How To Clean Your Window Blinds

Published by Philip O'Brien at 20th August 2020

At Forth Blinds, we always supply and install great quality blinds and ensure that our installation team are highly skilled so that they are fitted properly. We also know that our customers want them to look great for many years. The best way to ensure they last a long time looking fantastic is to keep them clean.

What Is The Best Way To Clean Window Blinds?

Whatever type of blind you have from roller blinds to vertical blinds the best way to keep them clean is by regular dusting. There are several ways of doing this including:

Gently wipe your blind with a warm damp cloth.
Using an e-cloth or microfibre cloth will remove even more dust and dirt. These can often be used dry or damp.
Ostrich Feather Dusters are great for a quick dust.

If you feel the need to add a cleaning product to your water you have to be very careful as this can change the colour of your blinds or damage them.

In the sections below we have provided our top tips for keeping each type of blind clean.

How To Clean A Roller Blind

Follow our 4 easy steps to keep your roller blind looking like new:

Roll your blind fully down to the window sill.
Use your vacuum cleaner with an appropriate soft brush attachment to remove any dust from the blind.
If your blind needs more cleaning, you can wipe it with a sponge or cloth and warm soapy water.
Leave it down until it is fully dry.

How To Clean A Venetian Blind

For a very quick clean to remove dust you can close your Venetian blinds so that all the slats are flat and then wipe the blinds with a cloth or feather duster.

If you want to take time to give your Venetian blinds a thorough clean which we recommend 1-2 times a year:

Wipe every slat individually with a warm damp cloth. This will remove dust and any small marks. You can even buy e-cloth gloves that allow you to easily wipe the top and bottom of each slat.
If there are any stubborn stains, you can wipe the mark with soapy water using your usual washing-up detergent or mix a cleaning solution of 50% water and 50% vinegar. The vinegar will not damage your blind but will remove sticky or greasy marks.

If you have Wooden or Faux Wooden blinds you must check with the manufacturer for recommended products as they can be easily stained by cleaning products or the wood can be distorted if you make them too wet.

How To Deep Clean A Venetian Blind

If your Venetian Blinds are very dirty they can be deep cleaned in a bath:

Place a large cloth or old towel at the bottom of your bath to prevent scratches.
Fill your bath with warm water and a suitable cleaning solution such as washing-up liquid or white vinegar.
Leave the blinds to soak. Depending on how dirty they are, you can leave them for half an hour to several hours.
Wipe any marks with a cloth that haven’t been removed by the soaking process.
Rinse with clean cold water. Many people find it easiest to hold up their blinds and spray with cold water using the showerhead.
Ensure they are completely dry before hanging back up on your clean window (this is a great opportunity to give your windows and window surrounds a deep clean too).
The best way to dry them is to hang them from your shower rail or outside, however, if this is not possible, use a dry cloth and/or hairdryer. DO NOT place them on a radiator as the direct heat can warp the slats.

How To Clean A Roman Blind

Roman blinds are made from material like curtains so need to be treated differently from Venetian Blinds. Follow these easy steps to keep your Roman blind clean:

Open your blind fully.
A feather duster will remove some dust for a quick clean but we believe the best way to clean them is by using the upholstery attachment on your hoover. This will gently remove all the dust and stoor from your blind.

If your Roman Blind is very dirty it may be possible to have it dry cleaned or to hand wash it with a gentle fabric soap, however you must check the washing instructions on the material. Washing it in hot water or with the wrong product could result in the material shrinking or losing some colour.

How To Clean Vertical Blinds

Depending on the material of your vertical blinds you can follow the instructions for Venetian Blinds or Roman Blinds.

If the louvres have a plastic-type covering or are aluminium they will be suitable to wash with a damp cloth so you can follow the instructions for Venetian Blinds.
If the louvres are a heavy fabric then it would be better to use the hoover method as with Roman and Roller Blinds.

How To Clean Pleated Blinds

Pleated blinds can be cleaned in the same was as a Roller Blinds, however, you need to be very careful to ensure you don’t damage any of the pleats.

How To Clean Perfect Fit Blinds

Perfect Fit blinds are available as roller, pleated or Venetian blinds so the cleaning instructions for the relevant type of blind can be followed.

To clean the Perfect Fit Blinds frame you can wipe it with a damp cloth, use a vinegar/water mix or a specific uPVC cleaner to remove any grease or grimy marks. Do not use bleach.

If you would like further information or advice on cleaning your blinds, please do get in touch or send us your top tips. We would love to hear them!

Philip O'Brien

Philip O'Brien is a partner in Forth Blinds with decades of experience in blinds. There is no shape, size or style of window he hasn't tackled over the years! Forth Blinds supply to schools, hospitals, offices, shops, care homes, government departments, student accommodation, historic buildings, houses, flats and conservatories.

How To Clean Your Window Blinds