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Cleaning Venetian Blinds – Expert Tips to Make Your Job Easier

Venetian Blinds are found in most homes and offices – so knowing how to clean venetian blinds is something many households need to know. While Venetian Blinds look great in the home, their horizontal slats mean they can collect dust faster than any other blinds on the market. Don’t despair though, with a little know-how and some regular TLC, Venetian blinds are a great investment and can last a lifetime.

Before we learn more about cleaning Venetian Blinds, let’s talk a bit about how to prepare them for a good cleaning:

When it comes to cleaning aluminium Venetian blinds or timber Venetian blinds, the process often takes the use of certain products. Some Venetian blinds will respond differently to certain products than others. You can avoid bigger mishaps such as damage or discolouration by doing a test area in a more unseen spot before you clean the entire surface. If you have sensitive skin, you can also use non-allergenic disposable gloves to protect your hands from dirt or the cleaning solution.

While you do the spot test, tie back the curtains and move any other furnishings surrounding the blinds, so they don’t get in your way as you clean. You might want to place a towel on the floor to catch any spills and prevent damage to your flooring.

We’ve put together a list of tips and tricks to show you how to clean Venetian Blinds quickly and easily.

Cleaning Venetian Blinds: How to keep them looking great

Lightly cleaning Venetian Blinds

The following methods can be done quickly and easily and are great for getting the most life out of your thorough cleans. The other ‘pro’ to light cleans is that you don’t have to remove your blinds from the window. To ensure you don’t have to deep clean your Venetian Blinds out of necessity, we recommend you conduct light cleaning regularly.

Eco-friendly tip: You don’t have to purchase sponges or cleaning cloths. A clean, thick sock at home without a pair is just as good for cleaning Venetian blinds.

Dusting Venetian Blinds

Dusting

Lightly feather dust your blinds each time you vacuum your floor. Dust each slat individually to ensure you are not just moving the dust around. Old socks or white cotton gloves are great for cleaning Venetian blinds as you can get between the slats much easier with your hands. If there are stains, marks, or grease on the slats then you use a small amount of water with a touch of detergent (test the detergent on a sample slat first or check with your blind supplier to make sure it won’t damage your blinds).

Regular cleaning will maintain the beauty of your blinds. Your blinds will only require one or two deep cleans per year when you maintain them on a regular basis.

Venetian Blinds

Vacuum cleaning Venetian Blinds

Using the upholstery attachment supplied with your vacuum cleaner, clean each slat individually while the Venetian Blinds are still hanging from the window frame. Be careful though that the suction on your vacuum cleaner isn’t too strong, especially with aluminium blinds.

Deep Cleaning your Venetian Blinds

If you have managed to let the dust on your Venetian Blinds settle, chances are they will need a deep clean. Here’s how to deep clean Venetian blinds:

Firstly, remove your blinds from the window and place them in your bath on top of old towels (the towels will protect your bath from being scratched). Fill the bath with a mix of warm water and cleaning solution (check with your blind manufacturer on what solution is appropriate). Allow the Venetian blinds to soak, removing more stubborn grease by hand with a cloth (make sure you do this on both sides of the slats). Drain the bath and rinse the Venetian Blinds with cool running water twice.

Hang the blinds somewhere where water can drain (using a couple of ‘s’ hooks you should be able to hang them in the shower or from your clothesline). Allow the blinds to dry, turning the slats every half an hour or so for the air to circulate evenly around the slats. Make sure the blinds are completely dry before hanging them back in the window frame.

Note: Wooden or faux wooden Venetian Blinds are often made from softwood which can easily buckle if left in too much water. When cleaning Venetian blinds of this type hang them outside and wipe with a damp cloth until each slate is clean, making sure you allow each slat to dry between each layer. If you need any advice on the types of cleaning solutions or methods that are correct for your Venetian Blinds, please contact us, we’re here to help.

Knowing how to clean Venetian blinds of varied materials will also make your life easier. Here are a few different ones:

  • Wooden blinds: Cleaning wooden Venetian Blinds requires a furniture polish and a soft cloth for surface cleaning. It’s important to wipe the blinds dry right after they have been cleaned.
  • Vinyl, aluminium, or laminated wood: Create a solution with warm or hot water and some soap. Soak a sponge into this solution and wipe the dust off each slat.

Remember to stay away from the wrong cleaning solutions for wooden Venetian blinds. They can swell or become permanently damaged with the wrong solution. It’s always safest to check manufacturer recommendations.

Efficiency tip: A cotton wool ball can help for difficult to clean spots.

Cleaning Venetian Blinds – Why It Matters

When it comes to knowing how to clean Venetian blinds, you can be sure that removing dust will save your family inconvenience. Dust can also cause allergies, coughs, and flu-like symptoms. Not only dust but bacteria can rest on the slats too. You will eliminate the buildup of grime if you clean your blinds regularly.

Blinds are often a beautiful treatment for windows in a home. Your home aesthetic will benefit from clean, fresh-looking Venetian Blinds. Cleaning Venetian blinds can seem like a tedious task at first; however, you will see that it’s easier than you can imagine with the tips we’ve given you.

Don’t forget that the handles and strings require cleaning too. Often, if you create a process for cleaning, it will become much easier to get the task done. A checklist with the items to be cleaned can be useful in the process.

Venetian Blinds in Lounge Room

Add value to your home

Learning how to clean Venetian blinds from the experts is essential to maintaining your home. Venetian blinds have many benefits with virtually no disadvantages apart from, perhaps, personal preference. The value of your home can increase exponentially with a few luxury-feel upgrades. If you are considering Venetian blinds for your home, this is a versatile, stylish option.

The Complete Blinds team will gladly help you find the ultimate Venetian blinds solutions for your home. Give us a call on 02 8824 7975 or visit our showroom and chat to one of our friendly staff.

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