>Here comes the sun! Spring is right around the corner, with longer daylight hours and beautiful nature in bloom. Don’t let dusty, dirty blinds distract you from enjoying a nice view — “Oh, my tulips are coming up! And, eww, my blinds are filthy!” Here are some tips for cleaning those blinds:
- Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to dust each side of the blinds, under the bottom rail, and the window sill. Close the blinds one way, vacuum that side of the slats, gently nudging the slat above so you can brush the entire slat. Then close them the other way and vacuum that side.
- Using rubber bands, attach washcloths to each side of a pair of long-handled tongs and pinch them to clean both sides of a slat at the same time. You can dry dust this way, dampen the cloths with a cleaner of your choice, or spray them with furniture polish, which will help repel dust for a while.
- If your blinds are aluminum or vinyl, use an old athletic sock or microfiber dusting mitt dampened with a 50:50 mix of vinegar and water. Put the sock on your hand (or put one on each hand!) and wipe each slat between your thumb and fingers, rinsing the sock in the vinegar/water mixture as needed.
- If your blinds are wood, you can use the vinegar/water method above but make sure the sock is only slightly damp and wipe quickly. A dry dusting followed by a little furniture polish may be a better choice for wood blinds.
- For a really serious cleaning of aluminum or vinyl blinds, take them down and soak in a tub of warm, soapy water. Wipe the slats while submerged if needed and rinse with fresh water. You can partially dry the blinds with a towel and then hang them back up in the open position to finish drying. You may want to place folded towels on the window sills until you’re certain the blinds won’t drip. Or lay them outside to dry.
And two things to keep in mind:
Dust more often. When doing your regular dusting, give the blinds a swipe too. A feather duster or microfiber duster are great choices for this quick touch-up because they’ll get between the cords a bit as well as the surfaces of the slats. Dusting blinds more frequently makes it easier to do a thorough cleaning when you’re ready.
When your blinds are clean, wipe them with a fabric softener sheet or furniture polish to repel dust and pet hair between cleanings. You can also lightly spray closed blinds with Static Guard, available in grocery stores, pharmacies, and online.
Visit the Speed Cleaning Blog for more cleaning tips, and share your tips with us!