Show your blinds some TLC this spring

With spring most definitely in the air, many of us turn our attention to that all-important big spring clean. But one area of the home that often gets overlooked in this process is our blinds. As a beautiful window dressing that frames a room, blinds still need a little bit of care and attention every now and then to keep them in tip top condition and ensure they aren’t left to gather unwanted dust.

So, to help you take care of your window shading, we’ve put together some handy hints to help you give your blinds a spruce up.

Cleaning slatted metal,wooden or vinyl blinds

Dust them off

The first thing to do is to try and get as much dust off your blinds as possible. Use a duster or an old sock, or better still, a vacuum using the brush attachment – be sure to be gentle if you’re using your hoover. Try and avoid feather dusters as they toss the dirt around and aren’t actually that effective.

For horizontal blinds, work from top to bottom.

Wet cleaning

Once you’ve got rid of the dust on your wooden, aluminium or vinyl blinds, the next step is to do a bit of gentle and careful wet cleaning.

All you need to do is grab an old clean sock or cloth and fill a bowl with equal parts white vinegar and warm water. Wet the sock or cloth in the solution but be sure to wring it out as you don’t want it dripping wet.

Run your sock-covered hand along both sides of the top slat at the same time. Continue to do this from top to bottom, making sure to rinse the sock every few slats so that you’re not spreading any dirt or dust around. When all the slats are clean, finish off by wiping the blinds dry with a clean microfibre cloth.

Cleaning fabric blinds

Dust them off
Cleaning fabric blinds, such as a Roller, Roman, Pleated or even a motorised material blind, can be slightly trickier but as long as you know the tricks to get them sparkling you’ll be fine.

The key is regular dusting or vacuuming to avoid dust build up which attracts dirt and can lead to discoloration.

Use your vacuum’s dust attachment to carefully hoover from top to bottom on both sides, removing as much dust, dirt and unwanted pet hair as possible. For particularly grubby blinds you will need to pay special attention to the little crevices between the fabric cells.

If you’re worried about using a hoover and prefer a less powerful approach, take a tumble dryer sheet and carefully rub it over the blind to remove excess dust.

Wet cleaning
Never try to completely wash your fabric blinds as it could cause the dye to run and damage the product in the process.

A light damp clean is acceptable but always be sure to spot test for colourfastness in a discreet area if your blind before attempting the full damp clean on your window shading.

Once you’ve done this and you’re happy your blind can withstand a lightly wet clean, take a damp microfibre cloth, old sock or rag and start to wipe away the dirt.

If there are any tough marks or greasy areas, add a little washing-up liquid to the water then dab at the stain very carefully, building up gently in pressure until the mark has disappeared or faded. Leave the stain for 24 hours to see how it’s dried before deciding whether a second go at tackling it is needed.

Ongoing care
Overall with any type of blind you have, whether that’s conservatory blinds, lantern roof blinds or ULTRA Smart window blinds, it’s best to keep on top of the cleaning with regular dusting, vacuuming and a little maintenance.

It doesn’t have to be labour intensive, especially if you try to build blind-care into your weekly or monthly cleaning routine.

Happy Spring Cleaning!