Sometimes it’s not always a chore to clean the house. Cleaning can be relaxing and cathartic at times. However, there are a couple of cleaning tasks that are universally dreaded. One of those little cleaning tasks that most people simply do not enjoy is cleaning the window coverings in the home. This will most likely come as no surprise to most. It’s not uncommon at all for people to completely forget the window coverings in a home during most regular or even deep cleans. Cleaning the shades, curtains, and blinds is almost always a very time-consuming and frustrating process. It can be especially true for the more rigid slats of window shutters as well. Keeping the windows themselves clean is typically much easier, the smooth and simple glass surface makes cleaning almost cathartic like a good vacuuming. In contrast cleaning blinds, shades, and curtains require far more attention and finesse. In this entry, we go over the ins and outs and of cleaning your window coverings with advice and strategies from the experts in the cleaning field.
Ensuring a successful cleaning of the windows coverings comes down to consistency and awareness. Because it can be so annoying to take care of the blinds and curtains many people tend to clean around them. This is true even if you are used to daily or regular cleaning of other places in the home. The basics of cleaning the blinds come down to regularity and commitment. Most experts will suggest at least a dusting or light vacuuming at least every time you go to clean the house. Regularly incorporating the window coverings in the routine is the first step in getting a handle on them. Beyond this, the best advice says that an extra dusting scheduled just once a month in conjunction with a thorough deep clean every other season or year.
Dusting by hand is still the very best method to handle blinds of most types. For your typical dusting make sure to extend the blinds out and horizontal to full length to be able to reach each slat. Use a feather duster or soft micro cloth to hit each slat all the way down. To finish off clearing the dust a common trick is to use a sock on your hand to slightly open the slats and give them all a quick once over. There are some specialty tools available to make the process quicker offering multiple arms to hit more than one slat at a time.
Vacuuming is your other option, especially for the more regular cleanings. When vacuuming blinds, you’ll be using the hose and related attachments. Some prefer to use the small slit attachment over the brush attachment, but we found the experts prefer the brush more often than not. Because of the tight spaces of blinds and shutters specifically, vacuuming might not always do the trick. Again, it’s good to go over the slats with the old sock trick or dusters to round off a good vacuuming.
For sturdier blinds or window coverings where dusting and vacuuming aren’t quite doing the trick, you can consider a bath. This technique is also great for the infrequent deep cleans as well. Basically, you can take down the blinds entirely and set them in the bathtub with a solution of white vinegar, dishwashing soap, and water. Let them soak, wipe, and dry, and they will be good as new for a long time.
