Venetian Blinds: Wash And Care

Venetian Blinds: Wash And Care – Venetian blinds are made of horizontal slats of wood or aluminium, and come in a variety of widths. Wooden blinds used to be very expensive, but can now be bought ready-made at a reasonable price and cut to fit. Venetian blinds are particularly suitable for bathrooms, kitchens and minimalist interiors, and can be easily adjusted to give light, shade or privacy.

Their main drawback is that they accumulate dust and grease and can be extremely fiddly and tricky to clean, particularly in kitchens. Aluminium blinds can mark paintwork if they bang against window frames.

How to care for Venetian blinds?

Dust and grease can make cleaning Venetian blinds a bit of a nightmare (it once took me three hours to clean one blind).

Close the slats so they lie flat and then vacuum using the upholstery brush on a low setting. Hold the blind steady so it does not bang against the window frame. Start at the top and vacuum first the center section of the blind, then the sections on either side of the tapes. Reverse the slats and do the other side. Do this at least once a month. If more is needed, wipe the slats occasionally with a barely damp cloth. Wooden blinds should never be immersed in water. For this reason, it is not a good idea to put wooden blinds in a kitchen — the combination of grease and dust in the atmosphere can stain the wood irrevocably.

For metal blinds, a second option is to use a blind cleaner. This consists of two furry prongs that fit tightly over each slat and which you then slide along the blind to remove dust. You could also use a put on a pair of cotton gloves (or use cotton socks as mitts) and run your fingers along each slat.

Tip: Go easy on metal blinds. lt is surprisingly easy to bend the slats and, once bent, they cannot be unbent, but will have an irreversible kink. lf a slat is bent, the only solution is to restring the whole blind and add a new slat.

How to wash a Venetian blinds?

Once metal blinds get very greasy, you will have to wash them. Pad the windowsill with an old towel to catch drips and to prevent the blind banging against the woodwork. Fill a bowl with water and washing-up liquid. Open the blind fully, with the slats horizontal.

Note: Do not use ammonia-based detergents — ammonia reacts with aluminium!

Wearing heavy-duty cotton gloves (or use cotton socks as mitts), dip your hands in the water and run your fingers along each slat. Work from top to bottom, being careful not to bend the slats. Take care also to avoid getting the cords wet. Venetian blinds can get very dirty, so replace the water frequently.

Rinse the blind in the same way, using plain water to which you have addeda generous splash of vinegar. Finally, wipe dry with a soft cloth. The vinegar will give a good shine. Do not pull the blind up until the slats are completely dry.

Tip: To prevent aluminium blinds getting dusty, after cleaning, spray with an anti-static spray or the type designed for computer screens.