How to Clean Blinds

Blinds are usually forgotten in our cleaning routines, so they can accumulate a lot of dust, grease and dirt over time. The ideal would be to clean them every week or at least every other week but sometimes that is just not possible. 

As a professional cleaner I have noticed this method is efficient and effective without taking down the blinds which will take much longer to do the job and sometimes is not possible.

 

1- Remove Dust. Seems obvious but is important to remove dust first before wiping, dust will adhere to the wet cloth and will become a muddy mess

 

2- Wipe with a microfiber cloth and a cleaning solution to remove stains and grease

 

3- Dry to remove excess water, drippings and remaining dirt

 

Remember, this is delicate work: you don’t have to remove the blinds from the windows, but be very careful not to lean on them or pull. You might need a small step ladder or a stool to reach the top. Here is the step by step with pictures:

Picture of blinds being dusted

1- Dusting. Open the blinds and dust one slate at a time using a thin duster. Be gentle, don’t try to rush it.

 

Picture of cloth being sprayed with cleaner

2- Wipe with a damp microfiber cloth. Completely soak the cloth and wring it to remove all excess water; we don’t want it dripping! Then spray a multi purpose cleaner- just a little bit. A couple of sprays will be enough. Wrap it around your open hand as if you were to make a sock puppet. The idea is to clean both sides of the slate at the same time.

Picture of hand wiping blinds one by one

3- Dry with a microfiber cloth right after, using the same method as in step 2: wrap the dry cloth around your hand so you can dry both sides at the same time. This will remove any dirt left. 

Picture of dirt around strings of blinds

Check the areas around the strings, those are usually missed.

Here are some tips to keep them looking this way :

  • Dust them often: at least once every two weeks, and clean spots as you see them appear.
  • Kitchen blinds get greasy! Instead of a multi-purpose cleaner use a degreaser. My favorite is Simple Green.
  • You can clean any type of blinds using this method: for mini-blinds and aluminum blinds, be extra careful because they bend easily.
  • For wood blinds, use a wood polisher spray instead of a multi-purpose cleaner.