How to Clean Window Blinds: Tips to Remove Stains Fast and Leave Them Tidy and Shiny!

Window blinds are not only styling, but save us from the intense sunlight in the hot summer months. Though, they easily become dusty and get stained, requiring an efficient and fast cleaning. How to clean window blinds frequently without being removed? And how to soak the more dirty ones in a cleaning solution or steam clean when needed?

How to Clean Window Blinds without Removing Them?

Cleaning window blinds without taking them off saves time, and is a possibility for removing the dust and dirt fast. There are some steps to achieve this purpose efficiently:

1. Prepare the supplies: Prior to start the process, take the cleaning supplies. You should find a microfiber cloth, a duster or brush, a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment, and a bucket of water mixed with a small amount of dish soap or vinegar.
2. Close the blinds fully: In this position, you may clean one side of the slats.
3. Remove dust and vacuum: With the help of the duster or brush, slightly clean the dust and debris from the slats surface. The other way is to place a brush attachment to your vacuum cleaner and run it along the slats to suck up the dust. You should start from their top and work your way down.
4. Wipe down with a cloth: Dip the microfiber cloth in the cleaning solution and wring out the excess liquid. Clean slats one by one from top to bottom, reaching into all the corners and edges.
5. Turn the blinds: Set the blinds to show the other side of the slats, and repeat steps 3 and 4.
6. Dry the blinds: Finish the cleaning, and leave the blinds in an open position to air dry. This will not allow the moisture residues to cause damage.

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Can You Steam Clean Window Blinds?

Steam cleaning is a useful way for cleaning a variety of surfaces. But when you want to utilize it for window blinds, you should be very careful. It’s important to know that only some of the blinds are able to endure steam cleaning, while others can be injured by the hot moisture. There are some guidelines of how to clean window blinds with steam cleaner:

• Blinds from wood: Steam cleaning is not suitable for them, because the hot moisture can lead to warping, cracking, and other injury to the wood.
• Vinyl or synthetic blinds: These two kinds of blinds might be able to be steamed cleaned, but it’s important to read the manufacturer’s guidelines before doing it. If the process is possible, switch on a low heat setting and keep an optimal distance between the steamer and the blinds so that not to cause any damage.
• Blinds from fabric: Blinds made from fabric, like Roman shades, cannot be cleaned with a steamer, because the damp can shrink, or discolorate them, or destroy the adhesives. So, the proper way of removing the dirt is to spot clean fabric blinds, applying the mild detergent with a damp cloth.

Can You Wash Blinds with a Hose?

Learning how to clean window blinds with a hose is especially useful in removing stubborn dirt and grime. The method shows good results for cleaning outdoor blinds or those made from more stable materials. Though, be cautious to follow the proper way and prevent from failure:

1. Lay blinds flat: In case they can be washed with water, lay them flat on a cleaned surface, like a path or lawn.
2. Hose them down: Use a thin stream of water from a garden hose to rinse them off. Start at the top and work your way down, making sure you entirely have rinsed both sides of the blinds.
3. Scrub slightly: In case you notice stubborn stains, just slightly scrub the surfaces with a soft brush or a sponge, pouring the mild detergent-water mixture.
4. Rinse once again: When you’ve finished, rinse the blinds one more time until all the detergent is washed.
5. Dry completely: Let the blinds air dry entirely prior to install them again. You can shorten the drying time by laying them open in a ventilated open space.

Is It Safe to Soak Blinds?

Sometimes soaking blinds while cleaning them can be unsafe for the material, as it involves submerging it in water. The security of soaking depends on the type of the material. Do not soak wooden blinds for hours, as extended contact with water can result in inconvertible damage. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the possibility to soak ones made by vinyl or synthetic material. Some of them may be safe to be submerged in water, so do this in a bathtub or a large basin full of warm water with mild detergent. Just lightly agitate the soapy solution to clean dirt and stains. Continuous wetting of fabric blinds may result in shrinks, color bleeds, and more weak adhesives. Therefore, for frequent removing the dirt and stains, practice spot cleaning the fabric.

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