Surprise, surprise, windows get dirty. More to the point, blinds get dirty. Dusting and cleaning your blinds tends to be one of those chores that doesn’t get ticked off too often. But when you compare with other cleaning chores around the home it isn’t that big of a task.
So while you’ve got all this free time over the Christmas-New Year break, here are some simple cleaning tips to help you give give your blinds a ‘freshen up’.
1. The handy hairdryer
With honeycomb blinds if you notice dust and cobwebs or any bugs and insects that may have got caught up inside and behind your blinds; the best and most gentle way to remove this is with a hairdryer. Set it to a cold or cool setting and gently blow out any dust or bugs from the blinds before cleaning it up. This is particularly helpful for conservatory or hard-to-reach blinds.
Be careful not to press up against the blind too much – you don’t want to flatten or leave marks in the pleats. If you’re feeling nervous, a feather duster or a soft cloth is also helpful.
2. Get the vacuum out – don’t forget the dusting attachment!
Once you’ve loosened all the dust and debris, collect it up with the vacuum. You can even go over the blind with the dusting attachment (on low suction if you can) to get anything that didn’t come loose.
3. Spot and dab
If they need it, treat the fabric blinds carefully and gently when spot cleaning. Use a damp, clean (plain white if possible) cloth with a very mild detergent and gently dab the spots. Rubbing the fabric could damage to the fabric or fade the colour, so tread gently.
4. Don’t forget the sills and floor!
The job’s not done yet! You’ve just blown dust everywhere. Hopefully you cleaned most of it up with your vacuum but just incase, it’s always good to go over the floor and any furniture that sit near your blinds. Especially couches or chairs – fabric holds on to dust and if someone sits down, they throw dust back up into the air towards your windows and blinds so make sure you give the furniture a good clean too.
If you take the time every few months to give your windows a quick clean, you’ll keep your window treatments looking their best and good as new.