Vertical blinds do get dirty, especially if they’re on a floor-to-ceiling window. Where children and pets can part them to see who’s at the front door. Cleaning these blinds can seem like a monumental hassle. Especially if you have to take them down to do the job. Which could take days and leave you without blinds for that period. But you can have them cleaned at home. And it doesn’t matter whether the vertical blinds in your home are made from wood, plastic or fabric. There are ways to clean them without the need to send them out to the dry cleaners. To find out how to clean your vertical blinds, follow the guide below:

A Hot Tip on Cleaning Your Vertical Blinds

This is important: Check the manufacturer’s instructions before you do this to make sure your vertical blinds are machine washable. If they are, then remove them from the tracks, roll them up. And put them inside a pillowcase with some towels and set the wash to delicate. The towels and the gentle wash cycle will help stop the blinds from fraying. See further down below for a more detailed guide to washing vertical blinds in the machine.  

Important Considerations:

1. Regular maintenance means you may not need to deep clean your blinds as often.
2. Regular dusting, or vacuuming your vertical blinds with a brush attachment helps keep them clean.
3. If your vertical blinds are machine washable. They can be put through the machine but only if the temperature is no higher than 30 degrees celsius (some say 40C).
4. Cleaning this way can be a bit tricky, and so a lot of householders prefer to take the fabric slats to the dry cleaners. Moreover, call in some professional cleaners to do the job.
5. This isn’t always necessary though, because it’s possible to clean vertical blinds at home. If you know how to do it and you’re aware of the pitfalls.

Guide to Using the Washing Machine to Clean Blinds

While it’s perfectly good advice to check the manufacturer's instructions on the label. Here are some extra tips on making sure you don’t ruin your vertical blinds in the washing machine. Some vertical blind manufacturers state on their labels that the slats can be safely washed at 40 degrees. However, some householders find that after doing that, their vertical blinds aren’t quite the same afterwards. The problem is that they haven’t rolled the slats up and placed them in a pillowcase with towels on a delicate cycle in warm water.

Why Use Warm Rather Than Hot Water?

The reason you don’t want to use hot water when cleaning them at home is that the vertical blind slats might be glued. Additionally, not stitched at the bottom folds. The hot water could melt the glue and unravel the fold, which would expose the weights that keep the vertical blind hanging properly. You can clean your vertical blinds in the bathtub, or a bucket, and this way you can gauge the temperature of the water with your hands. A good quality laundry liquid is also advised.

How to Dry Vertical Blinds Cleaned at Home 

No matter which vertical blind cleaning solution you choose at home - hand washing or machine - there’s only one way to dry them, and that’s naturally, laid flat. If you put the blind slats into a dryer, the problem is the heat could shrink them, but in various places, and you’ll end up with some very odd-looking, rather useless vertical blinds. This can also happen if you hang the slats up to dry. There are different amounts of moisture in every slat so there will be stretching in one area and shrinkage in another. The solution is to lay your cleaned vertical blind slats on a flat surface on towels, and leave them there until they are completely dry before hanging them up again.

Maintaining Your Clean Vertical Blinds

If you get into the habit of regular maintenance, you can lessen the need to wash your vertical blinds so often. Indoor blinds come in a range of designs and sizes, but nonetheless they all blinds require maintenance to ensure their kept up to their best appearance and cleanliness. Doing the following will take only minutes, and you will notice the difference.

• Dust your vertical blinds regularly

Gently wipe up and down the vertical blind slats with a really thick, full duster, to remove any dust and particles. Using the full, thick duster means the dust and particles won't just be moved around but will come off the slat. This isn’t the case with thin feather dusters or cloths.

• Gently vacuum to clean your vertical blinds at home

If you don't have to dismantle your vertical blinds to clean them, it’s much less of a hassle. One way of avoiding the need to take them down is to vacuum them regularly while they're hanging in place. Use a brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Because the bristles will help to dislodge any dust, dirt or particles. Also, there’s less power in the suction if you use a brush attachment so you can be gentle with the slats when cleaning them. To avoid unhooking the slats on your vertical blinds when you clean them. Make sure you vacuum from the top down and always in a downward motion. 

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Alex Morrison has worked with a range of businesses giving him an in depth understanding of many different industries. That includes home improvement, financial support and health care.