I have discovered the danger of ordering a Venti at Starbucks. It gave me the energy to do all those things I always put off, and for some reason in my caffeine high I got a jump on pre-holiday cleaning. The downside, I can now make an eco-friendly sweaters from the dustbunnies I found under my bed. In my cleaning frenzy I came up with a quandry. How should I properly clean my Blinds.com blinds?
Here's the answer:
Aluminum Venetian Blinds
There’s a couple of options with Blinds.com Aluminum Venetian blinds, firstly you can use a blind cleaner, a special type of duster designed to get in between the slats. This makes the cleaning extremely quick and easy but it is only really suitable for dusting. For a more thorough clean, the blinds can be closed and wiped down or an even easier method is to take the blind down and use either the bath or shower to spray the blind down. Try to avoid using any soap products as unless you have the time to spend making sure that every last bit of soap is washed off. Soapy products can turn even the most expensive aluminum blind, a slightly yellow color!
Wooden Venetian Blinds
Generally wood venetian blinds are coated with a finish and can be dusted just like aluminum blinds. However, if you are a closet Martha Stewart or feel like the wood is getting lackluster than it’s worth giving them a good polish with a wax based polish. This helps to protect the timber and the richness of color. The wax in the polish builds up a protective layer which will repel any splashes or marks.
Roller Shades
Roller blinds are low maintenance, the mere act of raising and lowering the blind displaces dust
from the fabric. You gotta love that. If if you are prone to allergies or find that there was a heavier build up of dust
then simply use your vacuum to run over the material, it will not
damage the fabric if used with a little care.
On most types of Roller blind any more substantial marks can be simply
wiped away using a sponge and warm water. However for some materials,
such as faux suede’s and softer cotton based materials, ask the
manufacturer what they advise as the last thing you want is a lasting
stain on an otherwise perfect blind.
Roman Blinds
Roman blinds are simple and very easy to keep clean. In a similar manner to a roller blind, a Roman blind can be cleaned by running the vacuum over the material to remove dust. Some fabric Roman blinds are also machine washable but be prudent and check with the manufacturer before putting your blind in for a quick spin!
Vertical Blinds
Vertical blind materials are pre-treated with a protective coating to keep them straight and make them fairly stain/mark resistant. However, should you find that you need to clean them you should use a sponge and warm water with a mild detergent. Very gently dab away any marks while trying not to get the blind too wet or to rub too harshly so as to ensure the protective coating is not damaged. The fabric must be left suspended from the head-rail with the weight in place at the bottom to ensure that it dries evenly and straight.
Pleated Blinds
Simply vacuum a pleated blind and it will be as good as new. There’s a very light wax coating to the fabric which helps keep them clean and also keeps the creases for the pleats in place. Definitely do not get them wet as they react badly to warm water.
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