Venetian blinds:
Lower the blind and tilt the slats downwards. Don’t close them completely. With your hand on the bottom rail, pull the blind slightly away from the window, keeping it taut while cleaning.
Attach the soft dusting-brush tool to your vacuum cleaner and vacuum a few slats at a time. Going side to side works well, but so does a top-to-bottom motion; see which works best for you.
Dampen a micro fibre cloth with water and wipe the slats again. Pass over any stubborn dirt again.
Open the slats and allow the blind to air-dry.
Fabric and vinyl blinds:
Vacuum fabric blinds like Roman blinds with your vacuum cleaner’s soft brush or upholstery tool.
For vinyl roller blinds, pull them about halfway down to start; the work will be more manageable.
Dip a cloth in soapy water, wring it out and clean the vinyl blind in horizontal sections, starting at the bottom and wiping up and down or left to right. Rinse the cloth, wring well and wipe o the section you’re working on. Continue upwards, pulling the blind down as you go.
Leave the blind extended until it’s dry.
Make it easier next time:
- Use the Finishing Touches Mini Blind Cleaner (R33, Builders Warehouse), which has seven ‘fingers’, to clean slats.
- Hang washable curtains over blinds to keep dust from settling on them.
Text originally appeared in Good Housekeeping magazine.
PHOTO: iStock/tab1962
