One
of the most aggravating, but necessary, jobs in keeping your house spic and span is cleaning your vertical blinds. Blinds represent your house both inside and out, and your house represents you.
Fabric Blind Considerations
- Soaking fabric vanes will cause them to lose their sizing, fire retardant and soil repellent additives.
- Never use hot water to clean fabric vanes.
- To dry fabric vanes, never put them in a clothes dryer, wring them out, fold them over a clothes line or crush them. Instead, use a towel to gently remove any excess moisture. Then re-hang them and allow them to air dry completely. If you are concerned about water spots, a blow dryer or fan can be used to speed up the drying process.
Dusting Vertical Blinds
You Will Need:
- Duster
- Dust or enzyme spray
Steps to Dust Blinds:
Dusting vertical blinds regularly, as you do the rest of your home, will keep them cleaner longer. Use a duster that lifts the dust right off the blinds rather than on that moves it around, such as a rag. The Fuller Ostrich Feather Duster or Swiffer Dusters are good choices here.
- Use a dusting detergent spray or enzyme spray on the slats to loosen dust.
- Starting at the top, run the duster down to the bottom. Repeat for each slat.
- Replace the duster and/or apply additional spray as needed.
- If the blinds are especially dirty, it may be helpful to vacuum them first and/or follow the disting with a good washing using the steps above.
Quick (Dry) Cleaning for Vertical Blinds
You Will Need:
- Vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment
- Lamb’s wool duster (NOT a plastic duster)
- A rubber dry cleaning sponge (NOT a cellulose wet sponge)
- All-purpose cleaner in a spray bottle
- Clean, soft cloths
Steps to Clean the Blinds:
- It is often easiest to clean vertical blinds while they are still hanging. This is true for vinyl, aluminum, fabric and wood. It is best NOT to take them down.
- Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to gently remove any loose dust and debris. The brush uses less suction, so it is more gentle on the blinds. Start at the top and clean in a downward motion. If you brush upward, the slats may come unhooked.
- Follow the vacuum cleaning with the lamb’s wool duster. Again, start at the top and work down the slats.
- For fabric and vinyl blinds, use the rubber dry cleaning sponge to remove stubborn dust and residue the vacuum or duster has not removed. These can be found at most hardware stores.
- For spot cleaning soiled areas, spray an all-purpose cleaner onto a clean, dry cloth and rub it on the spot. Never spray a cleaner directly onto a slat. Rinse by rubbing a cloth moistened with clean water over the area.
- If fabric blinds become very dirty, take them to a professional cleaner for the best results.
Washing Vertical Blinds
You Will Need:
- Vertical Blind Cleaning Tool
- Buckets
- Mild soap or detergent (choose one that is safe to use on the type of blinds you are cleaning)
- Water
- Towels or drop cloths
Steps to Wash Hanging Blinds:
- Vertical blind cleaning tools can be found at most janitorial supply stores. If not, you can make one. Take a pair of BBQ tongues. Cut a cellulose sponge to fit into the ends of the tongs and glue the pieces securely using waterproof glue. Clamp and allow the glue to set overnight.
- Cleaning blinds can be messy. It may be helpful to place a tarp or several towels under the blinds to catch any drips and protect the floors.
- Fill one bucket with warm water and add a small amount of mild soap or detergent. If you are unsure about the color fastness of your blinds, test a small area first.
- Fill a second bucket with clean, cool water. This will be the rinse water.
- Dip the cleaning tool in the soapy water. Allow the sponges to become saturated.
- Starting at the top of your blinds, Place the blinds slat between the two sides of the cleaning tool and press it together. Slide it down to the bottom.
- Clean the sponges in the rinse water and squeeze them out.
- Dip them in the soapy water and repeat the cleaning. If the blinds are especially dirty, it may take several swipes over each slat to get them completely clean. Change both the soapy water and rinse water as necessary to avoid reapplying the dirt.
- Once clean, allow the blinds to air dry completely. They can also be dried with a towel to remove any excess moisture and avoid drip marks.
- If there are stained areas, treat them with a spot cleaner or stain remover applied to a soft cloth.
Steps to Wash Removed Blinds:
- In some cases, it will be easiest to remove the blinds and wash them. If the blinds are flexible, such as fabric blinds, they can be removed and washed in a bathtub. However, if they are stiff, caution will need to be used to prevent any creases, bends or other damage.
- Remove the blinds using the steps below. If needed, mark the direction the blinds were facing. Although it may seem obvious, it can be difficult to tell which side is the front. You may also want to number them so you can reinstall them in the same order.
- Spread out a tarp outdoors or place the blinds in a bathtub, depending on their size and stiffness.
- Wash the slats with warm, soapy water and a soft cloth or sponge.
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
- Dry each slat with a soft towel.
- Re-hang the slats and allow them to dry completely.
- If you are concerned about water spots, place a fan in front of the blinds to speed up the drying process.
Smoke Residue
If your blinds have been in a house that had a fire, smoky cooking in the kitchen or a cigarette smoker, here’s how to remove the oily smoke and soot build-up for plastic blinds. For fabric blinds, use the section above for Quick (Dry) Cleaning for Vertical Blinds. The rubber dry cleaning sponges work well for removing soot and smoke residue.
You Will Need:
- White vinegar
- Water
- A spray bottle
- A cloth
Steps to Remove the Smoke Residue:
- Combine equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle or other container.
- Spray the solution onto the cloth.
- Wrap the damp cloth around the top of one blind vane and gently run the cloth down the vane so that both sides are wiped at once.
- Repeat this process as many times as needed to remove the smoke residue. As you move to a new vane, you may need to rotate the cloth or get a clean cloth if there was a lot of smoke residue on the previous vane.
- Once the bulk of the smoke residue has been removed, wash the blinds as described above in the section Washing Vertical Blinds.
Removing and Reinstalling Vertical Blinds
While cleaning, you may notice that one of the slats or vanes is damaged and needs replacing. To remove a vane for replacement or cleaning:
- Open the blinds completely.
- In turn, lift each vane up and off the hook on the holder or carrier.
- Bend the vane outward to open the holder and bend it down to pull it out
- For vinyl or aluminum vanes with a spacer chain, remove the screw or clip that secures the end of the chain, feed the chain out through the vane you’re removing and as many others as necessary to get to the damaged vane.
- For fabric vanes, disconnect the spacer-chain connector from one side of the vane weight and pull the weight out of its pocket in the bottom of the vane
- Obtain a replacement vane at the place where you purchased the blinds.
- To install a vane, orient it the same way as the other vanes. Grasp the vane near the top and gently push it up into the holder, then down to lock it into place.
- For vinyl or aluminum vanes, thread the chain through the holes in the replacement vane and then through all other vanes up to the chain-anchor point. Be sure to maintain the proper spacing.
- For fabric vanes, reinsert the vane weight (clip side up) into the pocket of the vane and clip the spacer chain connector to it.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Clean blinds weekly with a quick vacuum for easy upkeep. This will also minimize the need for more thorough cleanings and washings.
- When in doubt, contact the manufacturer or dealership for additional cleaning advice. Vertical blinds can be an investment that is worth protecting and cleaning properly. There are also professional services that will clean you blinds for you.
Above, you indicate that I’ll need
“A rubber dry sponge. (NOT a cellulose wet sponge.)”
Then later, in the ‘Tools you will need’ section it says “…Take a pair of barbecue tongues. Cut a cellulose sponge to fit into the …”
so, which kind of sponge is needed? Cellulose seems fine, yes?
My fabric verticals got bent when my painter took them down. Can they be straightened out?
I put my vertical blinds in the washing machine on gentle; do not spin them. I put them in a pillow case cover with a zipper, and washed with cold water. I hung them over the curtain rod in the bathroom to dry, and they came beautifully. Some were wrinkled, and I just ironed them. It’s not an easy job but it saves on buying new ones.
The wife washed the blinds in a pillow case and used conditioner to make them smell nice. But a few weeks later they started to give off a horrible odor! So we washed them again in the washing machine using a different conditioner. That was two days ago but the foul smell has started coming from them again. Has anybody else had or heard of this problem?
I have been reading and trying something, and reading and trying something else and buying cleaners, sponges, steam cleaners, and calling “hard to find” people that will clean blinds, quote me something outrageous and then not show up! I asked my seven housekeeping girl cousins at dinner the perplexing question of, “how do I clean soiled verticals?” After dead stares at one another, stuttering and dumb looks at me and each other – they had no idea. Today, I could not take it any more! I snapped each vertical from above, took out the metal slat (1/2″ x 3″), left the metal weight down at the bottom, of course, and put them in a large perforated cloth bag (for laundry). I threw them in a nice warm bath in the machine, on delicate, with OxiClean and let them go! Long day though; I only did six at the time, so they wouldn’t get tangled. I popped them out of machine quickly and into the dryer for 5 minutes, then popped them out of that machine and right back upstairs to the window. Took me four loads to get the double window done. I’m so happy; now I have lots more to do!
I think that the rubber sponge is for the dry cleaning and the cellulose sponge is for the wet clean.
I tried the pillow case method and was advised not to use conditioner. It worked very well; no smell and the blinds were great.
I have vertical blinds that I am not able to remove. How do I clean them? Is there a tool available to buy to do this job; what type of cleaning material and how do I keep the blinds clean longer?
Thanks.
I have soaked my verticals in a bucket of water with Nappy Soaker, but when I tried to dry them, the material they were made of came off. NEED HELP!
This is a hard job and the best way I have found to clean them is to take four at a time and put them in the bath tub with a good cleaning product and let them soak. No need to scrub. When the dirt is off, use an old towel to dry them and get rid of any left on dirt and then snap them back into place. 🙂
On Thursday, I decided this is it; every vertical blind was taken down room by room. The bath was filled to just under half, I added a capful of liquid wool wash and put the blind in. Whilst soaking, I took down the ones out of the next room and so on until the job was done. By the time I had done the Venetian blinds, I was well jiggered, but what a great job once I got it right – using bath towels to soak up drips from each blind, which after rinsing, I draped over a concertina rack. Next morning, every room smelled really fresh; no creases on the blinds. Hard going, but didn’t have to buy new ones.
I just moved into a condo that was built in 1976 and the sliding doors have very dusty vertical blinds that are original to the unit. Cleaning them seems like a terribly time-consuming job, so I just called the local dry cleaners for a price to have them done professionally. Ready for a shock? Each vane will cost $4 — so the professional cleaning bill for three sliding glass windows would set me back $300!! I will start with one window at a time with vacuuming, then the lamb’s wood duster and rubber sponge, and hope for the best — or invest in curtains!
I just called my local dry cleaner. The quote I got for cleaning fabric vertical blinds was $20-$30, depending on how many. A 6-foot sliding door with verticals would be around $20 for ALL the vanes. An 8 foot door would be about $30.00, again for ALL the vanes. Prices were only a “quote.” The dry cleaner advised me to bring in one vane & a count off how many vanes are involved & he would give me an EXACT price. Not sure who’s charging $4.00 per vane, but I’d run far & fast away & never use that cleaner again. Maybe you’re in a high rent district & that’s the going rate.
I used sugar soap and a pair of socks.
Just put the socks on your hands. Dip them in the bucket and wring them out so not dripping wet.
Hold the blind in between your hands and slide down… Works great. Only took me about two hours to do my whole house (8 windows and 1 big sliding door worth of verticals).
I have cloth stiff vertical blinds; very dirty. Where I live, it’s hard to find affordable and nearby cleaners. I’m going to give cleaning them at home a shot…I’ll keep you informed. All the tips are very helpful. Learned Dos and Don’ts. Thank you puoneers of vertical blind cleaning!
Lisa,
Do you rinse the sugar soap off or just dry with a towel or air dry?.
Can I just put about four at a time in the washing machine with a washing capsule? I don’t want them to shrink too small.
I had some outdated fabric verticals that weren’t worth spending a lot of time on, and I was changing the color of my room. I laid them flat on a long, protected table, and painted them with flat latex paint. First the backs, and let them dry hanging up, and then the fronts…now they can dry hanging regularly. Mine were flexible…they became stiff with the paint. And of course, less light passed through. The paint gave them new life. I don’t bend them around, but I suppose I could always apply another coat.
I just moved into my new home. I have a 9 ft. fabric honeycomb blind. When I lowered the blind, I saw a difference in color. Apparently it had not been moved or adjusted in a very long time; the upper part was very gray and dusty. I used a very good vacuum to remove the dust, but did not help to clean it up. How can I clean this blind?
My white fabric verticals in my kitchen needed washing! I was not about to clean each one by hand, so I threw them in my front load washer on white wash (yes, hot water!) with Tide and Oxyclean. They came out beautifully clean, but wrinkled. I attempted to iron them; DO NOT DO THIS as the sizing (glue) comes off. I had almost lost hope, when I decided to iron them between a towel and IT WORKED! So, all is not lost. Thought I would share my experience.
Right. I am going to try the “putting in washing machine” method. Or do I do the bath method? Decisions, decisions. I’m disabled so it’ll have to be the easy method – washing machine.
If it doesn’t work, I’ll have to buy new ones. Or change ALL rooms to nets!
Mine are really dirty as I have three cats who love sitting on window sills.
Have to leave them open during the day! The blinds, not the cats!!! LOL.
I am moving house out of our rental and we have been here 5 years so have gotten dust and spots on the vertical fabric blinds. I just took them off their hooks and washed them in cold water with a cap of sugar soap, I don’t scrub, I just jiggled the whole blind even with that stupid rope on the bottom. It was quick and easy – no scrubbing!! Took 5 minutes to do 1 blind. I hung it back up wet and just separated them – opened them rather, then leave them closed. They look brand new; clean spotless and it was quick and easy. I can do the rest of the house as I am cleaning each room. Thanks for the tips. I suggest start with a small blind, don’t use hot water, don’t scrub or soak. Get them in and out and hung back up quickly. Then if you see a spot while it is still wet give it a gentle rub with a sock on your hand or a sponge.
I bought a condo whose PVC vertical blinds had not been cleaned in years and looked like the tenants had Coke or Pepsi fights. (All over sticky brown splashes!)
I stood on a stool and sprayed from top to half way down with Windex and took a dish towel and holding the vane up in my left hand to take weight off, wiped it down with right hand. I continued spraying and wiping down to the bottom and then turned it the other way and did the reverse. I did not fold the towel around it and spray and wipe down both sides at once for fear of pulling it down. Same reason why I lifted it up to take weight off the hangers when wiping down. Worked liked a charm and they look brand new. I had to do many vanes two or three times they were so dirty!
If you can’t wipe before the Windex drips down, then towels underneath will protect your carpet or floor.
I had fabric vanes in one condo and used Oxyclean powder dissolved in warm water. I tried not to soak the vane too much, just wiped it on lightly with a clean cellulose sponge and let it sit. One spot that looked like ketchup I had to do twice to let the Oxyclean do its work. The trick is to let the Oxyclean do the work and not scrub too much to rough up the fabric. Not much rinsing, only on the spot. Just let the Oxyclean do its work.