Cleaning vertical blinds is not that tedious and it helps to adopt a dusting routine around the home.

The easiest way to cleaning vertical blinds requires a washing container or tub that's large enough to fit the blinds. Pop them in and begin scrubbing. Ensure the cleaning solution contains nothing that can cause damage to the fabric blinds. Remove the vertical blind from the blades gently so that you don't damage them. The best way is to remove each edge at a time by jiggling them up slowly. This way, the vertical blind will come off quickly. Although the designs may vary, most blinds have their locks placed at the bottom, which needs removal. There are also fabric vertical blinds with weights attached at the bottom to hold them in place. Detach them from their weight pockets, before you clean. Once you get the vertical blind down, follow the following steps:

  • Fill your tub with warm water, mix a small amount of laundry cleaning agent and add bleach if your blinds are white.

  • Check for dry mould and wipe using a soft brush.

  • Soak them in the cleaning solution in small batches.

  • Brush off the dirt spots until thoroughly clean.

  • When done, let the water out and fill the tub with clean cold water and rinse.

  • Wipe the blade using a towel then hang them to dry.

If you are not keen on following the above steps, use a steam cleaner. It will apply all the steps automatically. Plus, you don't need to take the blinds down. But remember, overexposing your vertical blinds to steam cleaners can damage them.

What is the easiest way to clean vertical blinds?

The process involves simple steps and a few hours for drying. Below are three and most effective ways of washing vertical blinds:

Take your vertical blinds off and clean the headrails

This is the first step. However, it's possible to dust and clean dirt spots while still attached. Taking blinds down allows you space to wash the headrails and soak the blinds all at once in a washing tub. This may be a great time to shorten the venetian blinds if they are too long.

Visit our full guide on removing venetian blinds if you run into any issues during the process.

Dust your vertical blinds

After taking your blinds from the headrail, lay them in front of you and gently use a soft microfibre cloth to remove dirt and dry muold. Use a damp cloth to make it more effective, or opt for a feather duster. Alternatively, you can use a brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner. Whichever method you choose, make sure you capture all the dust from the blind.

Wash with warm water

After wiping the dirt, it's time to soak them. Fill your washing tub with warm water, add a mild laundry detergent or soap, and gently wash until thoroughly clean. If you notice a stubborn stain, use a microfibre cloth soaked with soap to buff the stains. Don't use hot water because you might damage the blinds. Likewise, make sure you use a detergent that is friendly to the delicate fabrics. If you opt for a washing machine, set the temperature to 30 degree, and confirm whether the vertical fabric blinds fit machine wash. After cleaning, lay them to dry.

What is the best way to clean blinds without taking them down?

Cleaning curtains is much easier than cleaning cellular vertical blinds. You remove them and soak them into a washing tub or washing machine. But for window blinds, the process is a bit hands-on and takes a long time. Below are are four cleaning tips on how to clean vertical blinds without taking them down.

Use a vacuum cleaner

This handy tool easily cleans dirt from all kinds of blinds. Likewise, vacuuming is an excellent means of cleaning vertical blinds and Venetian vinyl blinds. This is also a great option if you are cleaning vertical blinds in the household.

High-quality feather duster

This is the fastest way to clean blinds made from aluminium, faux wood and wood shutters.

Soapy water

Vacuums and feature dusters are great options for general cleaning but for deeper cleaning, soapy water is a better option. Use it for cleaning stubborn dirt spots. However, never use soap and water when cleaning wooden blinds as it causes warping.

Baking soda solution

This is an excellent solution to deep clean fabric vertical blinds. All you do is soak a soft piece of cloth into the mixture, wring excess water and run it on the blind's slats. Clean the fabric cloth off any residue and repeat the process until you wipe all the slats.

How often should you clean vertical blinds?

Regularly cleaning and maintaining the vertical blind keeps them dust-free and extends their lifespan. They are an additional investment into your home, so keeping them in excellent condition is essential. Contrary to what most people think, cleaning vertical blinds is not that tedious. The good thing is to adopt a dusting routine, where you at least dust them weekly or after a fortnight. Doing so helps prevent dust build-up. Besides, it becomes much easier for deep cleaning because the level of dirt build-up is low. Cleaning around the vertical blinds prolongs their lifespan. To keep up with regular cleaning, you need to invest in a feather duster or handheld vacuum cleaner. These tools will make the process easier and quicker and reach locations that are hard to dust. In addition, when you wash vertical blinds, consider the type. In the market, there are three types of Venetian blinds. They include PVC (timber look), aluminium and timber Venetian blinds. Each of these blinds has different cleaning and maintaining routines but regardless of the material used, cleaning your blinds more often enhances their longevity.

How much does it cost to clean vertical blinds?

Learning how to clean vertical blinds helps maintain the freshness of your living space or work environment. If you find the cleaning process difficult to do yourself or time-consuming, you can easily find a blind cleaning service. These professionals are not only fast and efficient, but they also use industry-standard tools when cleaning blinds. Blind cleaning services might help offices and homeowners with cleaning their vertical blinds. They often use the latest technology like ultrasonic cleaning, which cleans without spreading germs, dirt, or grime to surrounding areas. If you are exploring blind cleaning services, it's good you shop around requesting quotes before settling one service provider. The average cost is about $20 per vertical blind, which means the total cost of cleaning will be the number of blinds multiplied by $20. If you have seven, that would cost you $140. However, the price varies depending on the service provider and the number of blinds being cleaned. If you opt for ultrasonic cleaning services, it will cost you slightly higher.