You’ve chosen to adorn your windows with the perfect roller blinds - a style that’s ideally suited for high-traffic areas and spaces that get wet. These durable blinds are a popular choice for homeowners and renters that want a beautiful style that can handle tougher environments. With eye-catching fabrics in bold hues and patterns and subtle silhouettes, it’s no surprise these blinds are found in everything from modern London flats to quaint countryside manors.
Not only are roller blinds functional and stylish, but they’re also easy to clean - more so than other blind styles including wooden blinds, venetian blinds and vertical blinds. Looking for tips on how to clean roller blinds? Follow this handy guide for ways to keep your window blinds pristine and sparkling.
How to clean roller blinds
Most roller blinds are made of fabrics, making them easy to clean with a vacuum cleaner or soapy water. When cleaning roller blinds, it’s important to be mindful of the fabric type and any cleaners you choose to use. It’s best to use warm soapy water or a blend of water and vinegar rather than cleaning products. If you choose to use a cleaning product on tough stains, make sure it’s suitable for your blind fabric material to avoid damaging the blinds.
It’s also tempting to just remove the fabric from the headrail and toss it into the washing machine. However, most manufacturers recommend only washing blinds by hand. That’s because the fabric can develop creases, folds or pilling if washed improperly or in the machine. Instead, follow this handy guide for regular and deep cleaning methods that will brighten up your blinds without damaging them.
Whether you want to do a quick touch-up or need a deep clean to remove stains, there are different cleaning methods that can protect your blinds while making them shiny and new. Here’s how to clean your roller blinds, from regular cleaning to stain removal and mould treatments.
Regular Cleaning
Roller blinds should be vacuumed occasionally to prevent dust buildup. While you can use a duster, a vacuum is more effective at removing dust particles from the fabric of roller blinds. You can vacuum them every few weeks when they start to show dust or add it to your regular cleaning routine.
For a general clean of your roller blinds, use a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery brush attachment. Roll the blind all the way down so the fabric is flat and doesn’t have any folds. Hold the edge of the blind fabric and begin vacuuming from top to bottom. Don’t forget to get the backside of the blind as well.
If you want a deeper clean that removes small layers of grime, you can also use a damp cloth after vacuuming. Fill a bucket with warm soapy water and dip a microfibre cloth into the lukewarm water. Instead of soap, you can use vinegar or a small amount of laundry detergent. Make sure the suds are suitable for the blind fabric and don’t use anything that has bleach or you may ruin the colour or pattern.
Wring out excess water and wipe the blind in a top to bottom motion. Dip the cloth in the sudsy water as needed. Once finished, get another rag and dip it in a bucket of warm water without soap. Wipe the blind fabric once more with the clean water. Let the blinds air dry completely before rolling them back up to prevent mould.
Stain Removal
Over time, your blinds may get stained and require a deeper cleaning. To remove tough stains, you can use a stain remover as long as it can be used on the fabric type of your blinds. Read the label of your spot cleaning product or reach out to your blind manufacturer to make sure the product won’t damage the fabric.
You can use a soft brush or an old toothbrush to gently scrub grime and stubborn stains from the fabric. Try to brush in the direction of the fabric weave to avoid creating lines and marks on the fabric.
Mould Cleaning
The best method for how to clean roller blinds really depends on how dirty your blinds are. In some cases — including mould — you may need more powerful cleaners or professional help. Mould thrives in damp, warm environments. If you have fabric roller blinds in your bathroom or kitchen, they may develop mould if they don’t dry out properly. Window blinds can also grow mould if they get wet from constant condensation on the windows.
To make cleaning roller blinds easier, it’s important to avoid mould buildup as much as possible. Make sure to dry out your blinds any time they get wet. You can use a hairdryer to speed up the drying process, leave a window open for ventilation or run a fan or dehumidifier when moisture and humidity are high.
If your blinds get really wet — like that time when you forgot to close the window and a rainstorm blew through — you can remove the blinds from the headrail to dry completely. Place the fabric on a drying rack and make sure to dry the rest of the blinds, including the headrail and mechanisms, before remounting the blinds.
If you find that mould has grown on your blinds, you can take the fabric to a dry cleaner for removal. You can also use a fabric-safe cleaning agent that specifically targets mould spores. White vinegar and lemon juice may kill mould spores and help to remove stains from blinds without harming the fabric.
