Beautiful Blinds

Blinds can be a lovely and stylish alternative to curtains and in some areas of the house they are a more suitable option.

To keep your blinds beautiful and clean, you will need to perform a little basic cleaning. How you clean your blinds depends on which type you have.

Miniblinds: To keep your miniblinds dirt and dust-free, you can either dust them with a basic feather duster, or vacuum them using the same brush attachment you would use on your curtains. If your miniblinds become soiled in certain areas, you can simply remove any dirt with a mild detergent and cloth dampened with warm water.

Vertical (Venetian) blinds: Vertical blinds, also known as Venetian blinds, are cared for in the same way as miniblinds. Simply either use a feather duster or the brush attachment on your vacuum to remove dirt and dust. And if your vertical blinds need spot-cleaned, do so with a mild basic cleanser and a damp cloth.

Wood blinds: Wood blinds can be vacuumed and dusted in the same way as miniblinds and vertical blinds, however do not use water or soap to clean wood blinds. Wood blinds can be polished with a dusting cloth and furniture polish or an oil-based wood cleaner such as Murphy's Oil Soap.

Cloth blinds: A thorough vacuuming is all you need to clean cloth blinds. Never saturate cloth blinds with water, as they may become damaged. Spot clean any areas with a light application of fabric safe cleanser and a slightly dampened cloth or sponge.

Once a year or so, it's a good idea to take your blinds down from the window and give them a good deep cleaning. This will remove any residue and dirt that vacuuming and spot cleaning may miss.

To deep clean blinds (except cloth and wood) simply take them outside and clean with a solution of all-purpose cleanser mixed with warm water. A medium-length handled scrub brush is perfect for this job. You can rinse the cleaning solution off your blinds with a garden hose and allow them to dry in the sun before rehanging.