Friday, May 27, 2011

Helpful Tips on Cleaning Window Blinds

You can retain your window blinds' astonishing look through the years if you keep them well maintained. Most of us still think that taking care of blinds is a very difficult household cleaning chore. You don't exactly have to hire a professional cleaner to do the job for you. Check out some of these basic and easy to follow DIY tips on cleaning window blinds in a breeze.

Dusting – The method of prevention is still the key to avoid the hassles of cleaning heavily soiled blinds. Keep your blinds clean by dusting them at least once a week. Close the slants thoroughly and run over a duster over them to remove all the dust away from the blinds. Regular feather dusters can send the dust flying around the house so it is best to use a "magnet" duster to ensure that dust will be collected accordingly. Using a wool cloth as an alternative will bring the same result as well.

Vacuuming – This technique works for all types of blinds out there. Close the slats in order to reach all the surface area and vacuum using a brush attachment. Work all the way through both front and back sides, one slat at a time. Do this twice a month to ensure that the blinds are dust free. You will see that vacuuming your metal, fabric, vinyl or wood blinds on a regular basis will make a world of difference.

Spot-cleanup – This is ideal to carry out with fabric and wooden blinds since these types of blinds can't be soaked in water in cases of deep dirt and grime. You can get a cotton or wool cloth gently drench in water dissolved with dishwashing liquid. Ring out excess solution and blot the soiled areas very carefully to make them clean. Another way to do this would be spraying an all-purpose cleaner to a piece of dry cloth and wipe the dirt away. For wooden blinds, apply a non-wax furniture polish to finish.

Water Concentration – This works well with metal and vinyl blinds. Remove the blinds from the windows and soak them in a bathtub with mild detergent and wipe each slant with a soft cloth. You can also lay them flat on a plastic rag and sweep the blinds using a soft bristled brush. Rinse them with clean water and close the slants all the way in to allow excess water to be drained. To hasten the drying process, blot excess water with super absorbent cloths like shammy or lamb's wool. You can also air dry them using a hair dryer on a cold setting.

Please note that if you have received a definite set of cleaning instructions from your window treatments provider, it is still best to follow them.