How to clean Venetian blinds like a pro

Venetian blinds make a beautiful window covering for any home and office. The downside, however, is that cleaning them is usually a dreaded chore. The blinds’ slats can be tricky and annoying to clean, especially when dust particles settle on the corners.

Luckily, this guide offers easy and effective tips on how to clean Venetian blinds. You’ll find cleaning hacks that would only take about 5 to 10 minutes to carry out, plus deep cleaning hacks that could take a few minutes to hours depending on how dirty your Venetian blinds are. Let’s start!

Light cleaning vs deep cleaning Venetian blinds

Your Venetian blinds need both light cleaning and deep cleaning. Including your blinds in your regular light cleaning routines will minimise the time needed to deep clean them. You’ll also get to avoid that annoying and visible dust accumulation on each of the slats.

When to light clean and when to deep clean?

• Light clean at least once a week to quickly remove dust and dirt

• Deep clean at least once every six months or as often as you’d like (especially if you frequently invite guests into your home or office) to remove dust, dirt, grease, and stubborn stains

Supplies for Venetian blinds cleaning

The supplies you need depend on the type of cleaning you intend to do, as well as the condition of your Venetian blinds. Below are some cleaning supplies you’ll likely need.

• Feather duster or a vacuum cleaner fitted with a soft brush attachment

• Microfibre cloth, a microfibre mini blind duster, or dryer sheets

• White vinegar

• Soft brush

• Non-abrasive sponge

• Spray bottle

• Garden hose

• Hand gloves

How to light clean Venetian blinds 

Light cleaning is the easiest way to clean Venetian blinds. It's less time-consuming and can be done once every few days without taking down the blinds. With consistent light cleaning, you minimise or eliminate the need to give your blinds a deep clean. Here’s how to do it.

1. If you have a feather duster, microfiber cloth, an antistatic cloth, or dryer sheets:

• Close your blinds so that you can see one side of all the slats.

• Dust one side of the slats from one end to the other, or from the topmost slat to the bottommost slat.

• Dust the other side.

2. If you have a blinds cleaning brush:

• Keep the blinds open and start cleaning your blinds from the top.

• Work your way down, until you’ve wiped all the slats.

3. You could also opt to vacuum clean with an upholstery attachment or other Venetian blind attachments. Keep the suction levels low to avoid sucking in and damaging the slats.

4. If you spot grease or stain marks, use a cleaning solution like a window cleaner or a blinds cleaner spray that leaves the slats in an antistatic state. This helps cut the amount of dust that attaches to the slats.

Do consult your local household store for a Venetian blind cleaner that they recommend. Also, if you’re using any household cleaning solution, use only a small amount and quickly dry the slates to avoid spreading the dust. 

If after light cleaning you are still unsatisfied with the results, then now might be a good time for some deep cleaning.

How to deep clean Venetian blinds 

Even with regular cleaning, dust can accumulate in hard-to-reach areas of your Venetian blinds – and this can only be addressed by deep cleaning.

Note that the best way to deep clean depends largely on the type of Venetian blinds you have (we’ll talk about cleaning wooden, faux wood, fabric, vinyl, and aluminium blinds in the next sections). The steps below outline how deep cleaning is usually done. 

1. Take down your Venetian blinds and place them in a bathtub (optional: you can lay some towels on the bottom and sides of the tub to avoid scratching).

2. Put enough water into the tub and add a suitable cleaning solution for your blinds.

3. Allow the blinds to soak for one to two hours.

4. Use a soft brush to remove the loosened dirt and grease on the slats. Wear hand gloves if you want, especially if your skin is sensitive to household cleaning products.

5. After cleaning the blinds, dip them again in clean plain water and rinse them in the shower.

6. Air-dry the blinds by hanging them up to prevent the formation of water stains. 

Don’t have a bathtub or your blinds cannot fit in a tub? Clean them outdoors instead! Here’s how:

1. Start by laying a blanket or any other material on the surface where you intend to clean your blinds. This will protect your blinds from scratches and ensure they don’t pick up more dirt.

2. Next, place your Venetian blinds on your chosen cleaning area. You could hang them on a fence or wash them in your driveway, lawn, or path using a garden hose.

3. Use a soft brush, water, and cleaning solution to gently scrub down each of the slats.

4. Clean and rinse them a few times to get the desired level of cleanliness. 

5. Once done, air-dry the blinds then hang them back to their rightful place.

Faux wood Venetian blinds

Faux wood blinds are generally easy to clean, especially with a vacuum cleaner.

1. Before vacuuming, close the blinds and hold the bottom rail.

2. Vacuum one side and then turn to the other side.

3. Remember to use the lowest suction setting to avoid warping the slats.

If your faux wood blinds have grime and grease, you need to give them a thorough cleaning using white vinegar. 

1. Mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a bowl.

2. Dip a microfibre cloth in the solution, and wipe down each slat.

3. Wipe both sides of the slats, as well as the hard-to-reach corners. 

Wooden Venetian blinds

Because high-end wooden blinds have a unique finish that doesn’t hold dirt and stains, light cleaning is usually enough to have them cleaned. Here’s how to clean wooden Venetian blinds:

1. Wipe your wooden blinds using a clean cloth.

2.  If you want to polish them, apply furniture polish on the cloth and wipe each slat.

Wood blinds and faux wood blinds are absorbent, and you shouldn’t clean them with water or any other form of liquids. The timber slats can take in water and then warp when drying. Also, some of the colour finishes on faux wood and wood blinds should not come into contact with water as they can cause the finish layer to peel off.

Fabric Venetian blinds

Vacuuming is usually enough to clean fabric blinds – regardless if they are pleated, Roman, or cellular.

1. Clean and dust the fabrics using a vacuum cleaner at the lowest setting. You can use a hairdryer if you don’t have a household vacuum.

2. Blow the dirt caught between the creases and the openings.

3. Blow any bugs that you find between the honeycombs. Do not squish them because they will leave a stain.

4. If the blinds are stained, clean them with a damp microfibre cloth. Just don’t oversaturate the cloth with water or any cleaning solution.

Vinyl, plastic, and aluminium Venetian blinds

You can clean plastic and aluminium blinds by dusting or light cleaning with a cloth. But, if you have a few pieces of blinds from your living room, kitchen, and bedrooms, then this cleaning method might take a lot of time and it might be best to do a deep clean.

1. Unhook the blinds and soak one set at a time in a bathtub.

2. Use a sponge to work on both sides of the slats.

3. After cleaning, dip them again in clean and plain water to rinse away the soap suds.

4. Lay the blinds on some towels to soak up all the water.

5. Hang them up to air-dry.

If your tub is not big enough to soak your blinds, hang them outside on a clothesline on a hot sunny day, spray them with soap and spray with a garden hose. Work on both sides, and scrub with a soft brush. Then, rinse and leave them out to air-dry.

Find professional blind cleaners near you

If cleaning Venetian blinds seems like a tedious task, or you don’t have the time and supplies to do it, you should consider hiring a professional Venetian blind cleaner. A professional blind cleaner will take down your blinds when needed, clean them using the right method, and put them back in place. If your blinds are damaged, you should also consider calling someone to repair your Venetian blinds before having them cleaned.