How To Clean Blinds: The Easiest Ways To Clean Your Blinds

As much as many of us tend to put off cleaning our blinds, once you know how to clean blinds quickly and effectively, you won’t dread doing it nearly as much as you used to! Whether your blinds are made of wood, faux wood, fabric, vinyl, or aluminum, knowing the best way to clean them is half the battle. 

In order to help us save time and effort on this particular task, I put together a guide of the best ways to clean window blinds of all shapes and sizes. Home cleaning hacks are the bread and butter of this blog, after all!

So if you’re interested in learning how to clean blinds without taking them down, you’ve come to right place! (I’ve also included a couple of cleaning tips that do involve taking your blinds down, but you probably won’t need to use such a method unless your blinds are seriously grimy.) Check out the best ways to keep your blinds looking great below!

How To Clean Your Blinds: Tips For Every Type Of Window Treatment

Faux Wood Blinds

More affordable than real wooden blinds and easy to keep clean, faux wood venetian blinds with horizontal slats are among the most popular types of blinds and window treatments. If your faux wood blinds are simply dusty, use the dust brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to quickly dust your blinds in place.

Just close the blinds, hold the bottom rail steady, and use a vacuum to remove dust from the slats. Don’t forget to do the other side, too! (If your vacuum has strong suction, you may want to adjust it to a lower setting to avoid any accidental damage to the slats.)

If you have a particularly heavy vacuum, or if you don’t have a dusting attachment, you can also dust faux wood blinds with a handheld duster or microfiber cloth. (They’re one of my favorite dusting tools because they pick up dust and dirt instead of pushing it around.)

Wood Blinds

Blinds made from real wood are typically treated with a special finish to help repel dirt and stains and make them easy to dust. Apply a small amount of furniture polish or dusting spray to a soft cloth or clean sock, then use it to wipe each slat clean before flipping the blinds and wiping the other side.

For heavy, greasy, or grimy dust, dampen a soft cloth with plain water and use that to clean it off. Take care not to saturate the wood, and keep a dry cloth nearby to wipe up any excess water to prevent spotting, discoloration, or warping. 

Fabric Blinds (Cellular, Pleated, Roman, etc.)

Your vacuum makes an ideal tool for dusting fabric blinds and shades Use the dust brush attachment on a low setting, and dust from top to bottom so you don’t need to clean them twice.

Another useful tool for dusting fabric blinds and cellular shades is a hair dryer. Set it to “cool” and use it to blow away dirt, dust, or dead bugs trapped in the creases or inside the honeycomb openings.

Dealing with stained or soiled fabric blinds? Try a microfiber cloth dampened with warm, soapy water. Blot the area until clean, being careful not to get the fabric too wet, then allow the blinds to dry completely before raising them again. (If they’re heavily soiled, you may need to call in a professional — look for cleaning services in your area that specialize in window coverings or blind cleaning.)

Vinyl Or Aluminum Mini Blinds

There are a couple of different ways to clean vinyl or aluminum mini blinds, and both work equally well. The first option is to use the methods I outlined earlier for faux wood blinds (i.e. vacuum them with a dusting attachment or wipe them with diluted vinegar or an all-purpose cleaner).

If your mini blinds are grimy, rather than simply dusty, soaking them in your bathtub is a low-effort way to deep clean your blinds (though it does require you to take the blinds down first).

How To Clean Mini Blinds In Your Bathtub

Fill your bathtub with warm water, add a small amount of Dawn dish soap, then take the blinds off the window and put them in the soapy water to soak for a few minutes. Use a soft brush or sponge to clean the blinds on both sides, then drain the tub and refill with clean water to rinse.

After rinsing, lay the blinds out on a couple of bath towels to dry until they’re lightly damp, then replace them in the window and let the blinds air dry. Once your aluminum blinds are clean, treating them with a dusting spray can make them easier to clean in the future.

Vertical Blinds

The best way to dust vertical blinds is much the same as the methods outlined above depending on whether they are made of fabric or vinyl. You could also use a lint roller on your vertical blinds, which will pick up any dust and cobwebs along the way.

BONUS: How To Clean & Whiten Yellowed Blinds

Sun exposure, cigarette smoke, and other environmental factors can cause white blinds to appear more yellow over time. A bleach treatment can help restore their original color. Follow these steps:

1. Dust the blinds.
2. Soak them in warm water and dish soap (as outlined above).
3. Drain the water out of the tub and replace it with fresh water. Add about 2 cups of chlorine bleach to the water, then let the blinds soak in the bleach solution for 10-15 minutes before rinsing again and drying thoroughly.

More Tips For Cleaning Blinds (Without Taking Them Down)

1. Dust Faster With Tongs. One of the best dusting hacks for blinds is to use a pair of tongs to dust both sides of each slat, cutting your dusting time in half! Just wrap microfiber cloths around each arm of your tongs and secure them with rubber bands.
2. Keep Track With A Clothespin. Keep a clothespin in your pocket while dusting your blinds. If you get interrupted, you can clip it to the last slat you cleaned so you don’t lose track.
3. Clean Windows Carefully. When cleaning your windows, spray cleaning products onto a cloth or paper towel, rather than the glass to avoid damaging your blinds. Don’t spray air fresheners, hairspray, or other sprays near your blinds, either.
4. Repel Dust. After cleaning your blinds, add a few drops of lemon oil to a cup of hot water, then dip a clean cloth into it and use it to wipe your blinds to repel dust in the future. (A fabric softener sheet works well, too!)
5. Brush Pets Often. Pets that get brushed frequently shed less hair, which means there will be less pet hair around to cling to your blinds. 
6. Replace HVAC Filters Regularly. The filters in your heating and cooling system help trap dust, but they need to be replaced regularly to maintain good air quality and keep dust levels low.
7. Install Curtains. Consider adding washable curtains in front of your window blinds. Even a sheer curtain can help prevent dust from settling on blinds.
8. Keep Ceiling Fans Clean. You can prevent the blades of your ceiling fans from spreading dust bunnies around the room by dusting the regularly with my favorite ceiling fan dusting hack.
9. Keep Windows Closed. One of the easiest ways to keep dust at a minimum is to keep your windows closed. That way, dust can’t blow in from outside!

How do you clean your blinds?