shades are not cheap to replace, so keeping them clean can save you money too.best portable vacuum cleaner 2012 If you have Venetian blinds, mini blinds, or cellular shades in your home, read these quick cleaning tips to learn how best to clean and care for your window covering investment!best leather cleaner smell

Tips for Cleaning Venetian, Wood Window Blinds and Vertical Blinds:which best buy cylinder vacuum cleaner 2013 Wood window blinds may be vacuumed with a brush attachment to keep them clean and lint and dust free. Use of the brush attachment should remove all dirt except that which has been embedded in the fabric. This type soil may be removed using a cloth which has been wet with a mild soapy solution. More serious soil can be removed from a painted blind using a damp cloth with warm water and laundry detergent, such as tide or Era. These are mild enough to leave the paint intact but to remove the soil. Do not ever use an abrasive cleaner on your painted wood blinds. Severely stained blinds must be treated with lemon oil or a wood restorative. Never use a petroleum base soap to remove soil from your wooden blinds, whether or not they have been painted this may damage the water proof finish that coats them.

Cellular shades are easy to keep looking fresh and excellent for years to come. Follow These Tips When Cleaning your Cellular Window Shades: Cellular Shades will require frequent cleaning with a feather duster or a charged vacuum duster, and lightly vacuumed with a vacuum cleaner attachment. If they become soiled with surface dirt, they can be spot cleaning using a mild soap and warm water. Extra care should be used with cellular blinds so as not to crease the fabric permanently. Ultrasonic cleaners are not recommended in use for these particular blinds. Under no circumstances use a very strong detergent, bleach or spot removers as they may remove the dye and leave lighter spots on the cellular blinds.So, you've finally had enough of your nasty, grimy and dusty mini-blinds? Well, good for you! Cleaning mini-blinds is not hard to do, as long as you know the proper method. You may have tried to clean each individual slat by hand with some sort of cleaning solution and very quickly discovered that it's extremely hard to get each one perfectly clean.

Once you think one slat has been wiped off and is clean, you notice that the top or bottom half is still dirty and sticks out like a sore thumb. Does this sound familiar? Don't fret, you've come to the right place. I've got professional cleaning tips to help you clean up dirty mini blinds fast, saving you time and money! Check the manufacturer's directions to make sure you can safely clean your mini-blinds at home. Some material, particularly real wood or fabric mini-blinds should not be immersed in liquid. If this process seems too intimidating or your mini blinds are very large, consider calling a mobile blind cleaner. They come to your home and clean and rehang the blinds for you. The blinds are cleaned using high-frequency sound waves (ultrasonic), which is ideal for cleaning tight spaces where grime accumulates. DO NOT use bleach! Bleach will weaken and damage the fabric cords that hold the assembly together. Fill the bathtub 1/3 full with warm water, add 1 cup of ammonia or 1/4 cup of dish soap.

It's fine to use both if your mini blinds are extra greasy. Some of the metal slats may be stuck together, if so separate any that are stuck together and make sure that they are all facing in the same direction. Remember that we "closed" the blinds before we washed them so the slats should still be facing that way. Quick & Fun Summer Cleaning I really like to clean my blinds outside on a warm, sunny day. Just follow a similar process to the one I covered above, substituting your garden hose for the tub and shower. It's kind of fun and the kids like it, too! Lay blinds out in the "down" and "closed" position. Use a soft tipped brush or magic eraser to wash them. Scrub all areas and then use a hose to wash off. You can then hang them on a clothesline to dry. Clean Your Air Ducts: The dust, dirt and grime on those mini-blinds represents the air quality in your home. Clean Your Air Filters: One way to reduce the amount of dust is to clean your air filters frequently.

A clean air filter will stop the dust from recirculating in the air around your home so you won't have to clean the blinds so frequently. Dust Regularly: Once you get your blinds clean, keep a regular dusting schedule. As long as the dust doesn't have a chance to build up and settle in, the blinds will look great for a very long time. Use Dusting Tools: Swiffer dusters are cheap and they actually attract dust with static electricity. They are the most efficient and time saving way to keep mini-blinds clean from dust and debris between washings. Use Dust Repellent: Another great tip I can share is to make use of your used dryer sheets. Save them after your load is done and then use them to "dust" the mini-blinds once a month. The anti-static sheets will repel dust between cleanings. Now that the cleaning is done, it is time to sit and enjoy how the glorious sun shines through your windows. All your work has paid off and there is no dust, dirt and grime to be found! CC Image Courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1341342