Our vertical blinds are almost 10 years old. The gears are wearing out, and Paul recently repaired the blinds in our living room.

With our newly repaired blinds, I appreciate this timely post from Silvia Marks sharing how to properly clean them.

You might remember Silvia from her May post on Mastering the Art of Speed Cleaning. She returns today with more cleaning advice for our curtains and blinds.

Keeping our homes clean is an on-going process. Hopefully, these tips will help you in using time wisely. ~ Tracy

How to Clean and Treat Blinds and Curtains

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Kelly Cookson)

You can choose to clean blinds and curtains using professional cleaning services or do the cleaning on your own. To do it on your own, you can choose between chemicals, sold in stores, or do-it-yourself recipes.

Whatever cleaning method you decide to use, it’s good to know some tricks to extend the life of your blinds and curtains and improve their condition.

One fact that not many people know is that regular vacuum cleaning of the curtains and blinds prolongs the time between washing them.

The professional cleaners at DeluxeCleaners Ltd W12 use a delicate tool on the vacuum cleaner to avoid damaging the textile. Without that tool, use soapy water to clean the upholstery nozzle on your vacuum cleaner. Then gently vacuum your blinds and curtains.

Clean and Treat Blinds

To clean blinds, follow these steps. First, get rid of the dirt and dust on both sides. Use a towel or your vacuum cleaner with a tiny nozzle. Then, remove the blinds from the windows, unless they are wooden. Take them in your bathroom or in a larger place outdoors. Wash every part with a sponge or a gentle brush. After that, rinse them well and lay them out to dry. Finally, wipe them clean to prevent future gathering of dust.

You can clean your mini blinds with a small towel sprayed with a universal detergent. Mop each side. To clean wooden blinds, make a solution of one liter water and a quarter cup of white vinegar. With this solution spray a cloth and wipe the dust and dirt from the wooden blinds.

Vertical blinds can be cleaned while they are hanging on the windows. Use the vacuum cleaner with an appropriate nozzle and then a scrubber. If you have any tough stains, use a universal stain remover.

Clean and Treat Curtains

Curtains should be vacuum-cleaned at least once a month. It is not a good idea to send the curtains to the dry cleaners. The chemicals they use can cause diseases, including cancer.

Each curtain has to be washed per the written recommendations. Most are made of a couple of fabrics, and you have to consider each one. Before putting the curtains in the washing machine, take off all metal objects attached to them. The same thing applies if hand washing is recommended.

If you put them in the washing machine choose a light program which won’t harm the fabric. Use the proper detergent that is well-dissolved in water.

If you have stains that are difficult to remove, resort to the usage of aggressive chemicals – if nothing else will work. If the curtains have any holes or torn sections in the fabric, then it’s time to replace them.

Silvia is a successful blogger and writer. During the years as a professional cleaner, she learned that the most important thing for a clean home is perfection and grace.