Style, colour and blind type aren’t the only things to take into account when choosing a blind suitable for your home. One factor that many neglect, and which is often the most important when choosing a window treatment, is the maintenance of your new blind. As we now use our homes more than ever, and households are only getting busier, it’s important to remember that a blind can often be exposed to wear and tear, and can quickly build up dirt and grime on their surface over time. However, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fashionable blinds for clean blinds.
Wooden blinds are amongst the easiest blind choices to clean and maintain, meaning your new blind will continue to look new for years to come. These blinds are also one of the most popular blind options due to their versatility and complementing luxury touch to your space. Also known as Venetian blinds, these are typically made from real and faux wood, and are definitely one of the easiest window treatments to clean, which is why they are the most popular choice within your homes. Their heavy duty fabrics make them a durable choice, ideal for busy workspaces and living areas. The horizontal slats on Real Wooden blinds can mean a lot of build up of dust and dirt can be accumulated more easily than other blinds. The smaller gaps between the horizontal slats means that dust can often get trapped between them, and overtime build up to even more grime and dirt without you even being aware of it.
We’ve put together this handy guide that will keep your Wooden blinds looking in exceptional condition for years to come.
Cleaning Real Wood Blinds
When it comes to cleaning Real Wood blinds it’s important to take a little extra care than if you were cleaning Faux or PVC materials, as if real wood becomes too moist it can damage the real wood texture and cause faults in the wood, and possibly even stain your blinds. The ideal, and most common way to clean your Real Wooden blind is to use a hoover attachment. Not only is this more manageable, and less time consuming, it is also much easier to navigate and can help you reach spots on your blind you might miss with a usual wipe down.
Top tip – when using a vacuum, make sure to use caution around any cords or wands to avoid causing damage. Always set the vacuum suction speed to low and use a soft brush attachment. Without the hoover attachment, you may scratch the surface of your blind slats, so be sure to use extra care when hoovering.
We also suggest keeping on top of cleaning your Real Wooden blinds weekly, with a simple dry cloth and duster. You can also use a simple microfibre cloth, this will help keep your Wooden blind in immaculate condition without damaging any of the natural fibres in the wood. When cleaning your Wooden blinds with a duster or cloth, make sure you pull the cord so that all the blind slats are tightly shut so that you have a flat surface to work with, working from the top to the bottom. Also, make sure to clean both sides of the slat, by pulling the cord to make the slats face in the opposite direction. You can purchase dusters specifically designed for Vertical Wooden Slat blinds, which makes it even easier to get in between each individual slat, ensuring each side of the slat is clean. Alternatively, you can simply use a normal cleaning cloth, grip the slats on both sides when the blind and slats are open, and move the cloth across the slat, cleaning both sides of the blind slat.
Cleaning Faux Wood Blinds
Faux Wood blinds are slightly easier to maintain. You can maintain your Faux Wooden blinds, or restore them back to ‘brand new’ in a few simple steps. Faux Wooden blinds are made from synthetic PVC material, in simple terms, they are waterproof. This means that you need not worry about the effects of water and you can actually wipe these down in an instant.
We recommend that you use warm water and a wet cloth to remove heavy dirt and grime build-up on your Faux Wooden blind. This ensures a thorough clean, and leaves your blinds looking and smelling amazing in your room. Your Wooden blinds should be regularly cleaned, weekly if possible. For a light dust we would recommend using a soft duster and spray, or a feather duster to get in every little hidden spot.
Again, like real wood, you can also use the soft brush hoover attachment to vacuum your Faux Wooden blind.
Deep cleaning your Wooden blinds
Deep cleaning blinds require removing them from their brackets, you only need to do a deep cleaning when you notice significant grime build-up or when your regular cleaning isn’t getting the blinds as significantly clean as you would like. Remove the blinds from the brackets as indicated in the instruction manual. For blinds with real wooden slats, stick to a regular light dusting and vacuuming to protect the blind.
You can deep clean faux wooden blinds in a bathtub or bucket. Simply fill up a bucket or bath with clean, warm water (you can also add a mild detergent). Grab a clean cloth or another soft cleaning tool such as a microfibre cloth or non-abrasive sponge and lightly wipe your blinds clean. Once you’re finished cleaning your blinds, make sure you let them dry fully before you hang them again. We would suggest letting your blinds air dry or use a dry cloth to soak some of the moisture from them. Once the blinds are dry, remount the blinds carefully into place.
If you would like more advice or guidance on discovering the perfect blind to fit your interior style, or if you require more cleaning advice, please don’t hesitate to send us a message.
