Blinds collect more dust than almost anything else in a home, and most of us only notice when the afternoon sun hits them at the wrong angle. It is worse in the newer estates going up across Macarthur, where large windows and open plan living give dust more surface to settle on. The good news is that cleaning them takes minutes, not hours, as long as you use the right method for the material. Using the wrong one is how people end up with water stains on timber or creased roller fabric. Here is how to clean each type properly.
The method changes completely depending on what your blinds are made from.
Frequency: dust weekly, spot clean as needed.
Roll the blind fully down so the whole face is exposed. Vacuum with a soft brush attachment, working top to bottom in overlapping passes. For marks, use a barely damp microfibre cloth with a drop of mild detergent, blot rather than scrub, and let the blind hang down until it is completely dry before rolling it up. Rolling a damp blind is the most common cause of permanent watermarks on roller blinds.
Frequency: dust fortnightly.
Close the vanes flat so they form a single surface. Vacuum or wipe each vane individually from top to bottom, not side to side, which is what pops them off their carriers. Fabric vanes can be spot cleaned with mild detergent. Most vertical blind vanes can be unclipped and laid flat for a deeper clean, then rehung once dry.
Frequency: dust weekly, wash quarterly.
Tilt the slats closed and dust across the face, then tilt the other way and repeat so you get both sides. For a proper wash, aluminium and PVC venetian blinds handle water well. A damp cloth folded over each slat and drawn along its length works better than any gadget. Dry with a second cloth as you go.
Frequency: dust weekly, never wet wash.
Timber and water do not mix. Dust only, using a dry microfibre cloth or a vacuum brush attachment. For marks, a very slightly damp cloth followed immediately by a dry one. Never spray anything directly onto timber venetian blinds, and never use vinegar, which will lift the finish over time.
Ten minutes a week beats two hours twice a year. Close the slats or lower the blind, run a vacuum brush attachment across the face, then flip and repeat. Do the headrail and the windowsill while you are there, since dust falling from the rail is what re-dirties a blind you just cleaned.
Kitchen blinds pick up airborne grease, which dust then sticks to. A warm water and mild dish detergent solution will cut it. Work in sections, rinse the cloth often, and dry as you go.
Bathroom and laundry blinds are prone to mould in the corners and along the bottom bar. Catch it early with a diluted mild detergent solution. If mould has taken hold in fabric, it is usually past saving, which is worth knowing before you spend an afternoon on it. If you are choosing new blinds for a wet area, our guide to the best window coverings for bathrooms and wet areas covers which materials hold up.
Outdoor blinds need a different approach entirely, which we cover in how to clean mould off outdoor blinds. Shutters are different again, and there is a separate guide on cleaning plantation shutters.
Do not put fabric blinds in a washing machine, regardless of what you have read. Do not use bleach on anything, as it will yellow PVC and strip fabric colour. Do not use a steam cleaner, which will delaminate roller fabric and warp timber. And do not scrub, because most blind fabrics have a coating that scrubbing removes.
Spot clean only. Full immersion damages the backing and the fabric will not hang straight afterwards.
For everything except a deep clean on vertical vanes, you should not need to. Vacuum with a brush attachment in place.
Close the slats flat, vacuum in long passes, then reverse the tilt and repeat. Under a minute per window.
Fabric that stays marked after cleaning, slats that will not hold tilt, or cords and chains that have stretched. At that point a replacement is usually cheaper than a repair.
If your blinds are past their best, we make and install the full range from our showroom. Browse our blinds range, visit our Smeaton Grange showroom, or contact our friendly team for a free measure and quote.