Cleaning blinds is one of those household chores that many people forget about. However, when blinds are left neglected, they can become soiled with dust, pet fur and all the other skin cells and dander that float around the home. Also, dirty blinds left uncleaned can be a health hazard that leads to respiratory infections. Fortunately, cleaning blinds isn’t that difficult of a task. 

At Eagle Cleaning, we know there is nothing like warm sunlight peeking through your blinds and the glory of freshly cleaned blinds. And figuring out how to clean blinds is as simple as knowing what material they are made of. Most are made from either wood or plastic. Read on for tips about cleaning blinds of both varieties. Therefore, it only requires a few materials and takes minutes as follow:

Tools for Cleaning Blinds

There’s really no one best way to clean blinds. The methods and tools you use for cleaning blinds will depend on how much dust has accumulated or how soiled they are. Regardless of what your blinds are made of, you’ll want to assemble the following items:

• Vacuum cleaner with attachment
• Microfiber cloths or a microfiber mini blind duster (You can find this online or at a local hardware store. It’s a great tool because it covers multiple blind tiers at one time.

Simple Blind Cleaning

Most of the build-up you’ll find on your blinds is dust. Dust and water can equal a nasty mess, so it’s best to start out dry when cleaning. So The best way to dust your blinds depends on the tool you will use.  

Using a microfiber mini blind duster

If you are using a microfiber blind duster, you should leave your blinds open and and run the duster along them from top to bottom. 

Using a microfiber cloth

If you are using a regular microfiber cloth or regular duster, you should close the blinds on one side, clean them, then repeat for the other side. 

For horizontal slatted blinds (wood, metal, plastic, composite)

1. Quickly dust the surface with a dry general-purpose microfiber cloth, starting dust this side from top to bottom, with the top three slats and working your way from left to right, moving down until you reach the bottom, just as you did the other.
2. Vacuum any fallen dust using the vacuum cleaner attachment.
3. Quickly spot-check for any stains or marks and wipe them away with a damp microfiber cloth.
4. Turn blinds all the way over to the other side and repeat a and b.

For plastic and vinyl vertical slatted blinds:

1. Spray your general-purpose microfiber cloth with your all-purpose cleaner and lift one slat up toward you.
2. Starting at the top of the slat, wrap your cloth around the slat (just fold it in half over the slat), and gently pull the cloth down toward the tip of the slat. This helps remove dust, dirt, and stains all at once.
3. Repeat until done.

For fabric blind:

1. Starting at the top of the blind, use your vacuum with the brush attachment to vacuum up any dust. Depending on the design of the blind, work horizontally from top to bottom, or vertically from left to right, whichever makes more sense.

How to Clean Blinds That Are Heavily Soiled

These are your basic instructions for cleaning blinds. But what happens if your blinds are especially soiled?

If your blinds are heavily soiled, they’ll need more than a dusting. However, the cleaning process you use will vary depending on whether your blinds are plastic or wooden.

1. First, Pull blinds to their “closed” position – this will give you the best opportunity to check for dirt and dust. 
2. Next, take your blinds down from the window and fill your bathtub with warm water.
3. Soak the blinds in the tub for at least one hour.
4. Remove the blinds from the tub and wipe any remaining dust away with a microfiber cloth.
5. Wipe your blinds dry or hang them outside to air dry before placing them back in the window.
6. Clean your tub so that you don’t have to shower with dust bunnies at your feet.
7. Finish cleaning wooden blinds with a cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Wipe down one side with the cloth and cleaner. Then turn the tilt wand until the blinds are rotated 180 degrees and wipe down the other.

And that’s all there is to it when it comes to cleaning blinds. However, that dust will quickly pile back up. To keep your blinds easily maintainable, try to clean them every few weeks or so.

If you need help weekly or biweekly, making yourself and your home a priority will help improve many aspects of your life and the fresh feeling of a clean home is unbeatable, the Eagle Cleaning team is always here to help you with the preventative clean routine. Hire a professional house cleaning today.

Check out our follow up blog entry on How To Quick Clean Window Sills.