Whether you own or rent your home, you are responsible for keeping it cleaned and maintained as needed to keep yourself and others comfortable and to make sure the environment does not pose any health risks. One of the tasks that you will need to have done on a regular basis is the cleaning of your blinds and curtains. This will keep your home attractive and reduce the presence of allergens.
An easy way to keep track of when you should vacuum your blinds and curtains is to do it at the start of each season. In fact, this is the ideal opportunity to clean your windows as well. Dedicate a day to getting all of your windows in top condition when spring and the other seasons begin, and the task will not only be easier than if you do it less frequently, it will ensure that your windows look fantastic throughout the year. This means that when you want to put seasonal decorations in your windows, such as for Christmas or Halloween, you will not have to worry about doing a deep clean first because you are already attending to your regular home maintenance.
So, before you reach the day that you have set aside for cleaning your blinds and curtains, you should make sure that you have all of the appropriate supplies in one place. If you are going to clean the glass in your windows at the same time, you could work with another member of your household in order to knock the task out more than twice as fast than if you decided to go it alone. How much time it will take and how much help you need will of course depend in part on how many windows you have, the size of the windows and your ability to easily access them.
You may want to perform the cleaning on a monthly basis in some conditions. For instance, if anyone in the household has allergies, regularly removing debris from your curtains and blinds is part of reducing their reactions. Children and elderly people are also more susceptible to harm from debris that may be stuck to or growing on unclean window coverings. Animals and high levels of activity can increase how quickly blinds become dirty, as can your location. If you live on a busy main road, you will need to clean them more frequently than someone who has a rock garden for a yard on a little traveled, paved road in a village!
Most vacuum cleaners come with attachments that can help you to clean your blinds and curtains. These brushes will help to loosen the debris while the power of the vacuum pulls them into the unit and out of the air. You attach them to the end of the hose according to the manufacturer instructions and gently go over the entire window covering. Alternatively, there are some specialized attachments sold on the market that are meant to increase the effectiveness of your blind and drape cleaning efforts. You can investigate some of these to see if they are a good fit for you and your vacuum cleaner.
If you notice that there is grime on your blinds that is not being picked up by the vacuum cleaner, do not force the brush onto them. You may inadvertently end up breaking or cracking the blinds. Instead, you will need to make a vinegar solution in order to remove it. Combine one part vinegar to three parts water. Wet a rag with this solution and wipe the blinds carefully to loosen caked on debris. Once it has dried, go over it again with the vacuum cleaner to be sure that you have gotten everything.
Remember when you are cleaning the blinds and curtains in your home that you should always work from top to bottom. You can either vacuum the items while they are still hanging, or remove them if needed for more intensive cleaning. However, anything that you do to remove dust and related debris will naturally fall downward. This is why all cleaning tasks should always begin closest to the ceiling, moving toward the floor.
If you have honeycomb blinds, you may want to use a hairdryer set on cool to blow any debris from inside of the combs. Make sure that you have something on the other side to collect the dust that you are blowing out so that it does not get all over the room, thus counteracting your cleaning efforts.
Keeping your home well maintained includes taking care of your windows and their coverings. Do this at least once each season, and monthly if need be, so that the air in your home will be fresh and the view fantastic!
Last Updated on January 10, 2021 by Gemma Tyler
Gemma Tyler is a freelance journalist with 15 years of experience writing for consumer publications. She has tested and reviewed a wide range of household items from vacuum cleaners to washing machines and dehumidifiers to steam irons. Her attention to detail and exhaustive testing certainly makes her an expert in her field.
