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How to Keep Your Wooden Blinds Clean

 

Wooden blinds are great at providing a home with natural warmth and look great in any room. Unfortunately, they need regular cleaning and maintenance to keep them looking good and serving their purposes. To ensure that they stay free from dust all year round, there are dos and don’ts that every homeowner should be aware of. It’s important to note that excessive moisture is detrimental to these blinds, just like other items made from wood. As such, it’s recommended that the use of liquid or water isn’t as part of the cleaning routine.

Here are the tips to help you keep your wooden blinds clean:

Clean Using a Duster

This is the fastest method of cleaning the wooden blinds especially when you’re stuck for time. The process is simple, it involves closing the blind slats in a single direction and then using a dry cloth or feather duster to wipe over them. Take precaution in order not to disturb the position of the slats by ensuring that you’re wiping them using a downward motion. Once you’ve wiped one side, open and close the slats again in the opposite direction to the first one. In a similar manner, wipe the blind slats down. If you want your cleaning to be more thorough, look for a lint-free cloth that’s dry or a soft duster. Alternatively, you may use a specialist tool for cleaning the blinds. In this case, open the blind and have the top of each blind slat cleaned by starting at the centre of the slat working outwards. Once this is done, close and open the blind in the other direction to allow for cleaning of the undersides of the blind slats.

Vacuuming

Wooden blinds may also be cleaned using a vacuum cleaner with low suction and soft brush attachment. Vacuum cleaners with high suction can pull the slats downwards, thereby, damaging them. Use the following method to clean the blinds using the vacuum cleaner: Open the blind, hold one slat in one of your hands, then carefully run the soft brush attachment of the vacuum cleaner using the other hand. In the same manner as the duster method we discussed above, repeat this on the other side of the blind. The uppermost slats may be difficult to reach for some people. If this is a challenge for you, ensure you use a step stool that’s sturdy and well positioned to avoid pulling on the slats. An alternative way to clean the topmost slats is to take the whole blind down and laying it down carefully on your floor. Use an old towel or blanket to prevent causing damages to either the floor covering or blind.

Removing stubborn stains

If you’ve got stubborn and sticky stains on your blinds that can’t be removed using the dry cloth, you may use a damp cloth. Rub the stubborn stain with the damp cloth until you notice it’s lifted. However, be gentle as you rub. Rubbing too hard may have a negative effect on the varnish or paint on the wooden blinds. When the stain has been successfully lifted, use a dry, clean cloth to wipe away the excess moisture on the slats.