Do you know that blinds attract a lot of dust and grime and it is necessary to clean them regularly? Cleaning blinds not only give a fresh and neat appearance to your home or office, but also protect you from unwanted guests like allergies, viruses and bacterias.
Cleaning will also prevent dirt build-up and is cost-effective in the longer run. So can you clean blinds at home or do you need professionals?
Depending on how dirty the blinds are, you may require professional blind cleaners in Edmonton. However, if you feel like a little DIY, here’s some guidance:
- Don’t soak the blinds in the bath as some materials are delicate and you may risk rusting the blind mechanism.
- Don’t use vacuum to clean blinds without the appropriate attachment. Typically, your vacuum cleaner will have an upholstery attachment, but if it is missing then avoid vacuuming your blinds.
- It is better to avoid washing fabric blinds in the washing machine as this will wear the fabric down and it might hobble or fade. Instead, opt for professional dry cleaning services
1. Venetian blinds
Venetian blinds are typically made of PVC or aluminium. These tend to collect a lot of dust. You can either use a microfibre cloth or a clean cotton sock.
Simply dip the sock into a bowl of warm water and cleaning solution. Ensure the cleaning solution is house and pet friendly. Wring the sock until it is just damp and place your hand inside the sock. Now, start working at the blinds slats from top and working your way down to the bottom. Clean both sides of the slats from left to right. This method is not suggested for wooden blinds.
You can also get a professional blind cleaning tool. These tools are like pincers with sponge on the inside that grip the slats. You can slide these along the slats and both top and bottom sides are cleaned simultaneously.
2. Cleaning and maintaining Roman blinds
Roman blinds are also prone to gathering dust and staining. Use a special upholstery attachment with your vacuum cleaner and vacuum them regularly to remove the dust.
Read the care labels and if they allow the use of stain removers, then dab a fabric stain remover onto a damp cloth and gently rub the stain out. Don’t rub too hard as this will damage the fabric.
However, if your roman blinds are too dirty and grimy, it is best to leave it to the professionals to take care of it.
3. Cleaning wooden blinds
If the wooden blinds are dusty but not very dirty, then the best bet is to use a sock or a microfibre cloth, or even a feather duster.
However, when the wooden blinds are especially grimy, it is not only necessary to clean them but also disinfect them.
First, take out sticky and stubborn stains with a damp cloth until the stain lifts. Ensure the cloth is not too damp as it may damage the material. Once the stain has been removed, wipe away excess moisture with a clean, dry cloth.
For best results, mix a few drops of safe disinfectant liquid with your cleaning solution.
Did you know that you can use a mixture of olive oil and warm water to make your wooden blinds shiny? Mix a quarter cup of olive oil in a bowl of warm water to give extra shine to your wood blinds. Simply dip an old sock or a cloth into this solution and wipe your blinds with it.
A few other tips:
For vinyl or aluminum blinds that are in the kitchen, the cleaning should be more intense to take out the grease. You will need to take off the blinds and place them in a large container with warm water and soap. Rinse with warm water again and wipe off any excess grime or grease.
Always start at the top of the blinds when cleaning so you can avoid dust falling on areas that are already clean.
Try to clean your blinds frequently to avoid dust build up otherwise, you won’t be able to clean them yourself.