Date Published: February 2nd, 2019
How to clean and care for Venetian Blinds – The Ultimate Guide
Venetian Blinds are a stylish option to give your home some privacy, and whilst they look great they can quickly gather dust and can be a little fiddly to clean.
Depending on the type of Venetian blinds you have you’ll have to adjust your cleaning method, so you don’t cause the blinds any lasting damage.
Follow our ultimate guide on how to clean and care for Venetian Blinds with different tips for metal, plastic, wooden and PVC Venetian blinds.
Preparation for cleaning your Venetian blinds
The first thing to do before you even start cleaning the blinds is to consider the material of the blinds and checking with the manufacturer to see if there are any specific chemicals that you should avoid using.
Once you’ve ruled out any potentially harmful products for your blinds, you’re then ready to choose the most appropriate cleaning method.
Choosing the right tool for you
There are plenty of different options when it comes to what you use to clean your Venetian blinds, and it all comes down to personal preference. Pick the tool that feels right for you and will help you to work efficiently as you clean them.
- Duster - one of the most common options for cleaning your Venetian blinds. A duster can be a great option for swiping over your blinds on a weekly basis to keep them dust free.
- Microfiber cloth - these contain tiny fibres to trap dust better than a standard cleaning cloth.
- A dry old and clean sock over your hand - this is definitely a little strange, but works really well when you have nothing else available nearby and you need to do some emergency cleaning.
- Dryer sheets - another good option because the dust sticks easily to them.
- A dry sponge - another possible option to help you clean away the dust, and this can also be used with products to help clean away stubborn marks and dirt from your blinds.
- A specially designed three-pronged Venetian blind cleaner - this can be picked up easily from most major online retailers. The tool uses a microfiber cloth in a unique design which allows you to get to three blinds at once. They can be a little tricky to get to grips with at first, but once you’ve mastered using them they can make it all a little easier.
Getting the space ready
The easiest way to clean your Venetian blinds is by keeping them in place, hanging on the window. Things get a whole lot trickier if you plan to take them down to clean them. And plus you’re more likely to cause them damage this way.
To get ready to clean your Venetian blinds the best thing to do is clear the windows from any obstructions like plants or furniture, so they’re not going to get in your way.
Cleaning Wooden Venetian Blinds
Like we mentioned above it can be really fiddly to remove your Venetian blinds to clean them, but it’s imperative that you don’t remove them and soak them in water because the wood will absorb the water which can warp their shape.
The same can be said for cleaning products that use excessive moisture and chemicals too. These can also discolour the wood or change the shape of the blinds.
When cleaning your wooden Venetian blinds it’s best to start by checking that there aren’t any dirt marks or stains. If there are you can use a slightly damp sponge to remove them. It is important to make sure you dry the area afterwards.
Close your blinds so the slats are easy to access, and use one of the tools from above to wipe away the dust and dirt. Don’t forget to pull the string the other way to close the blinds in the opposite direction so that you clean both sides of the slats. Once you’ve cleaned both sides it might be worth swiping across a dryer sheet across the wooden blinds, as this can help prevent static buildup which typically draws dust to it.
If you really want to make your wooden venetian blinds shine it can be useful to use the smallest amount of wood cleaner all over them to make them glean.
How to clean your PVC Venetian Blinds
Cleaning your PVC Venetian blinds doesn’t have to be a huge chore and if you’re cleaning them regularly (say weekly) by removing the dust build up with a cloth or duster you’re likely to find that you won’t really need to deep clean them often, unless they’re in the kitchen or your bathroom.
When you’re deep cleaning your PVC Venetian Blinds you’ll want to use a mild cleaning product and a cloth to wipe them down, remembering to clean both sides. You’ll then want to dry them off with some paper towels to ensure you’ve gotten rid of all dirt and grime bits.
Like we mentioned above, swiping a dryer sheet over them at the end of the cleaning process can be a good way of ensuring that you deter the dust from building up excessively.
Cleaning metal Venetian blinds
For metal, vinyl and aluminium blinds you’ll want to ensure that you are regularly cleaning the blinds and wiping them over so they look their best.
Sticky stains will need to be targeted first when you’re cleaning the blinds, and using a product like a light surface cleaner or a window cleaner can help to remove these with ease. Dry the blinds afterwards with a paper towel.
Then, close the blinds over and use a microfiber cloth, a duster or an old clean sock to swipe over the blinds and remove the dust. Once you’ve cleaned all the slats on one side, pull the string so that they’re facing the other way, still closed, and clean the other side of blind slats too.
Cleaning your Venetian Blinds with a vacuum cleaner
It is possible to clean your Venetian Blinds with your vacuum cleaner, but it’s important that you always do it with the soft brush attachment used on the nozzle, because you might damage the blind slats by scratching or chipping their surface.
When you clean your Venetian blinds this way, you’ll want to ensure that you’ve got a good grip on both the vacuum cleaner and the blinds so that the suction doesn’t take over. Make sure that you close the blinds both ways, work from top to bottom and gently run the brush across the blinds. You should be especially careful with any strings that might get sucked in by the vacuum cleaner and potentially damaging your blinds.