How to clean roller blinds

Roller blinds are elegant and simple coverings for windows that can be used with any kind of décor. The methods used for cleaning roller blinds largely depend on the material from which the roller blind is made. There are two different methods of cleaning the blinds depending on whether they can be submerged in water or not based on their material. If they can be saturated with water, then general washing is applicable. However, if they can’t become saturated, it’ll be safe to only use spot cleaning to clean them. Here are the two cleaning methods:

1. Washing Blinds

What You’ll Need

You’ll need mild laundry detergent, bleach, soft cloths or sponge, old toothbrush, vacuum with the brush attachment, outside clothesline or dry rack, bathtub and warm water.

Steps for Cleaning the Blinds:

Step 1:

Have the blinds removed from the roller and then have them laid flat on the floor. However, if the blinds can’t be removed, the second cleaning method known as spot cleaning is more applicable. This protects your blinds from any possible damages.

Step 2:

A thorough vacuuming is highly recommended for the start if the blinds are particularly dirty. This is done to remove the surface dirt before any other cleaning procedure is started.

Step 3:

With the brush attachment on the vacuum, brush over the surface of the blind to remove any dead bugs, loose dirt and other such things.

Step 4:

With warm water, half-fill the bathtub if your blinds aren’t larger than the tub and then add some of the laundry detergents. Mix until you notice a few surface suds. For white blinds, you can add some amount of bleach can be added too.

Step 5:

Lay the blinds in the tub carefully. For long blinds, you can layer them loosely to have an accordion fashion. Let the blinds soak in the water for a few hours.

Step 6:

With a sponge or soft cloth, wipe the blinds gently back and forth starting from one end to remove any stains or dirt that remains or them. If there are tougher stains, use the old toothbrush to scrub them gently. Then, drain out the sudsy water from the tub.

Step 7:

Fill the tub with clean water and then rinse the blinds. Ensure that all the soap is removed by repeating the rinsing process. If you’ve got someone to help, you can hold the blinds up and then rinse them with a shower sprayer to remove soap quicker. Once all the soap is removed, you can lay the blind over a shower rod, a drying rack or on a clothesline until they’re completely dried. If the drying is indoors, point a fan on them to prevent water stains and speed up the drying process.

Step 8:

Attach your roller blinds back to the roller and have them installed over the window.

2. Spot Cleaning Roller Blinds

For spot cleaning, you’ll need a vacuum, post-it notes, upholstery foam, white foam shaving cream, a scrub brush, two cloths, water and a hair drier or fan.

Steps for Spot Cleaning Blinds

Step 1:

This method is for blinds that can’t be removed. They’re cleaned while hanging. Begin by inspecting the blinds and noting where the dirt spots or stains are. You can use the Post-It notes to mark the spots.

Step 2:

You can begin by vacuuming the blinds using the upholstery brush attachment if the blinds are generally dirty or dusty. Brushing should be done with the grains of the blinds if they do have one.

Step 3:

Clean the dirt spots or stains with upholstery foam cleaner or white foam shaving cream. Apply this on the dirty spot and gently scrub it using a soft brush. Any excess foam should be wiped off. Then, use a damp cloth to rinse to blot.

Step 4:

To speed up the drying time, point a fan on the area or open the windows. This will also prevent the formation of water stains. Alternatively, you can dry the roller blinds with a hairdryer.