Cleaning Your Window Blinds and Shutters

You should regularly dust your blinds and shutters to keep them clean and looking nice. Dusty blinds also bring down the air quality in your home. There are several ways you can dust your shutters and blinds: vacuuming them is quick and efficient, while dusting by hand gives you versatility. Start from the top and work your way down. If vacuuming, use a brush attachment and go over the slats side to side, starting at the top and working your way down. Finish with an anti-dust product or by wiping with a dryer sheet to be sure you got every dust particle.

Dusting may not always be enough to get blinds clean: if your vinyl and aluminum blinds are dirty, you can take them down from the windows and wash them! Lay blinds flat in the bathtub and just cover them with water; add a squirt of dishwashing soap and two to three cups of white vinegar. Let them soak for five to ten minutes per side, then wipe the slats clean with a sponge.

To keep real wood clean, don't use water - use lemon oil or furniture polish to help protect the wood. Use a soft cloth and work from the top down. For badly soiled wood, use tepid water with a squirt of mild detergent with a clean cotton cloth. Clean the area and rinse with clear water, then immediately dry with a dry cotton cloth. The trick is to keep the wood blinds or shutters as dry as possible, minimizing the time it spends wet. 

While vertical blinds can be tricky to clean, regularly dusting by hand or vacuum should help you avoid deep cleaning to once or twice a year. Work from top to bottom, cleaning any soiled areas with soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner. If deep cleaning, use a sponge and soapy water to to wash the full length of the vertical blinds on both sides. Rinse and wipe the blinds dry with a clean, dry cloth.

Exterior shutters can get grimy very quickly; luckily, they are easy to clean. Brush all loose dirt off your shutters, then use a hose to rinse the shutters down before scrubbing using soapy water and a mop. Rinse your shutters immediately with the hose to avoid stains when your soapy water dries, then wipe clean with a soft microfiber mop. The work becomes even easier if you own a pressure washer: simply brush away any loose dirt, power wash, and dry.

If you take good care of your window treatments, you can maximize their lifespans and improve the air quality in your home.