Cleaning window blinds is rather unpleasant housework, but it requires constancy to be concerned with their longevity. An aspect that should not be underestimated is the material from which the blinds are made. Not all of them can be cleaned with the same product! When I read the hasty advice of many blogs that dismiss cleaning with “wash with vinegar“, “use baking soda”, I realize that the web is flooded with inexperienced people. If you type “how to clean blinds,” you should know that there is no universal product for any type of blind.
How to clean window blinds?
Those who love natural products and have shiny blinds can say goodbye to stubborn dirt simply and economically. Here are some tricks and the most effective DIY remedies to have blinds always clean and shiny.
I certainly don’t like cleaning the blinds, but I can’t stand seeing them dirty. And what to say about the slots in the blinds; a real den of dirt!
Is another thing hateful? They have an external and an internal facade! Cleaning them on both sides could take a lot of effort, especially if it is a stained glass window or a window that cannot be accessed from the outside. This is why the exterior facade is rarely cleaned. The solution is there! Just follow my tips.
Clean Pvc blinds
If you have access to the outside, you will not have great difficulty cleaning the blind. Let’s see how to proceed to clean the external blinds:
- Lower the blind completely. They must be washed first on the outside than on the inside. So you will need a person in the house to help you raise and lower the blinds as needed.
- Start by removing the dust. Do not use the water right away to avoid a kind of mush.
- With a broom, remove all the dust on the surface, then open the blinds just enough to open only the cracks.
- Remove any dirt between the cracks with the bristles of the broom.
Take a basin with water and dish soap and with a sponge, lather the whole surface to remove the dirt. If the encrustations do not go away, use a toothbrush soaked in cola or tomato juice (two very acidic ingredients) without rubbing too much; otherwise, you risk making some scratches.
Proceed in this way until the blind is perfectly clean, changing the water several times. The last rinse is done with distilled water without adding any detergent.
Dry thoroughly. This operation is essential! If you do not dry well, you risk that the blind gets dirty more quickly.
Once this is done, you can proceed to clean the internal blinds. In this case, only hot water will suffice. No need to add detergent. Water will be enough. Again you will need to dry thoroughly!
Clean the PVC blind outside the box
A practical and convenient solution for cleaning PVC blinds is to remove them from the box. No fear, now I’ll explain how to proceed!
- Take a ladder and remove the dumpster’s cover, which is the wooden structure that covers the housing where the blind wraps itself.
- There are two types of binds; the one with self-tapping screws and a sliding joint.
- If it has screws, just unscrew them, making sure to start with those on the lower long side first. If there is no locking screw, it is a sliding lid.
- In this case, just remove it by sliding it upwards and pressing it at the same time. When you feel it touch the upper bar, you will need to take it out towards you.
Warning: do not position yourself with the ladder close to the window. Otherwise, you will be forced to move back with the lid in your hands (risking losing your balance).
This operation, albeit trivial, may require some effort because many painters have the bad habit of whitewashing the entire wall without first removing the box!
Removal of the PVC blind
Once the cover has been removed, you can proceed to remove the blind:
- Remove the straps (also called straps) that keep the sheet locked to its roller. There are different types of hooks, depending on whether the roller is made of hollow steel or solid wood, such as the slightly dated ones
- At this point, unhook the roller blind from the roller and remove the entire fabric
- open the windows so that you can place the roller blind that you will gradually have to roll up
- Begin to roll a portion of about 40 cm of the blind, having the help of a person who lifts the sheet from the bottom up.
- With the part of the blind that you have just recovered, it begins to create the roll, turning it on itself while those who help you lighten you from the bottom of its weight.
- Once this is done, he stops removing the rest of the blind, placing it on the two open windows.
- Very carefully, bring the roller blind down.
Take advantage of the fact that you have removed the blind to clean the compartment in which it wraps. Usually, a lot of dust accumulates inside it and maybe even insects such as spiders. Do not neglect the frame, the glass, and the roller blind of the windows.
Now you can clean the roller blind comfortably. Just unroll it on the floor.
Detergent for cleaning PVC blinds
To clean plastic blinds, just use a sponge soaked in soap and rub on the surfaces. If they are particularly dirty and difficult to remove the dirt, use a degreaser or dish detergent.
Use a sponge and a brush to remove dirt from the crevices, rinse, and dry the entire surface thoroughly.
Clean Aluminum blinds
To wash the aluminum blinds, you can use a do-it-yourself remedy based on water and ammonia; 10 ml in a liter of water. Avoid harsh chemicals like bleach or similar.
Maybe for other surfaces, they are very useful and effective, but in this case, they can destroy aluminum without you realizing it.
Clean Sun-washed blinds
Besides being very dirty, are your blinds faded by the sun? No problem, I have the solution for you too!
Of course, it is a product that you will have to buy, but I assure you that it is worth it. I used it to restore the color of the blinds in my mom’s house and I must say that the result is remarkable.
The only drawback is that with a single package, you can only make 4 external side blinds.
How to keep exterior blinds clean
After washing and drying the blinds, spray them with some spray wax. In this way, smog and dirt will slip away and the blinds will remain clean for a long time.
The hinges and strips that hold an aluminum shutter should be checked periodically (once a year, especially if subjected to salt or soil). It is a good rule to make sure that the hinges and hinges are greased sufficiently.
