How do I clean blinds?
Cleaning venetian, roller, vertical and fabric blinds without damaging the slats or the mechanism.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 45 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Dust venetian blinds closed, one side at a time, using a duster or a sock over your hand. Roller and fabric blinds usually need vacuuming with a brush attachment rather than washing. Never soak a fabric blind — the backing can separate and it will not hang straight again.
Blinds collect dust on every horizontal surface, which means a venetian blind has dozens of dust ledges. The method differs by type, and the main risk is treating a fabric blind like a plastic one.
What you'll need
- Microfibre cloth or duster
- Vacuum with brush attachment
- Old sock (optional)
- Warm soapy water (optional)
Step by step
- Identify the type before you start.Aluminium and plastic venetians can be washed; fabric rollers, verticals and pleated blinds usually cannot.
- For venetian blinds, close the slats fully one way and dust across them.Then close them the other way and repeat. Closed slats present a flat surface and stop the duster pushing them around.
- Use an old sock over your hand to do both sides of a slat at once.Slightly damp for greasy kitchen blinds, dry elsewhere.
- For heavily soiled plastic or aluminium venetians, take them down and wash them in the bath.Warm soapy water, rinse, and hang them outside or over the bath to drip dry fully before rehanging.
- For fabric roller and vertical blinds, vacuum with a brush attachment on low suction.Work top to bottom. Most fabric blinds have a stiffening backing that water will ruin.
- Spot-clean fabric marks with a barely damp cloth and minimal detergent, testing first.Blot rather than rub, and dry it fast.
- Wipe the headrail and check the cords and mechanism while you are there.The headrail collects a surprising amount of dust and is never touched.
Tips
- Dusting blinds monthly takes two minutes per window and prevents the greasy build-up that needs washing.
- Kitchen blinds attract airborne grease. They need a damp wipe rather than dry dusting.
- If blind cords are looped, fit a safety cleat — looped cords are a strangulation hazard for small children.
Common mistakes
- Soaking a fabric blind — The stiffening backing separates and the blind will never hang straight again.
- Dusting with slats open — The duster pushes them around and you clean almost nothing.
- Rehanging washed blinds before they are fully dry — Water sits in the headrail and slat holes and causes corrosion and marks.
Questions people ask
Can I wash fabric blinds?
Usually not. Most roller and vertical blinds have a stiffening or blackout backing that water separates. Vacuum them and spot-clean only, testing on a hidden area.
What is the fastest way to dust venetian blinds?
Close the slats fully, wipe across in one direction, then close them the other way and repeat. An old sock over your hand does both faces of each slat at once.