Cleaning Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds are notorious for attracting dust and a sticky film which is very difficult to remove. However, there are two fairly easy, yet effective methods for cleaning Venetian blinds. Obviously, as with any cleaning task, cleaning your blinds will be easier if it is performed more often rather than waiting for the blinds to build up a substantial amount of dirt.

The first method of cleaning Venetian blinds is to wash them while they are still on the window. This method presumes that your blinds have been cleaned fairly recently; if they have not been cleaned in years, you will probably not want to try cleaning the blinds while they are in place. The advantage to cleaning the blinds this way is that they do not have to be removed or rehung.

To clean Venetian blinds at the window, begin by covering the windows with old towels so that you will not have to clean the windows next! Lower the blinds and turn them to the most open position. Next, get a soft cloth wet with a water and ammonia solution or a commercial cleanser. Begin at the top of the Venetian blinds, and wipe each individual slat clean. Folding the cloth around the slat cleans the top and bottom at the same time.

After cleaning each slat of the Venetian blinds, from top to bottom, repeat the process with clean water to rinse off the solution. Many people choose to use a soft dry cloth to dry the blinds, again wiping off one slat at a time, in order to prevent water spots.

Another way of cleaning Venetian blinds is to remove the blinds and wash them completely. If the weather is nice, the easiest way to do this is to wash them outside. If not, you can wash the blinds in the bathtub, although this can be a little more difficult to manage.

When cleaning Venetian blinds which have been removed, hang them from a clothesline or shower rod or lay them out flat. Next, use a soft cloth or soft brush along with the same cleaning solution that is used in the other method. Clean the blinds completely on one side, then turn them over if they are not hanging, and clean the other side. Rinse the blinds completely and hang them to dry.

If neither method of cleaning Venetian blinds sounds appealing, they can also be professionally cleaned. Having blinds cleaned professionally obviously costs more than cleaning them yourself, but it can be much easier and more thorough.

No matter which method chosen to clean blinds, it is easier when they are kept reasonably clean by dusting them regularly. To dust blinds, lower them completely and close them. Then use a duster to dust them from the top to the bottom, turning the blinds and repeating on the other side.