Both vertical and horizontal blinds have a tendency to accumulate dust, lint and other debris, resulting in discoloration over time. When your blinds are originally white, this generally means they turn a murky yellowish color that is unattractive and undermines the appearance of an otherwise clean room.
Whilst it's unlikely that your blinds will fade due to sun exposure, there is a risk that they may turn yellow over time – particularly if they are white. Blinds not only look great but can also serve a broad range of practical uses such as maintaining your privacy and keeping out sunlight.
The regular cleanings should help your blinds to keep their color longer. Start by dusting the blinds well to remove dust before washing the blinds, and take them down from the window. If plastic or aluminum blinds still have stains after routine cleaning, you can try a bleach bath.
Run cold water into the bath, add 2-3 cups of bleach. Place the blind in the bath, ensuring all the slats are fully immersed in the water. Leave to soak for 10 minutes. Wipe down every slat, front and back, using a cloth.
Finally, if you're in last resort territory and your blinds are (or rather, once were) white and not any other colour, you might be able to bring back their colour by adding two to three small cups of bleach to a bath half-full of cold water, and soaking the blind's slats in this for up to ten minutes before washing ...
Use the dust brush of your vacuum to gently remove dust and dirt that has accumulated on your blinds. You can also use a hair dryer on “cool” to easily blow away the dust, dirt and tiny bugs that have built up inside your cellular shades. To spot clean, use a damp rag and dab at the spots. Do not rub!
Here are some material-specific tips: Wooden Blinds – Excess moisture is wood's worst enemy, so avoid getting wooden blinds wet. To dust them, use a clean, soft cloth, a feather duster or a vacuum brush. To put more life into the wood, use a cleaner made specifically for wood, such as lemon oil.
If the blinds are white or light cream in colour, use a diluted solution of water and bleach. 4-6 drops of bleach per cup of water should do. Wipe on with a damp sponge or cloth. If the mildew is bad this may take a few applications to kill the mildew and reduce the stain.
If your blinds are white, it may be helpful to add a little bit of bleach to a bucket or bath full of clean warm water, and allowing the blind to soak in it for thirty minutes before rinsing and hanging out to dry. You need to do more than 'spring clean'.
Blinds and shutters turn yellow due to prolonged exposure to the sun's UV rays.
Faux wood blinds are much more robust than their real wood counterparts. Unlike real-wood, faux wood replacements are prone to warping, cracking, chipped or fading in sunlight, making them the tough choice for high traffic rooms.
Place the blind in a bathtub filled with warm soapy water and allow to soak. Use a mild laundry detergent rather than soap or dishwashing liquid as this will be the kindest to your blind's fabric. After an hour, check your blind for stains. Examine both sides and spot-clean where necessary using a cloth or sponge.
Modern made-to-measure wooden blinds are also treated with a UV-resistant finish, which means that it really will take a very long time (if at all) for coloured wooden blinds to start to fade, or for white wooden blinds to begin to yellow.
Cleaning mould on your roller blinds with detergent and water: you can remove mould by using a cloth, clear mould detergent and lukewarm water. If this doesn't do the job, try using lemon juice with salt and leave to dry before wiping down thoroughly.
Fortunately, you only need to do a deep cleaning when you notice significant grime build-up or when your regular cleaning isn't getting the blinds as clean as you want them. Aluminum, plastic and other metal venetian blinds are the only styles that should be deep cleaned since the process involves water.
Blinds made from aluminium, PVC or a synthetic material can be given a clean with a mild detergent, either in the bath or outdoors. Be sure to place a mat or towel underneath the blind to protect it from getting scratches, and never immerse the headrail in water, as this may damage the internal parts.
Wash the blinds. For stains or deep cleaning a big positive with PVC Vertical blinds is that they can be cleaned using water. Adding some non-abrasive soap to warm water should do the trick. Remember not to use purely hot water as this could damage the integrity of your blind.
Not only will Zoflora disinfect the blinds, it will leave a lasting fragrance in your home for many hours. The disinfectant can keep the home clean and virus free when used regularly on everyday items.
Dryer sheets are great for eliminating static cling in your laundry, but they can also be used to clean and remove static electricity on everything from louvered and Venetian blinds to TV screens. Just wipe down the surface with the dryer sheet, then throw it away when it becomes dirty.
Blinds are an easy window treatment but cleaning them can be a pain in the slats. According to home maintenance expert Bob Vila, the key is to dust them at least once a week. For best results, close the blinds, then dust them in the direction of the slats using either a microfiber duster, feather duster or soft cloth.
Cover them in warm water in the bathtub and add several squirts of mild dishwashing soap. Using a soft brush, clean the shades on both sides. Rinse, allow to air-dry, and re-hang.